No one ever questioned Jacque Hunter’ s loyalty to New Albany High School.
No one ever questioned Jacque Hunter’ s loyalty to New Albany High School.
He didn’ t like school colors of local rivals and was not afraid to share his opinion if you happened to be wearing green or gold. He never felt New Albany got the respect it deserved, especially the girls’ softball program, the sport he coached. Hunter was well aware to earn that respect, the Bulldogs would have to prove themselves on the field.
And prove themselves they did.
In 1987, New Albany finished the girls’ softball season 29-2 and capped off the campaign with a dominant 13-1 victory over Terre Haute South, securing the single-class softball state championship. It was a year that would go down in history— a year that the Bulldogs would never forget.
“ Putting on that red and black Bulldog jersey brought me such a sense of pride. That year was incredible,” said Stacy Frakes Jenkins, who was the starting and winning pitcher in the state championship game.“ The teammates, the coaches, the parents, the fans, and the community support were unmatched to anything I’ ve ever been a part of before.”
It was clear early on that New Albany’ s toughest obstacles to reaching the state tournament would be Jeffersonville and Floyd Central. To realize their lofty dream, the Bulldogs first had to conquer their own sectional— one of the toughest in the state.
“ Our sectional was always a challenge. Jeff and Floyd were always strong competitors,” Jenkins recalled.“ That year, they were loaded with talented players, and every time we met on the field, it was a battle. But we were just as talented and had our strongest, most cohesive team that season. We had a deep roster, we practiced hard, we were well-coached, and we were prepared for that sectional. We knew we had to step up our game to go home with the trophy— and that’ s exactly what we did.”
What happened next was history. The Bulldogs won the sectional and sailed through the tournament, eventually reaching the state finals at the IUPUI softball complex in Indianapolis.
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MAY / JUNE 2025 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE PAGE NO. 29