A little over 20 years ago, the ML King’s Girls softball team won the school’s first ever CIF Championship.   The accomplishments of the young women on that team have faded a bit over the years in the light of the school’s more recent CIF successes but it certainly hasn’t been forgotten. In recognition of their magical season in 2002, they were named as the ML King Hall of Fames’ first Team of Distinction.

During the course of that season, they went 27-2;  won the Sunkist League Championship and then went on a run in the playoffs outscoring their opponents 15-1 to eventually hoist the CIF Plaque. Heady stuff for a school in its third year and about to see its first graduating class and though it is that season that was most memorable, the seeds of a championship  were planted the first day of tryouts in 2000. As the girls arrived that first day, unpacking their gear and lacing up their cleats, Head Coach Jennifer McNatt had a vision.  “I vividly remember looking at Coach (Rich) Martinez and saying “This is going to be an epic program.”

With only Sophomores and Freshmen, McNatt set about building the culture and standards by scheduling both varsity and JV contests. “The goal was to experience varsity challenges and JV victories,” she said. 2022 King Hall of Fame inductee Heather Booth, who pitched the Wolves to most of those 27 wins, said in her Hall of Fame acceptance speech that “Coach McNatt coached us like we were a college program.” She would know as she would go on to a great career at the University of Notre Dame. There were bumps and bruises along the way but it set the base for the next two seasons. “Everybody remembers the championship season but they tend to forget that in 2001, we made a good run in the playoffs as well,” said McNatt.

The two losses the team suffered in 2002 came in the championship games of two pre-league tournaments but according to McNatt, they were just part of the bigger picture and helped keep team focus. When the playoffs began, the outside expectations weren’t very high for the Wolves.  Pacifica and El Modena High Schools were the favorites to make the final. It is fair t say that no one saw the Wolves coming.  Behind the dominant arm of Booth and clutch offensive and defensive play of among others-Christina Trimble, Megan De La Hoya and Holly Erwin, the Wolves strung 3 shutouts in a row to get to the semi-final against Number 1 seeded Pacifica. They would upset Pacifica 3-0 and then move on to defeat El Modena 2-1 in 8 innings for the championship. Booth would say “I still remember that last pitch.” For McNatt, it was definitely a TEAM championship. “Every player on that team embraced their role from every position player; from every bench player-to the pinch runner to the pinch hitter to the bullpen catcher…they played for each other.”

As is often the case with high school athletics, the years have rolled on and memories of wins, stats, scores, opponents etc. have all faded in memory and in importance. However, what has not faded is the appreciation each of these women still have for each other and for what they accomplished, even though it was 20 years ago. What they REALLY remember was the team bonding activities; the retreats; the team dinners; and learning how to use a rake. When Heather Booth accepted her individual induction into the King HOF, she didn’t talk much about herself but she did talk at length about her teammates, what they accomplished back then and what they have accomplished today.  As one watched these King Alums, now very successful in a myriad of avenues and professions, at the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, you could see the personification of the oft said statement “Once a Wolf-Always A Wolf.”  “Solid defense; solid offense and solid sacrifice,” concluded McNatt. “It’s truly why they are so special. They knew each other, played with each other for 3 years and they selfishly played for each other and for the KING HIGH WOLVES.”

By Martin Luther King Wolves