SAN ANTONIO – The Johnson Jaguars softball team is closing in on their second district title in three seasons with their eyes locked on a historic goal: going beyond the third round of the playoffs for the first time in program history.
If you ask the Jaguars (16-5, 11-1 in District 27-6A) themselves, they are taking matters one game at a time. Johnson will take the field on Wednesday in a high-stakes rematch against Churchill that could seal the District 27-6A championship.
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To pull off the feat, the Jaguars will be channeling mudita.
“I’m a big fan of Patrick Murphy from the University of Alabama, and he’s really big on what’s called mudita,” Johnson third-year head coach Christina Wollard said. “It’s about having joy in others’ success, and we want (our players) to understand that we’re trying to get away from the ‘me’ mentality and more of the ‘we.’”
The Jaguars thrive on energy, chaos, and teamwork — a formula that has rattled opponents this season.
“We continue to have a lot of energy because when we’re energized and cheering each other on and creating chaos, it startles the other team,” Johnson junior shortstop Emily Kaman, a Biola University commit, said.
“We’re one unit. We’re one team. We’re not 14 players,” Johnson senior centerfielder Aryana “Red” Dunkelberger said. “I think that’s like the biggest thing — that mentality change from ‘we’ over ‘me’ is crucial to our success because we all have a role we need to play, and we all fill that role. And we’ll execute that role (to) the best of our abilities.”
Churchill is the only district opponent to hand Johnson a loss this season. The Chargers’ four-run win came in late March.
“They used whenever we were discouraged to their own advantage,” Johnson senior pitcher Maleena Moreno said. “They won that game fair and square, but we’re hoping to get back this next time.”
This time around, Moreno said their strategy is simple.
“Just getting base hits and not trying to hit it over the fence,” Moreno said. “I feel like we had the wrong mentality in the first game.”
“We didn’t lose. We learned from everything,” said Dunkelberger. ”I’m appreciative (of) the lessons we learned, but I’m ready to go in, and I think this entire team is ready to go.”
Meanwhile, with the playoffs looming and exams on the horizon, the Jaguars are learning how to chase their on-field dreams on top of their academic responsibilities.
“We do have a bunch of testing coming up,” Dunkelberger, a Southwestern commit, said. “Just focusing on these last couple games and going into playoffs while also trying to manage our studies is something that we take pride in. We’re just trying to make sure we stay on top — in the classroom, on the field. Being a part of being a good person.”
Johnson and Churchill square off at 5 p.m. Wednesday before the Jaguars close out their regular season on the road at 7 p.m. Friday against Clark.
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