All players were beaming with enthusiasm and excitement in their underdog win in the NICL tournament. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Did you know South Tama County still has a presence in the North Iowa Cedar League? On Tuesday, June 25, the STC middle school softball team put the NICL on notice, blazing through the tournament in dominant fashion.

Coach of the team and high school activities director Chelsea Ahrens talked about how STC is still present in the NICL after leaving around a decade ago.

“We have played in the NICL for baseball and softball I believe since the summer of 2012 when we first joined the conference. When we left for the WaMac in 2014, the WaMaC did not offer middle school softball or baseball and they still do not offer middle school baseball and softball as an official sport,” she said. “If the WaMac were to officially offer middle school baseball and softball, with a complete game schedule, as members of the conference we would more than likely participate.”

The team, coached by Ahrens and Ander Rutledge, has seen plenty of success this season with plenty of parity in their play. Arriving at the tournament seeded eighth, the team of talented young Trojans were the underdogs and embraced the mantra.

In game one, STC took out the number one seed East Marshall in a 5-4 thriller, making crucial plays when it counted.

Next up was number four seed GMG which the Trojans dispatched of 9-6. In the championship game, the Trojans rolled through the Oelwein Huskies 11-1, putting their foot down and leaving no doubt.

After the game, Ahrens spoke highly of the team and the incredible future ahead.

“This is a very cool accomplishment for the girls. We really just got hot at the right time. All the girls were hitting and playing outstanding defense, they made some plays that needed to be made in order to win games,” she said. “The 8th grade girls are a very talented class. We are excited to watch these girls compete in high school athletics.”