BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE

Brett Voss

2 years ago

Seeking their second state title in three seasons, Valley Mills Eagles fall short to eventual Class 2A state champ Collinsville; Perez named Super CenTex Player of the Year

Although the Valley Mills Eagle baseball team came up short in its quest for a second Class 2A state championship in the last three seasons, it takes nothing away from the remarkable three-year run.

After falling one win shy from advancing to the 2024 UIL Baseball State Tournament June 5-8 at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, the Eagles wrapped up the season with an impressive 35-4 win-loss record. And with that, Valley Mills baseball head coach Doug Shanafelt will be saying goodbye to a group of seniors who complied a 93-12-2 record over the last three seasons.

“The season was full of great moments,” Shanafelt said. “We had a group of young men come together as one unit and grow closer to each other each day. I wish all the people in Valley Mills could have watched this group grow as I did. They poured them self into hard work, so much traveling, and being ready for all and yielding to none. They were and will always be the Sons of Thunder.”

After winning the Class 2A state title in 2022, the Eagles advanced three rounds deep in the postseason in 2023. Opening the 2024 season with 20 straight wins, the Eagles swept to the District 14-2A title undefeated, then went on to look dominant during the playoffs.

With their only two regular season losses coming against Class 4A’s second-ranked and defending state champion China Springs and Class 3A postseason-qualifying powerhouse West, the Eagles have won eight straight playoff games – sweeping Santo in Bi-District, Itasca in Area, Tolar in the Regional Quarterfinals, and Tom Bean in the Regional Semifinals last week. The eight straight postseason victories came by a combined score of 84-15.

“I thought we peaked at the right time,” Shanafelt said. “We played our best ball at the end of district and a practice game at Whitney. In the playoffs, we had a big series win against Tolar. We went on to a great facility in Duncanville and beat a very good Tom Bean team. Then, we played in the most intense series of my coaching career.”

In what many might argue proved to be the state championship showdown, the Class 2A second-ranked Eagles took on the top-ranked Collinsville Pirates in the Class 2A, Region 2 Finals. In what turned out to be a controversy-filled series, Collinsville rolled to a convincing 7-1 victory in Game 1, before Valley Mills soared to a wild 10-7 win in Game 2 to break the Pirates’ 36-game winning streak to force a rubber match.

Despite losing two key players to ejections, the Eagles battled until the final out, falling 15-11 to Collinsville in the decisive Game 3. The Pirates (40-3) advanced to the State Tournament where they eased to a 10-0 six-inning run-rule victory over Centerville in the state semifinal before cruising to a 9-0 win over Hawley for the state championship.

“I can say with an open heart that I will always remember this team as champions,” Shanafelt said. “They fought, battled and never gave up. To me, they will always be: The Best 2A Team In Texas in 2024. It was good enough. These seniors are a very special group to me – more than they will ever know.”

On the heels of advancing to the Class 2A Baseball Regional Finals, three Valley Mills players played in the FCA Victory Bowl May 31 at Red Murff Complex at Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton – Kennett McLane, Cason Johnson and Thomas Perez.

In addition to being selected to play in the THSBCA 2A-3A-4A All-Star Game June 15 at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Perez was named the 2024 Super Centex Player of the Year by the Waco Tribune-Herald last week.

Setting the tone for the Eagles both on the mound and behind the plate at catcher, Perez posted a .465 batting average with 46 hits and 56 runs and 46 RBIs, drawing 34 walks and slugging .717. Dominating as a pitcher, Perez notched a 14-1 record with a 0.52 ERA while striking out 147 batters and allowing 21 walks over 80 innings, including eight shutouts.

“He’s not replaceable,” Shanafelt said. “He puts himself down a little bit as not being a leader, but he is a leader. That is the way he leads, by being who he is, and people just follow him. He’s a born leader. He just continuously works. He plays in the summer. He loves this game. It’s given him a lot of rewards because he put in so much.”

Three other Valley Mills players joined Perez on the Super CenTex first team, senior infielder Kennett McLane, who batted .528 with 54 runs batted in; senior infielder Cason Johnson, who hit .496 with 48 RBIs; and junior outfielder Christian Lazarine, who hit .485 with 57 RBIs.

With the ancient African word “UBUNTU” stitched on the back of their caps, the Valley Mills Eagles complete team effort success personified the meaning the word carries with it, “I am what I am because of who we are.”