1983 Streator Softball Team

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Accomplishments

● Won 1983 IHSA State Title under the leadership of coach A.T. Mogill ● Remains the only state title in school history, one of only two girls team state championships in area history ● Finished the season 30-2; topped two-time defending state champion Quincy Notre

Dame 2-1 in state semifinals and beat Rich Central 6-2 in the state title game

By Andy Tavegia

It’s hard to imagine a team with 10 returning letterwinners that won a regional title the year before fooling anyone.

But in the case of the 1983 Streator softball team, that’s exactly what happened in a way. They fooled one important group of girls – themselves.

When that legendary season began, they will tell you there were no huge expectations. No pressure created with talks of conference, regional, sectional or even a state title.

There was one expectation – have fun.

And that naiveite may have been the biggest reason as to why this particular group of friends surprised everyone – even themselves – by going 30-2 and winning it all. “Honestly, I think it’s because we didn’t know any better,” said Zami (Mogill) Hay, the star junior pitcher on that squad. “We had no pressure, no monWHERE are theykey on our back. We didn’t know anything about state tournaments or championships or any of that stuff. We were just a bunch of friends playing ball. It NOW was super organic.”

It isn’t as if these Lady Bulldogs were blind. They knew they would be good. After all, they had all the parts of something fun.

You had the star pitcher in Mogill, someone who individually was inducted into the NewsTribune’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame last year and later broke several records as a star at Eastern Illinois University.

She was joined by Amy (Pedelty) Ferko as an all-stater that season with Ferko being the star athlete in school. It was no more evident in softball where she had the strength, speed and hitting ability to change a game.

The funny thing is you would expect such an individual to star at shortstop. That wasn’t the case. She actually made the move to right field that season, a selfless move that made a great team even better.

That allowed a great defensive duo of shortstop Peggy (Killian) Heinz and center fielder Jean (Essman) Harcharik to man the all-important middle of the field.

“I think one of the strengths was as good as we all were individually, be it better offensively, a good runner, a good fielder, whatever, there was no jealousy,” said Linda Weiss, the starting catcher on that team. “People played their positions and did what they did and were in it for the team winning.

“Obviously, we had talented players, and we loved playing the sport and we all had fun together. You put those with the fact we were out to play the best and win to show to others that we could compete and the fact we were going to do what we needed to do to win.”

Few teams could stop the Lady Bulldogs that year, and one of those losses was avenged in a moment a bit similar to the “Miracle on Ice.”

Quincy Notre Dame entered that season as the two-time defending state champion that had beaten Streator already that season in Streator’s own invitational.

However, in the state semifinals, surrounded by hundreds of Streator fans, the Lady Bulldogs ended Notre Dame’s reign with an amazing 2-1 win.

Streator followed with a 6-2 win over Rich Central to capture the state title.

“The reality was the Quincy (Notre Dame) game was the championship game,” Mogill said. “We walked into that championship game knowing we were the state champions. We just had to show up and do our thing. It’s not that we weren’t intense. We definitely were intense and in the moment. But we just knew it.”

That softball team was one of only two girls sports teams from the Illinois Valley to win a state title, the other being the 1990 Princeton volleyball team.

However, a few added factors made this team special.

For starters, the Lady Bulldogs won in a one-class system, something that drove Streator especially late in the season.

“I think once we got outside of the schools that knew us, I perceived from the outside there was skepticism,” Weiss said. “This was the small, little school that, yeah, they could win against these other schools that weren’t very good.”

Secondly, the win came as the state of Illinois still struggled to find gender equity in sports. Title IX was only 10 years old, and the IHSA didn’t offer state series for women’s sports until 1975-76. This was the first opportunity for a local team to bring attention to girls sports. And according to the players themselves, the city of Streator didn’t disappoint.

“The boys had their chests painted with their shirts off,” Mogill said of the state scene. “And you know, girls sports didn’t tend to get that kind of following. People would go to the basketball games and do all that stuff, but you wouldn’t see that at girls sports. We thought it was pretty special.

“Coming back into town with the parade was just out of this world.”

Photos from June 2019 Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame Inaugural Banquet

Emcee Lanny Slevin presents the Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame induction plaque to Nicole (Coates) Schaefbauer at the June 2019 inaugural honoree banquet.

FILE PHOTO Hall alumnus Shawn Jeppson (right) shares a story with the crowd and host Lanny Slevin during the 2019 NewsTribune’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

FILE PHOTO

For up to date information about the Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame community make sure to LIKE and FOLLOW us on FACEBOOK @NTIVSportsHOF

Congratulations to all Class of 2022 Inductees!

ST R

FORD • LINCOLN • RENTAL

Hours: Monday - Friday 8AM to 5PM, Saturday 8AM to 12Noon N. RTE 23 STREATOR 815.672.3187 307 W. MAIN STREET OTTAWA 815-324-9166

SM-LA1976932 starfordstreator.com A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame | June 2022 27