Inductees

In the fall of 1991, you could say the Norwood High School Lady Pirates hit preseason softball practices motivated to do a lot of damage.

You see, they had won a string of conference championships but had not advanced beyond the district tournament. In other words, it was time to change the narrative, and write a new chapter.

“I believe the year before (1990), we were in a district to the east with teams like Kelly Benton who, at the time, was a powerhouse,” said Lori Sinning Drake, a senior that season. “They had been a roadblock to a district championship. The next year the district match-ups changed quite a bit, and we knew it was possible to get a district championship.”

Not only did Norwood win district but catapulted to their school’s first state championship in any sport, and that’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted the 1991 Norwood Lady Pirates Softball State Championship Team with the Class of 2025.

Coached by Don Forrest, the Lady Pirates won the Class 1-2 state championship by beating Princeton 7-4 and completed an 18-1 season.

Lynn Long was the assistant coach. The roster featured pitcher Tracy Curtis, third baseman Heather Cutbirth, catcher Christy Denman, left fielder Jill Denman, Allyson Dwyer, second baseman Hannah Hancock, Amy Kelley, centerfielder Kathy Kelley, Carolyn Moore, first baseman Laura Pendergrass, shortstop Lori Sinning, and right fielder Connie Ussery. The scorekeeper was Glen Ussery.

“This many years later, it probably doesn’t come up in conversations quite as often, but I think it’s even more special,” said Tracy Curtis Cottengim. “All the stats or obstacles that made this championship seem like it shouldn’t have happened get played back in my memory, like coming back from a deficit to win the district title game by a base hit from the number seven batter, Hannah Hancock, to Kathy Kelley-Bradshaw making a game-saving grab in center field during the state title game, and I’m just amazed how special and unique this championship truly was.”

In the finals, Norwood scored six runs in the first four innings. Sinning and Denman were both 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Hancock had two RBI. Curtis tossed a complete-game nine-hitter, striking out four. Kathy Kelly made two highlight-reel catches. Cutbirth’s second-inning sacrifice bunt triggered the comeback.

The victory came a day after Norwood beat Marion County 15-3 in the semifinals.

“I knew from the prior spring we were going to be pretty good,” Forrest said. “The team was senior loaded, and they worked extremely hard in all sports.”

Norwood had won conference championships every year since 1986. Sinning, Cutbirth, Ussery, Pendergrass and Dwyer had played since childhood, and most started on boys baseball teams because girls fastpitch softball had not yet come into focus in the area.

Glen Ussery and Leon Pendergrass, Laura’s dad, had coached them, including in basketball. Both men have since passed away.

The Denman sisters moved to Norwood in 1989. The Kelley sisters, as well as Hancock and Moore, moved in prior to high school. Curtis transferred in from Skyline.

Forrest, a Norwood graduate, had returned after graduating from Missouri State University a few years earlier.

That set the stage for a memorable fall season in 1991.

“We were mostly juniors and seniors, so we had been classmates and teammates for years,” Drake said. “We knew each other well, and trusted each other in the roles we knew we needed to be in.”

The Lady Pirates only loss was to powerhouse Marion C. Early of Morrisville, 3-2, in extra innings (8).

That loss said a lot about the team’s toughness.

“I recall telling the team in the postseason to enjoy it since many never get the opportunity,” Forrest said. “I also remember the team focused on not just going to the Final Four but winning once there. I think having several seniors really helped.”

Said Drake, “I just remember loving to play and compete. I don’t even remember being nervous. I’m sure I was, but playing gave you some control, unlike spectating and coaching. Once we advanced to the state championship game, we just wanted it really bad.”

Overall, Norwood did so many of the fundamentals well all season and were rewarded with a big welcome home that weekend.

“Once it was over, the community’s response is what made me really understand what we had just done,” Drake said. “We understood it to be the first state championship (in any sport) for our county (Wright), which has four high schools.”

What a run it was.