Submitted by Lake Arrowhead Christian School Athletics
The Lake Arrowhead Christian School (LACS) softball team has finished its winter season with the Lady Eagles showing improvement over the previous two campaigns.
In 2023-24, Rachelle Casner was named head coach and was asked to relaunch the softball team, which the school hadn’t fielded since January of 2020. Coach Casner’s first team featured mostly sixth-grade girls, playing against seventh- and eighth-grade opponents. Predictably, that year’s team struggled through the season, losing all their Northern Division games, mostly by the “mercy” rule, which necessitates the game be ended after the fourth inning if a team is trailing by more than 10 runs.
In 2024-25, the Eagles closed the “age gap” a bit, with most of the girls moving into seventh grade and playing a second year together. Last year’s record improved to 4-5, narrowly missing the Mountain Valley League playoffs. The record had improved, but the team was still not competitive with the top team in the division.
Catcher Madison Warford brings home a run.
In the recently completed 2025-26 winter season, the Lady Eagles demonstrated the
results of the experience they had received from the previous two years. The girls again
finished 4-5 but were consistently competitive with all the teams in the division, even
battling in tough losses to the first-place Hesperia Christian Patriots. Most of the games
came down to the final turn at-bat, as the team refused to quit.
Coach Casner will not be returning to coach the Eagles next year, as her growing family
requires more of her attention. However, she shared her thoughts about her time at LACS: “Coaching girls softball over the past three seasons has been an incredibly rewarding experience. What started as a commitment to teach fundamentals quickly grew into something much deeper – watching young athletes build confidence, resilience and a genuine love for the game. Seeing the girls develop their skills, support one another as teammates and learn how to handle both wins and losses with maturity has been the most fulfilling part.
Pitcher Monique Casas fires the pitch home.
These past three seasons have reinforced why coaching matters,” Coach Casner added. “It’s about more than softball – it’s about mentorship, teamwork and helping young players believe in themselves while being humble and Christ-like.”
The Lady Eagles coaching staff featured Head Coach Rachelle Casner, Assistant Coach
Travis Warford and Assistant Coach Suzie Heisler. Around the diamond, the roster
included Monique Casas (P, 3B); Madison Warford (C); Olivia Lascano (1B); Makenzie
Warford (2B, P); Catherine Ulloa (SS); Eleanore Lowe (3B, P); Evie Pierson (LF); Gwen MacLeod (CF); Aerie Kuke (OF); Emily Heisler (OF); Sadie Pattison (OF); and Melody Rodriquez (OF).
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