Americas vs. O’Connor game in the 2022 UIL Texas Softball State Championships at 3 p.m. (Mountain Daylight Time) Watch here: bit.ly/3aqjyva

Americas High School had a special celebration for their softball team June 1 at the school as they prepared for the final four of the 2022 UIL 6A Texas Softball State Championships.

Blazer Nation lined the hallways as the school’s drumline and cheer squad led the team from the school’s cafeteria to the library where a special reception was held in the team’s honor.

The Trailblazers will face San Antonio’s Northside O’Connor June 3 at the University of Texas at Austin in the semifinals of the state championship.

At the reception, the team was greeted by school and district officials as they shared their excitement for the upcoming game.

Softball coach Roxanne Luna said making the final four at state is a huge accomplishment that the team has fought hard to achieve. She also said the support has been tremendous.

“It’s all definitely a little overwhelming, but we appreciate all the support from the school and from the community,” Luna said. “So many people have reached out with their support, and it’s just been an amazing season.”

Jaqueline Hernandez, an Americas High School senior and the team’s catcher, agreed that the support from the school, district and community has been amazing and a big part of their success.

“This feels unreal, especially with all the support, not only from the school, but knowing that the whole city of El Paso is behind us,” Hernandez said.

Sydney Saenz, a senior who plays catcher and center field for the team, said she loved the sendoff and was overwhelmed by the turnout of love and cheers.

“For us seniors it was especially emotional because it was also like a final walkthrough for us,” Saenz said.

The team’s run in the tournament has made history for the school. This is the first time the Trailblazers have advanced to the Elite 8 and final four in the UIL 6A state tournament. It is also the first time an El Paso softball team has advanced to the 6A final four since 1994.

The Trailblazers qualified for the final four after winning the regional final against Marcus High School of Flower Mound, Texas, winning the Region 1-6A final series 2-1 on May 28. The team defeated South Grand Prairie in the Region 1-6A semifinals on May 20 at Lubbock Christian University, winning the series 2-0.

  Published June 3, 2022

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