Thursday, September 18, the varsity softball Lady Warriors (16-3) faced off against the Marietta Lady Blue Devils (3-14) in a particularly special game. After their (15-0) mercy rule victory, NC’s softball team celebrated the graduating seniors of the class of 2026. The Lady Warriors entered the game at the top of Region Five in the 6A classification system, with this game continuing the playoff push for the 2026 season. In their previous two meetings this season, the Warriors boasted back-to-back wins (16-0) and (7-0) respectively.
“I am so excited [for senior night] like I am so hype. I’m grateful for my teammates. I have so much fun with [them] and we have a lot of inside jokes and stuff like that. I’m really grateful that they made softball enjoyable to play. I’m so grateful that my coaches have been very supportive of anything that I do, and that they always help me when I’m down and encourage me,” magnet senior Alyssa Russell (25) said.
Throughout their four years at NC, the class of 2026 holds a 104-23 record. With two consecutive region championships and state appearances, the sustained success of NC softball remains an impressive feat. The class of 2026 also holds five incredible seniors committed to playing softball in college. Alyssa Russell (25) at Delaware State University, Khamya Coleman (3) at Gulf Coast State College, Skylar Starks (2) at Georgia State University (GSU) and Leah Byrd (9) at Auburn University, and Aniya Burns (30) planning to commit on a later date.
Other than collegiate softball plans, the seniors look toward other goals. Gabby Hardy (12) plans to study sports psychology after graduation. Burns plans to major in theater and marketing, along with playing softball in college. Coleman plans on studying biology at Gulf Coast State College on top of college ball. Starks will attend GSU not only for softball, but also in order to obtain a medical degree. In addition to playing at Delaware State, Russell will pursue civil engineering with a minor in Spanish before pursuing a law degree. Finally, Byrd (9), the fourth overall softball recruit for the class of 2026, will study for a medical degree while attending Auburn.
“They [the class of 2026] were sophomores when we just started having a lot of success. So before 2023, [the] North Cobb Softball program had never won a region championship ever. So they set the bar as sophomores in 2023, then last year as juniors. This year, we’re looking at being region champs for the third time in a row. They’ve kept it consistent and have really been those true leaders that a successful team needs,” Coach Bailey Arnaud said.
Outside of softball, the Lady Warriors maintain impressive academic success and community participation. These athletes hold memberships in Beta Club, National Honor Society (NHS), the NC magnet program for international studies and travel ball teams. Special posters and tables outside the field showcased all of the athletes’ impressive accomplishments throughout the years. The ceremony provided an opportunity to hear from the seniors themselves, each senior writing out a speech for the announcers to read as they stood and posed for photos with family and friends while walking down the field.
Although an emotional night, the Lady Warriors head into fall break at the top of their region, with hopes to head back to state for the third year in a row. The class of 2026 helped redefine the culture of NC Softball, one of winning and pushing one another to their full potential. This culture remains evident in the diverse and vast success seen in each individual’s life.
The Chant congratulates the class of 2026 Lady Warriors for their accomplishments and future endeavors.
