FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The John Carroll Catholic High School Lady Rams are playing in the FHSAA softball state semifinal Tuesday. The team knocked out two higher seeds — Westminster Academy and Miami Christian to keep their title hopes alive.
The Fort Pierce team is set to take on University Christian of Jacksonville at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Clermont, Florida.
Coach Rico Rosado was hired in 2014, and three years later, he won his first state championship.
Now, seven years later, he's looking to add another championship, this time with one of the youngest programs in the area.
Twenty-four hours before the big championship game, the Lady Rams and coaches were busy Monday preparing for Tuesday's big game.
"We played good competition all year and finished the No. 1 seed in the district, which was the goal," Rosado said. "The ultimate goal is to win state, and with the team, that was the goal that they gave themselves at the beginning of the season."
The coach isn't new to championship aspirations.
Rosado was hired as the Lady Rams' head coach in 2014 and gave the athletic director a message after accepting the job.
"I told them to give me three years to make it to the state championship," Rosado said. "He told me, 'Don't make that quote yet because you don't know what you have.'"
Holding to his word, Rosado won the championship in 2017.
Now, seven years later, his girls walk down the hallways of John Carroll Catholic High School as the school cheers for them ahead of their state championship game.
"We're just excited to be a part of this experience, and we're excited to show everyone what we got and come out being the underdog," Sophia Loreto, team captain and shortstop.
The underdog is correct.
The Lady Rams are the third seed in the tournament with Loreto the only senior on the team. The ladies say age and seeding are no excuses, despite University Christian being last year's state champions.
"Ever since my freshman year, I've dreamed about this," sophomore pitcher Makayla Ortiz said. "This is a dream come true, and I really want to do it for Solo (Sophia Loreto), our only senior. It's really special and doesn't feel real, but we're here."
During the Lady Rams game, the school will hold a special viewing of the game in the gym for students and staff to watch.
If John Carroll wins, they'll play for the state title Wednesday against the winner of Evangelical Christian and Academy of the Lakes.
