DUBOIS – The Davidson sisters of Clearfield had not been softball teammates prior to 2024. Each of them have found success in their own respective careers in age group play with their own ball clubs. But this past season with DuBois Central Catholic softball, the duo shined and helped to deliver the first state championship in school history.
It doesn’t take a mathematician to know that being one-for-one is a pretty solid ratio. Going one-for-one together in both District 9 and PIAA state championship games made for a dream season for senior Lauren and freshman Lily. “I’m still in shock about it,” commented Lauren. “I just couldn’t have wished for a better group of girls and a better group of fans to cheer us on as well. It was a lot of fun this season and it was amazing to help make school history. We were pretty confident and not really nervous at all in the biggest moments because we played a very competitive schedule this season. We embraced the feeling, and it was fun to be in those big moments.”
Perhaps the most noteworthy and clutch performance by the Davidson sisters took place in the PIAA semifinals against Old Forge. The Lady Cardinals collected 10 hits, the Davidsons collecting half of those. Lauren was two-for-two with a walk and a run, while Lily went three-for-three with an RBI triple and a run scored. DuBois Central Catholic escaped with a narrow 2-1 victory to advance to the PIAA state championship game against Carmichaels. “The best memory for me from the season will always be the Old Forge game,” noted Lily. “I got a triple to score my sister and I ended up scoring. The feeling of coming off the field and having all my teammates wrap their arms around me was amazing. It honestly felt like a dream.”
The Carmichaels Mikes and the DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals met in the 2023 PIAA postseason, with Carmichaels coming out on top. But this time, DuBois Central Catholic was ready to avenge their 2023 postseason loss. The program defeated the Mikes 2-0 back on June 13 to secure not just the first state championship in program history, but the first state title in any sport in the history of Lady Cardinals athletics. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to play with or a better coaching staff to play for during my high school career,” said Lauren. “I’ve learned so many life lessons from playing with this program. I’m so thankful for this experience and I hope I can repay this someday. So many people spent a lot of hours helping us and supporting us. I’m so thankful for all the people and opportunities that going to DuBois Central Catholic has brought me.”
The Davidsons have been playing softball for most of their lives and grew up in a family in which their parents, Jim and Jana, both attended DuBois Central Catholic and were successful athletes. Both Lauren and Lily have unquestionably made their own mark at the school. Middle infielder Lauren helped the Lady Cardinals to four District 9 titles, two appearances in the PIAA state championship game, and one state title. On a personal level, she’s become a Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association and Tri-County Weekend/Courier Express All-Star multiple times. She was also selected to play in the Youth Softball All-America Games and is a signee for the Penn State Altoona Lady Lions softball program as a part of their 2024 incoming class. She intends to major in nursing and is considering a career in pediatrics or even as a nurse practitioner.
As for Lily, she will continue to chase the feeling she got from helping the Lady Cardinals to a state championship victory. She earned the right to be the program’s starting center fielder as a freshman, but may end up playing both outfield and catcher in the rest of her high school career. With the program losing seven seniors to graduation, she will certainly be one of the more important players coming back for the 2025 season.
In order to continue to build her skills and continue the strong run that the Lady Cardinals have been on in recent years, she’s playing travel softball nearly every weekend with the PA Lunachicks 09 Wos; a travel team composed of ball players from around central Pennsylvania. She’s also filling in from time-to-time for Lauren’s travel ball team, DuBois Xtreme 18U. Her goal is to one day join her older sister as a college softball player.
In recent years, there’s been some impressive teams and athletes playing softball in Clearfield County. The DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals continue their dominance as one of the state’s top programs. Clearfield’s Lady Bison secured their first state championship in 2022. The Curwensville Golden Tide also advanced to the District 9 championship game this past season. When asking the Davidsons about what has made softball so special in Clearfield County recently, they both agreed that it’s been a combination of dedicated coaches and players who are invested in improving their skills. As for the Lady Cardinals in particular, there are fewer than 100 young ladies in the entire high school. Despite a small number of students, the lack of depth and talent has not suffered one bit. They continue to be a state powerhouse and likely are not going away anytime soon.
As Lauren plays in some of her final travel ball tournaments over the next few weeks and Lily continues to get as many games in before fall ball begins, the Davidsons have certainly not let championship hangover set in. They continue to pour into the game of softball that’s given them so many wonderful friendships and brought them some of the best moments of their young lives. “I wouldn’t want my summer to be any other way,” Lily said. “I will always remember this season and am so thankful for all the people who supported us from DuBois and Clearfield both. There were always so many people there cheering us on. It will always mean a lot to me,” she said.