San Dieguito softball squad wins district championship

When the San Dieguito Youth Softball 12U All Stars brought home the league’s first USA Softball North San Diego District title in a decade, Brian Goodbody made good on a promise. A month prior he’d told his team of stars that if they won it all, they could shave off his beard.

After clinching the championship, the girls got the clippers.

“The girls had a fun time, they thought it was pretty classic,” said Goodbody, who had been growing his fairly significant facial hair for the last nine years.

With the big win, the girls also got to shave Assistant Coach Dave Bennett’s head.

This year’s championship 12U All Star team included players Hallee Bennett, Isabel Goodbody, Quinn McMichael, Cate Hoeft, Jacqueline Fugate, Shay Munger, Brooke Tilton, Sierra Miller, Caitlyn Murray, Sami Silverman, Olivia Nevejans and Kylie McGarry. The All Stars played in four tournaments prior to June’s District Championships in Ramona and were on an upward swing, having made it to the semifinals and finals in the previous two tourneys.

At the district tournament, they beat their rival league La Costa (LCYO) 18-6 and bested Poway 17-0.

“It seemed like the girls just played amazing, they were hitting the ball, they were really focused,” Goodbody said. “The girls have been working hard and everything kind of just came together that weekend.”

The girls getting hit after hit accounted for the tournament’s crooked scores. In the final and semifinal game, the team also had two home runs—balls were crushed over the fence by Quinn McMichael and Cate Hoeft.

“It was exciting, they were the first two home runs of our All Star season,” Goodbody said.

After winning the district title, the team went on to the SoCal State Championships in Lancaster. They had a good time (despite playing in 109-degree heat), winning one game and losing two.

Goodbody credits the girls’ hard work and dedication for a successful All Star season.

“They sacrificed a lot over the summer. When all of their friends are going to the beach, they’re working hard at the softball fields, practicing three times a week and playing tournaments on the weekends,” Goodbody said. “(Their hard work and dedication) definitely got us to where we went. It was fun to watch and fun to coach, no doubt about it.”