Championships tend to come with individual honors.

In order to have a great team, one must have good to great players all working as one.

That case is no different at Dallas County High School, whose state championship softball team saw three of its players selected to the Class 4A All-State team.

“This was a powerful lineup from top to bottom,” Lady Hornets head coach Ed Miller. “Everyone just stepped up from all the time this year, it didn’t matter who it was. These girls definitely deserved it.”

Pitcher Cassie Daniels was named Player of the Year, along with Pitcher of the Year and first team All-State Pitcher.

“I’m really honored,” said Daniels. “I never would have guessed that I would be honored in this way. It’s a pretty big deal, but I wouldn’t have gotten it without the team.”

Ilicia Stewart, who came into the side late due to the finish of basketball for the Hornets, really stepped up her game especially during tournaments’ and was awarded with the first team All-State Outfielder.

“I came in and thought I was already prepared, but I wasn’t,” said Stewart. “It took a lot of hard work, and the coaches put me through a lot to get up with the rest of the team, and it paid off. Winning the state tournament was the best thing for this team; this just adds to it.”

The two players were the first all-state winners for Dallas County for as long as Miller could remember during his 10-year run at the school.

“It’s such an honor,” Miller said. “It may have happened before, but I don’t remember getting this kind of honor in my time here before. To get two just shows you the kind of team this was.”

Rounding out the all-state squad was Whitney Denson, who was named honorable mention in the infield for the 4A classification.

“It’s just great to be honored like that,” Denson said.

“Of course you want to do your best every game, but you don’t go into thinking I want to win an award. You just want to do the best for your team. I think all of our girls did that this year. We played hard for each other and that’s why we were able to reach our goal as champions.”