Heritage Christian Academy has left the Class 1A, Section 4 championship game heartbroken for five straight seasons, and the past two seasons, it was Legacy Christian Academy that sent the Eagles home without a title.
There are few sweeter ways for the Eagles to start 2018 than to defeat a team that has been a thorn in their side, and on Thursday, they have the change to taste victory thanks to a roster filled with plenty of power, including Seth Halvorsen.
Halvorsen, a Rawlings Perfect Game First Team All-American who Legacy Christian coach Adam Hill called the state's best player, finished last season with a .488 batting average and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.548.
And he's just as dominant on the mound. The right-hander committed to Missouri after a junior season in which he had a 1.92 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings.
The Eagles also have seven starters back, including fellow pitcher and the team's second-best hitter Taylor Brodersen (.308/.426/.423 in 2017).
Legacy Christian was the Class 1A state runner-up last season, but the team is inexperienced after graduating 12 seniors and brings back just one returning starter — infielder Jarvey Hill, who batted .391 a season ago.
However, the Lions have history on their side with 17 victories in the last 19 meetings with the Eagles, including the 2016 and 2017 section championships.