Aledo softball players aim to complete lifelong dream in state championship
A few days prior to competing in the UIL Texas high school softball state semifinals, Aledo senior Breleigh Mayer returned to Aledo ISD’s Stuard Elementary School.
It’s a tradition for graduating seniors to visit their old stomping grounds one last time to reflect on their experiences in the district and community. For Mayer, she went in contemplating her past and received an unexpected glimpse at her future.
One of her former teachers handed her a letter she had written to herself in fifth grade. She wrote that she hoped to one day win a UIL state championship with the Aledo Ladycat varsity softball team.
Seven years later, that dream is one win away from becoming a reality.
“I’m just so, so grateful that we have the chance to do this,” Mayer said with tears in her eyes after a stunning 5-4 win over nationally ranked Melissa in a one-game Class 5A Division I state semifinal. “I can’t believe it.”
Aledo softball (31-10), after ending Melissa’s quest for a championship three-peat, will aim to take down another nationally ranked powerhouse in No. 4 Barbers Hill (40-4) in the state championship at Red & Charline McCombs Field at the University of Texas. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. Friday.
Wearing black and orange for 13 years
For Mayer and many of the athletes on Aledo’s roster, the dream of winning a state championship began well before fifth grade.
Mayer, now set to continue her softball journey at Brandeis University, got her first glimpse of community-oriented, championship softball in kindergarten, when she was in attendance for Aledo’s 2014 state title win at McCombs Field. She saw her neighbor, Allie Arneson, cement her legacy as a champion and went home with a foul ball — one she still considers a prized possession.
And from that moment, Mayer gradually developed her softball skills in Aledo tee ball and youth softball leagues. In a town with one district and one high school, the vast majority of her current teammates played with her throughout childhood.
Now, more than a decade later, current Aledo softball players are in the same position that Arenson was in and can serve as role models for the younger athletes in Aledo ISD.
They’ll have an opportunity to add to an athletic legacy at a school home to the 12 time football state champions and the 2025 baseball champions. Bearcat baseball is still remaining in the 2026 UIL playoffs and is set to play in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals with game 1 against McKinney North scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Dallas Baptist University.
“Aledo High School is a very sought-after high school,” Tempe Perry said. “We’re known for athletics. … We’re known for absolutely everything. It’s just incredible to be playing for this school.”
A quest for redemption
Mayer played a reserve role as a junior, as Aledo softball fell to Melissa in the 2025 state semifinals. The program has endured its fair share of thrills and heartbreak with five state semifinal appearances since its last title win in 2015.
Overall, the team had to overcome several setbacks. Aledo dropped nine non-district games this season after losing three in the 2025 season. Ultimately, the lessons learned help them become championship contenders with polished play.
“We always like to get exposed early to see where our weaknesses are,” Aledo head coach Heather Myers said. “And so, that’s why we play those tournaments in the beginning. … We were able to work on those things and become more defensively sound. … They’re very coachable.
“They apply things almost immediately. They believe in the coaching staff, and I think that’s a reflection of everything they’ve done in the postseason.”
Leading the charge offensively is senior Kyleigh Pawlak, who has a team-high 47 hits and a .412 average. Mayer leads the team with 11 home runs and has a .370 average; she hit a momentum-flipping two-run home run against Melissa.
Junior Rylee Marx and senior Delaney Rosser have been key contributors with 42 and 37 hits, respectively.
Sophomores Perry and Brooklyn Taloa have also been effective with averages above .300.
Taloa hit a clutch go-ahead home run in the sixth inning against Melissa while Perry has been the Ladycat’s ace in the circle with a team high 104 and 2/3 innings, 29 earned runs and 96 strikeouts while keeping a 1.94 ERA.
One more game to play
Although representing Aledo in the state championship is a dream in itself, the team obviously wants to finish with the title. For the seniors, it’s the last chance they’ll ever have to put on an Aledo uniform, regardless of the result.
“We just have to continue on the road that we’re on,” Mayer said. “We’re obviously playing some really great softball right now. We’re going to keep practicing hard. We’re going to keep trusting ourselves, trusting the people around us and our coaching. Believing in ourselves.”
A Barbers Hill team that has lost one game since March will be a huge challenge. The Eagles outscored Leander 19-2 in a two game state semifinal series to advance.
Perry said the team’s goal is to stay humble and take things one pitch at a time. That goes hand in hand with what Myers preaches: Keep things simple, stay composed and think of it as “just another game.”
“Play our game between the lines,” Myers said. “When we do that, we play well. … We’re going to have to continue playing clean defense. … Don’t get too big up [in the head]. It’s just a game at the end of the day. So, we’ll keep our maturity, keep our discipline, and we’ll compete.”
Aledo is aiming for its fourth overall softball title and first since consecutive championships in 2014 and 2015. Myers, hired in 2016, aims for her first state title as Aledo’s head coach.
.jpg)