{"id":21893,"date":"2026-06-14T15:03:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T15:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/?p=21893"},"modified":"2026-06-14T18:13:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T18:13:16","slug":"at-long-last-state-champions-courtney-norwood-south-warren-complete-unbeaten-45-game-journey-to-khsaa-state-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/?p=21893","title":{"rendered":"AT LONG LAST, STATE CHAMPIONS!\/Courtney Norwood, South Warren complete unbeaten 45-game journey to KHSAA state title"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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SOUTH COACH KELLY REYNOLDS (LEFT)
JOINS HER PLAYERS AFTER THE SPARTANS
RECORDED THE FINAL OUT IN THEIR
IMPRESSIVE 8-0 WIN OVER BULLITT EAST.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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RELENTLESS SPARTANS PUNCTUATE THE MISSION WITH 8-0 VICTORY OVER BULLITT EAST<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LEXINGTON — <\/strong>South Warren High School’s No.1-ranked fastpitch softball program stands alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No more rivers to cross, no more bunts to get down. The Spartans have won the first KHSAA state championship in school history. They have finished a perfect season, 45 wins and zero defeats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, not surprisingly, they did it in style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Warren right-hander Courtney Norwood was brilliant in the circle, and the Spartans capitalized on their scoring opportunities to flatten an ambitious Bullitt East squad, 8-0, on Saturday night before an overflow crowd at UK’s John Cropp Stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s where Norwood will be pitching, a couple seasons from this moment, and that’s where the Spartans have had some trouble negotiating the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not any more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t want to say it’s unbelievable, because it is believable with this bunch,” South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s PARKER WILLOUGHBY FOLLOWS
TEAMMATE HADLEY BORDERS ACROSS
THE PLATE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s COURTNEY NORWOOD
ALLOWED JUST TWO HITS WHILE
STRIKING OUT SIX BATTERS.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH WARREN’s KAYLI KUZMA
REACHES BASE ON A BUNT SINGLE
IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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THE SPARTANS WOULD COMPLETE
A PERFECT 45-0 SEASON WITH 26
— COUNT ‘EM, 26 — SHUTOUTS.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Reynolds was a little emotional, when it was over, and so, too were some of her players, particularly an exceptional senior class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s going to be hard to say good-bye to these girls,” Norwood said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One year and eight days removed from their last defeat, the Spartans completed their pursuit of immortality. They were eliminated in first-round play of the KHSAA state tournament last year, falling to a talented Daviess County squad, 3-1. In 2024, South Warren reached the semifinals, only to fall to Henderson County, 2-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-state shortstop McLaine Hudson said the Spartans would meet at the team hotel, after last year’s defeat to Daviess County, and talked about how the 2026 season would be different. What they’d have to do, individually and collectively, before opening the season at home on March 20 against Central Hardin High School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Warren would win that game, 10-0, and it was the first of 26 shutouts for Reynolds’ squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s right, more than half of the Spartans’ victories came by shutout. Including nine of their last 10 victories, when the stakes were at their peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The legacy of 45-0, bringing a state championship home to Bowling Green … It’s an amazing feeling,” Hudson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH WARREN COACH KELLY REYNOLDS
WAS A LITTLE EMOTIONAL AFTERWARD.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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BULLITT EAST’s McKENZIE MINGUS KEPT
HER TEAM IN THE GAME, IN THE EARLY INNINGS …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… BUT COURTNEY NORWOOD AND
THE SPARTANS WOULD NOT BE DENIED.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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LAYLA OGDEN’s TWO-RUN, WALKOFF HOME RUN
RESCUED THE SPARTANS IN THE QUARTERFINALS
ON JUNE 6 AGAINST MADISON CENTRAL.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Layla Ogden’s walk-off home run, a two-run bomb that defeated Madison Central, 4-3, on June 6 will be remembered for a long time. Now, Ogden, a multi-purpose player and emotional leader, will pursue a college career at her hometown school, Western Kentucky University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Whatever it takes, that’s how we looked at it,” Ogden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bullitt East left-hander McKenzie Mingus matched South’s Courtney Norwood, zero for zero, for the title game’s first two innings. Norwood was retired on a diving catch by the Chargers’ center fielder, freshman Ella King, with one out in the bottom of the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ostensibly, at least, the pressure seemed to be building. Bullitt East was sporting a 13-game winning streak of its own. And the Chargers were basically playing with house money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But all that changed in the bottom of the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A BULLITT EAST INFIELD ERROR
IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH
ALLOWED SOUTH TO TAKE CONTROL …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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… WITH HADLEY BORDERS (No. 4)
AND HER SPARTANS TEAMMATES
PUTTING UP A CRITICAL 3-SPOT.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SENIOR OUTFIELDER HADLEY BORDERS
WILL BE PLAYING COLLEGE SOFTBALL
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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South’s McLaine Hudson drew a leadoff walk, before Mingus retired the next two batters she faced. Layla Ogden stepped to the plate, for the Spartans, and she was walked on four pitches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That allowed Kinleigh Russell, South’s tough, versatile senior catcher to leave her shin guards on the on-deck circle. It couldn’t have worked out much better for the Spartans, as Russell possesses superb bat control, with just two strikeouts in all of South Warren’s games to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russell punched a soft line drive into shallow left field, bringing Hudson across the plate before Ogden scored on a Bullitt East error. That made it 2-0, and, truth be told, that’s all UK commit Courtney Norwood would need in this game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spartans left nothing to chance, putting up 3-spots in the fourth and sixth innings, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We definitely wanted to land the first punch,” Russell said when it was over. “I’m just super grateful, to be a part of this team.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH CATCHER KINLEIGH RUSSELL
WILL BE PLAYING COLLEGE SOFTBALL
AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s COURTNEY NORWOOD
RECORDED 205 STRIKEOUTS
IN 131 2\/3 INNINGS PITCHED.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH’s McLAINE HUDSON (LEFT)’ WAS
AN ALL-TOURNAMENT PICK WITH
TEAMMATES COURTNEY NORWOOD
AND KINLEIGH RUSSELL (RIGHT).<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Russell caught a called third strike for the game’s final out, when Norwood fanned Bullitt East pinch hitter Lyla Johnson, to end the game. The Spartans’ players seemed to throw their gloves into the sky, simultaneously, before mobbing one another near the pitcher’s circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I knew it was a strike, before (the umpire) even called it,” Norwood said. “To end it, on a strikeout … I trusted Kinleigh, so much. It was awesome, really.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A critical North Bullitt error, in the infield, allowed the Spartans to pull away in the bottom of the fourth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norwood led off with a single through the left side, and Bullitt East’s Mingus couldn’t make a diving catch on senior outfielder Kaylee Wilson’s bunt in front of the the circle. That brought up eighth grader Kalie Kuzma, whose next class at South Warren High School will be her first one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuzma bunted, too, for a hit along the first-base line, loading the bases for McLaine Hudson and the top of the Spartans’ batting order with no outs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mingus battled Hudson, pitch for pitch, on the critical at bat before retiring her on a pop fly just past the infield dirt. Then, South Warren’s Hadley Borders, another strong contact hitter, delivered a sharp ground ball to the right of Chargers shortstop Kinley Murphy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murphy would throw a strike, to home plate, before Ohio State signee Parker Willoughby stepped to the plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willoughby put the ball in play, into shallow center field, and Bullitt East second baseman Kaitlyn McDonald quickly got in position to make the play. But the ball skipped out of her glove, allowing three runs to score, and the Spartans would add three more runs in the bottom of the sixth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Borders and Willoughby had back-to-back RBI singles, before Borders scored on Layla Ogden’s sacrifice fly, and Norwood and the Spartans’ defense took care of the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH WARREN WILL RETURN
A STRONG BUT SOMEWHAT YOUNG
NUCLEUS FOR THE 2027 SEASON.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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ALL-STATE SHORTSTOP McLAINE HUDSON
WILL BE PLAYING COLLEGE SOFTBALL
AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SENIOR OUTFIELDER KAYLEE WILSON
PLANS TO ENTER THE NURSING PROGRAM
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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“This group was ready to go,” South Warren coach Kelly Reynolds said. “I think the Madison Central game last week really helped us. I felt like we were a little tense, early. Once we got those two runs (on Kinleigh Russell’s two-run, two-out single in the third), I thought we relaxed a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This senior class … with these girls, you see the fight, the grit, the determination.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Warren’s team bus is expected to arrive back on campus at about 1 p.m., Central Daylight Time, on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THIRD BASEMAN PARKER WILLOUGHBY,
WHO IS HEADED TO OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY,
IS INTERVIEWED BY WNKY-TV’s COLE STEWART.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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SOUTH COACH KELLY REYNOLDS:
‘THIS GROUP WAS READY TO GO …’<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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PIPER CERTAINLY KNOWS HER WAY
AROUND SOUTH WARREN HIGH SCHOOL …<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RELENTLESS SPARTANS PUNCTUATE THE MISSION WITH 8-0 VICTORY OVER BULLITT EAST LEXINGTON — South Warren High School’s No.1-ranked fastpitch softball […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,18,1,20,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nationalsports","category-otherhssports","category-potpourri","category-thesec","category-wkusports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21893"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21928,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21893\/revisions\/21928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimmashek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}