Despite loss, Fords keep Smiley-ing about their accomplishments
STATE COLLEGE » Tess Smiley didn’t let the final score spoil her overall good mood.
The Haverford senior wasn’t glum. She wasn’t crying that her last high school game was an 11-0 loss to North Penn at Penn State University’s Beard Field. Or that her team missed the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be crowned PIAA champions.
Instead, Smiley acted like ... herself.
You’d be hard-pressed to ever find Tess Smiley, senior shortstop, without a smile on her face. No matter what happens on the field.
“I want to keep the energy up because what we did and how amazing it was to get here,” she said. “We fought and fought and fought. We can be proud. To hang our heads, there’s no point in that.”
Smiley carried around the PIAA Class 6A runner-up plaque. When on the losing end of a state final, most high school athletes would prefer not to be anywhere near the second-place trophy. Not Smiley.
“Hey, get back here with that trophy, Tess!” head coach Bob Newman yelled comically as the Fords packed up their equipment in the home dugout.
“I think any little girl softball player, their dream is to play on a Division I softball field,” Smiley said. “Stepping onto this field, it was, like, ‘Oh my gosh, we made it.’ That’s what it felt like, that we literally made it here. So yeah, it was really fun and I loved it.”
Smiley is going to West Chester University, where she will continue her softball career.
The Fords also say goodbye to seniors Ava Cohen, Jonie Mefford, Rachel Yocom, Brooke McKeown, Hannah Hermansen, Haley Greenwald, Camryn Casadei, Maria Paterson and Gabby Mancuso.
The Fords made it to Penn State thanks to a remarkable walk-off win Monday against Pennsbury. It was their ace pitcher, junior Emma Taylor, who punched their ticket to the championship, launching a solo home run in the seventh inning to win 2-1.
The Fords experienced an emotional high that carried on for days. They were the toast of that town for the last 72 hours.
Haverford Township School District threw the kids a pep rally Wednesday and the township’s provided a police escort for them off school premises as they began their trek to Happy Valley.
The congratulatory messages were nonstop, too. The Fords were the darlings of Delco sports since Monday’s incredible win.
“We knew coming in there were going to be tears, whether we won or lost,” Taylor said. “I’m so proud of this team for everything we did this year. We stayed together and we won and loss together.
“I thought it was really important to get that great sendoff from everyone in Havertown, to get all the social media and texts from everyone around Delco, honestly. I think it helped with our energy that we had so much support.
Newman and assistants Jill Marshall (who was previously head coach), Amber Millison and Tom Reisch loved every minute of their time with this history-making team. The Fords went 23-5 and are the first softball team in Delaware County history to earn a trip to the state final in PIAA’s highest classification.
Newman, after retiring from UPS, decided to lend his softball expertise as an assistant about six years ago. He runs the Delco Rage travel team and his daughter, Bridget, was an All-Delco pitcher at Haverford, so Newman knows a thing or two about coaching good ballplayers.
Newman eventually became head coach, taking over for Marshall last year. He’s been the team’s school bus driver, too. For once Newman was able to kick
back and relax on the bus ride to a game – Haverford rented the team a luxury bus for the three-hour trip.
“They’re just so much fun to be around because they all get along,” Newman said. “There were no issues all year. They sing together, they enjoy one another.
“They’re just an unbelievable group. They set the standard for Haverford High softball. That’s why we have so many younger girls here today, so they can see that we can accomplish this every year.”
Smiley said it best: there’s no reason for the 2021 Fords to hang their heads.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to forget these last few days,” said Taylor, who will be back pitching for the Fords next spring, before heading off to Yale in the fall of 2022. “This week is going to be forever a part of everyone’s softball memories and careers. We won’t forget it.”