Gretna Softball Claims Third State Title
Senior pitcher Taelyn Rupiper led the Dragons to a 2-1 victory over Gretna East, capping a season that included a Class A championship.
By Rebecca Foster ·
Gretna softball captured its third state championship on Friday.
The Dragons defeated crosstown rival Gretna East, 2-1, in the Class B final. Senior pitcher Taelyn Rupiper threw a complete game to secure the win. She recorded eight strikeouts against the Griffins. This marks the program's second state title in three seasons.
Coach Bill Heard called Rupiper the best player in Class B this season. He noted that the team won while facing the toughest schedule available. "I think we had the best player," Heard said. Rupiper credited her older sister, Brylee Rupiper, for shaping her approach to the game. The sisters played together for two seasons and won the Class A state title in 2024. Brylee taught Taelyn to stop fearing failure, a lesson that changed her performance during her senior year.
Heard observed that Rupiper's confidence grew throughout the season. He stated that her ability to locate pitches is among the best he has coached. "I think this year is really the year that it kind of clicked for her from, maybe, a confidence standpoint," he said. Rupiper described her pitching style as composed rather than loud. She focused on showing belief in her teammates to help them gain their own confidence.
The senior started on the varsity team as a freshman. She leaves high school as a two-time state champion. Heard praised her leadership style, noting that she leads by example without being over the top. "She’s not boisterous, she’s not over the top with anything she does," he said. Rupiper said she is still trying to improve and has not reached her maximum potential yet.
Rupiper will play Division I softball in the Summit League next year. She committed to South Dakota State in October 2025. She chose the school because the coaches matched her needs when she visited campus. "The coaches were everything that I needed," Rupiper said. The team's success this season ended with a state title, fulfilling what the coaching staff had hoped for her throughout her four-year career.
The Dragons' victory over Gretna East concluded a season defined by Rupiper's development from a freshman who feared failure to a senior who led her team to a championship. Her performance in the final game sealed the program's third state crown.
