Cohen Broussard spent Friday morning wearing a graduation robe and collecting his McKinney North diploma in front of family and friends. About 12 hours later, he sprinted through first base at Dallas Baptist University’s Horner Ballpark, ripped his batting helmet off with his right hand and flung into the air as a mob of teammates bolted toward him to celebrate.
Broussard, a shortstop, roped a single through the left side of the infield with the bases loaded in the eighth inning Friday night to walk off a 2-1 victory over Midlothian that handed North the Class 5A Division I Region II championship.
The Game 2 win — which followed another extra-innings triumph Thursday night in Game 1 — sends North to the state semifinals for the first time since 2006. It also gave Broussard his favorite moment of the day.
“I definitely blacked out from the excitement,” Broussard said. “I’ve played this sport all my life for this moment. This is what I dreamed of, this is what everyone dreams of, walking off to go to the state tournament. And I mean, it’s cool to graduate, right? Obviously, that’s a big moment in my life, but this is so much bigger to me than anything.”
Fellow senior Brady Shelton started the eighth inning with a double and pitcher Cameron Busch earned the win on the mound the morning after they joined Broussard in walking the graduation stage.
“It was quite a day for some of these guys,” coach Jim Gatewood said.
For Gatewood, too. After 19 years at North, he’s going out with his seniors and will delay his retirement at least another week to lead the school into the state semis for the first time. He took over at North one season after their last trip there.
“To do this for Coach Gatewood, to bring him to state for his last tour,” Broussard said, “it’s just special.”
It’s also improbable. North struggled at times during the regular season, suffering a four-game losing streak and finishing district play with an unspectacular 8-6 record.
In the playoffs, Gatewood’s players displayed unrelenting mettle to outrun expectations. North has won all eight of its postseason games, including seven decided by three runs or fewer and three that ventured into extra innings.
The team showed resilience again Friday night after falling into a 1-0 deficit in the top of the first. Midlothian right-hander Ryder Armstrong did his best to protect the lead, battling his way out of trouble in the third and fourth innings. Finally, in the sixth, North broke through when first baseman Brooks Nelson knocked a base hit into left field that scored the tying run from third.
That lone run was enough to push the game into extra innings thanks to 6.1 innings of strong work from North starting pitcher Austin Sayman and Busch’s stellar showing in relief.
Armstrong remained on the mound for Midlohian through the eighth, when Shelton hustled into second on a base hit he lofted down the right field line and two ensuing walks loaded the bases. Then, Broussard arrived at the plate to cap his graduation day in an exhilarating manner.
“Never would I have expected that this team could’ve gone to state,” Broussard said. “Toward the end of the year, we came together as a team and realized that we could do this. So, I’m just glad I could do my part.”
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