As the Greene County Rams softball prepares for its first-ever state tournament trip to Fort Dodge on Monday, two former players look back on the grassroots beginning of the program.

In the summer of 1976, Jefferson High School had its first-ever softball team comprised of 35 girls.  In the inaugural season, the Jeffettes went 6-11 but starting pitcher Maralie Ruth, then Maralie Consens, says it was an honor to be part of the first-ever softball team.

Former first baseman Becky Kennedy says up til then, girls could only play in a senior softball league, but by the time you got to high school, you couldn’t play softball anymore.  So, after a petition and a decision by the school board, high school girls softball started in Jefferson.

Kennedy points out that schools like Paton-Churdan, East Greene and Scranton had high school softball before Jefferson got it in 1976.

The girls played Denison, Lohrville, Manning, Glidden, Lake City, Sac City and YJB.  Their home field was in Cooper.

The program’s first head coach was Chuck Riehle and current head coach Tom Kennedy served as the team’s bat boy in their initial season.

Ruth describes her thoughts about how the program has grown and leading up to this year’s team going 27-7 entering the state tournament.

“I had hoped that it would and to see it come to light now its just like-I can’t even put it into words.  I’m so excited for the girls, their parents, their families and of course our community.”

It’s taken 38 years, but the former Jeffettes now Rams will be heading to Fort Dodge on Monday at 5pm to take on their first round opponent against Cedar Point-Urbana which can be heard on Raccoon Valley Radio and KGRA.