Calvary softball had Elana Franks in mind during ’emotional’ ring ceremony
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
The hard part came after honoring Calvary Baptist’s softball team for its fifth consecutive state championship.
Every player that was a part of the Lady Cavaliers’ dominant showing in 2025 walked through a tunnel created by Calvary’s cheerleaders leading to the football team’s helmet decal at midfield at Jerry Barker Stadium.
The roar of Calvary’s crowd that gathered for a home game with Magnolia School of Excellence greeted each member of the softball’s state championship team with tremendous applause, reaching a different level of appreciation for a player that wasn’t there physically, but drew a rousing ovation for her contributions nonetheless.
Calvary’s entire journey through its 38-game schedule was without senior Elana Franks who perished in a car accident on Jan. 7 in Shreveport. The team chose to hang her No. 25 jersey in their dugout each step of the way which culminated in a 12-0 victory over D’Arbonne Woods in Sulphur.
“The ceremony was hard for me with Elana not being there,” Calvary softball coach Tiffany Wood, who won her seventh state title in her 14th season at the school. “It was one of the more difficult events. Just being final chapter with Team 21 (the 21st in school history) closing out the celebration.
“It was hard,” Wood said. “It was an emotional time for me when they did call her name. Knowing she’s a part of us and physically she may not get that ring, but she’s up there with the best seat in the house to watch us receive it.”
Calvary’s latest state championship team was among the best in the nation.
The Lady Cavaliers were a force at the plate with a .415 batting average, 91 home runs, 62 doubles and 91 stolen bases. Led by All-American Kynzee Anderson, a Georgia commitment, Miss Louisiana Softball honoree and the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, she was 24-4 with a 1.26 earned run average with 245 strikeouts with 145 strikeouts.
Calvary wound up ranked No. 2 nationally by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), No. 7 by MaxPreps and No. 10 by Sports Illustrated.
“They definitely do not get old, they’re special,” Wood said of the team’s ring ceremonies. “The cheerleaders always participate. They line up for us to walk through. It’s a routine people know but it’s exciting for each team. This was exciting. The girls look forward to that halftime experience. “
Anderson, the Class 2A Outstanding Player, was part of a star-studded team with four first-team all-state selections that included freshman infielder Baylor Bockhaus, sophomore catcher Mallory Cooper and sophomore utility player Lauren Sivils. The Lady Cavaliers also had three players earn honorable mention status: sophomore Carlie Guile, eighth-grader Brynn Robinson and freshman Jaycee Sledge.
The only member of the state championship team unavailable to attend the ring ceremony was Addison Willis, a graduated senior, who is in her first semester at LSU.
“The football fans get to cheer,” Wood said. “People that may not make it softball games, they supported us. It’s exciting to look up there and see a whole stadium full of people cheering for you, clapping and supporting you.”
Calvary went 11-0 against teams in Class 5A and defeated eventual state champions Sam Houston, North DeSoto and Quitman in three different divisions.
Besides Anderson’s accomplishments which rose to All-American levels according to several outlets, Bockhaus was thought of in the same regards after batting .551 with 25 homers, 89 RBIs and a robust 1.331 slugging percentage.
Franks was never far from Calvary’s pursuits both on and off the field. Besides her jersey that hung in the team’s dugout, the Lady Cavaliers had a purpose each game of playing for their ‘Angel in the Outfield’ each time.
“They played for her,” Wood said.
One of the team’s mantras, ‘21 for 25’ where the 2025 team, the 21st softball team, kept Franks, who wore No. 25 during career, at the forefront of their thoughts.
The team’s championship rings paid homage to Franks, who No. 25 jersey has been retired, with five purple stones on each side – a nod to Franks’ favorite color.
The school’s green and gold colors are prevalent with the motto, ‘Embrace the Pressure’ at the bottom of ring with ‘21-4-25’ inside of it. The team’s final record is also included along with the last name of each player – a dazzling keepsake.
“It’s probably my favorite,” Wood said of the ring. “There’s a lot that represents Elana. It’s a quality ring.”
Each player walked through the walkway created by the cheerleaders who raised and waved their pom poms during Franks’ introduction.
“No one received her ring,” Woods said. “We’ve already given them (her parents Greg and Lisa) her ring. When they announced her name, they said she was our ‘Angel in the outfield’. The crowd erupted with excitement. That was really cool.
“We still have her wind chimes and her (senior) banner’s around the field,” Wood said. “She’s forever a part of the Calvary program.”
A billboard, that includes Franks, been created to celebrate the 2025 state championship team, and the program’s ‘Championship Walkway’ will be updated to include the latest state title team.
“It closed out Team 21’s season,” Wood said. “They received their rings because they worked so hard. Every year when we give their rings, it’s the final chapter for the previous team. It was emotional. It was exciting.”