Fort Worth-area softball had never seen a state title game appearance — until Josh Richards changed that. The Brewer Bears head coach guided his program to the UIL softball state final this season, a milestone no Fort Worth-area school had ever reached before.
The Bears fell to Lake Creek 6-5 in a tight championship game, finishing the year at 27-10. That record also marked back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in more than a decade at Brewer — a sign of sustained program growth, not just a one-year run.
Perhaps most encouraging for Bears fans: five underclassmen were in the starting lineup this season, giving Richards a deep foundation to build on heading into next year. A return trip to the state final is well within reach.
For leading Brewer to historic heights, Josh Richards is the DFW Inside High School Sports Softball Coach of the Year.
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