Roxboro Community captures long-awaited state championship in 2A softball final

DURHAM, N.C. — This is a day 20 years in the making.

Since its founding in 2006, Roxboro Community School had never produced a state championship team in any sport — not until today at least.

The Bulldog softball team (25-4) grew with each game of the 2A state championship series after losing a close, 4-3, Game 1 to North Duplin (19-4) on Wednesday. They responded with a 10-6 win in Game 2 Thursday afternoon and closed the day with a 10-2 win in Game 3 to capture the 2026 N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A softball state championship at Smith Family Stadium at Duke University.

"There aren't any emotions to explain it," RCS head coach Michael Clark said. "I mean, no words to explain the emotions."

Clark said he started getting butterflies in the sixth inning once the 'Dogs got through the top of North Duplin's lineup one final time. It was then that the smiles started to litter throughout the RCS dugout and in the stands. The RCS faithful that made the roughly 30 mile trip from Roxboro filled the bleachers at Duke. Their presence was certianly felt throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

"We got so much support from everybody in the community," Clark said. "And I bet you I've got 70 text messages since I've been standing up here. But I mean, it's just awesome, man. The county works so hard. I mean, a lot of us have put so much into softball in Person County. And just to be able to bring it back and have our girls out there in this stage is just amazing."

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Bulldog junior short stop Katie Mann was voted as the series MVP.

"I wasn't expecting it," she said. "But I'm very grateful for it and I can't let my head get too big, but it feels good and I think I've earned it."

She went 2-for-3 in Games 2 and 3 respectively. However, it was Mann's defense that really shined. All season, she acted as a wall and a facilitator in the infield for RCS. The Lenoir-Rhyne softball commit has racked up all-conference honors in three sports throughout her career, but on Thursday she shined brightest on the diamond.

"I'm full of joy and excitement," Mann said. "It's a little sentimental for our seniors because they're going to do bigger things. But, proud of the team."

RCS has been knocking on the door of the state championship for years. In 2024, the 'Dogs lost in the 1A East Regional Final to Northside-Pinetown. Then, in 2025, RCS lost to Perquimans in the same round.

"The way the last season ended, it wasn't good," RCS senior standout Karrie Obie said. "It hurt a little bit. So I feel like that sting really carried over, especially this being my senior year. I just didn't want the games to be over. So I feel like these past couple weeks, I've just been trying to fight for my team and fight for my last season as a Bulldog."

Last week, the 'Dogs finally got through that barrier by fighting in a tough, up-and-down series with the top seed in the west: South Stanly. RCS won Game 3, 11-8, before heading to Durham for this week's state championship series.

Then, history repeated itself. The 'Dogs lost Game 1 to the Rebels and were thrusted into two must-win games on Thursday.

"Play our game," Obie said about Clark's message after dropping Game 1. "He says that to us every game. Don't play down to whoever we're playing against or don't let them rattle us or affect us or anything. Just continue to play our game like we've always been doing."

Obie admitted that even she experienced nerves during Game 1. And if the state's second all-time leader in career home runs (with 44) is feeling nervous, that means the weight of the moment is sinking in. But Obie said the Bulldogs shook out the nerves and got the job done. Now the slugger ends her high school career a state champion before heading to UNC-Greensboro to play softball next season.

As they often were, Mann and Obie were the ones that got RCS going offensively.

RCS scored once in the top of the first off a sacrifice fly from Obie to score Mann, who stole her way to third after hitting a leadoff single.

The real offensive punch came in the third for the ‘Dogs, though. Mann dropped a triple into the gap between left and center to score one. Later, senior Presley Leonard singled to score another and left RCS with corners and a 3-0 lead. On the next at-bat, sophomore Leah Griffin singled to left to score one and made it 4-0.

In the fourth, the Bulldogs continued to build their advantage. Karlie Barringer tripled to score one and was scored herself soon after by Obie on a deep single. That made it 6-0 as RCS appeared to seize control of Game 3.

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Leonard tried to put the game out of reach with a solo bomb to left that made it 7-0. That was the senior's second home run of the day after hitting one in Game 2.

"It means everything," Leonard said. "I wanted to go out my senior year with the bang and we did it."

Following that, North Duplin switched out starting pitcher and UNC-Charlotte commit Lilly Fulghum for freshman Gracelyn Higginbotham in the top of the fifth.

North Duplin wasn't done quite yet though. Freshman Wyllow Holmes singled to start the bottom of the fifth. Then, Fulghum singled. Both runners advanced to scoring position, before Marissa Bernal eventually batted in the first run of the day for the Rebels. Senior Ady Spence added to the totals with an RBI single to make it 7-2. The Rebels even loaded the bases later in the frame, but a fly out ended the inning and stranded the runners.

RCS retaliated in the top of the sixth. The first two batters were walked and an error helped load the bases with no outs. Bulldog sophomore Lexi Powell capitalized with a two RBI single. Griffin batted in another to make it 10-2 later in the inning.

Despite a high pitch count through three games of state championship action --- not to mention her usage the entirety of the season --- Bulldog junior pitcher Kaylyn Pope held up and clutched up for RCS down the stretch. She occupied the circle for the entirety of the series, including her line drive grab for the final out, after which she threw her glove and embraced her teammates as champions.

"Our season would have been totally different if we didn't have her," Clark said about Pope. "I mean, she's a workhorse. And just to be able to see, it just makes me, as a coach, so proud just to see her grow from last year to this year. She's grown up so much."

A similar growth was made by each of the Bulldogs. And as they cried, laughed and hugged, the gravity of the moment lingered.

They had done something that no other Bulldogs had done before.

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