Saugus softball wins Foothill League title under first-year coach Amanda Clark
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CASTAIC — Saugus softball coach Amanda Clark remembers her senior year of high school softball clearly. After three years of being the undefeated Foothill League champs, when she was known as Amanda Melton, the Centurions finished second in league.
“It hurt,” Clark said reminiscing. “We lost. We don’t lose.”
Years later, after a standout career at Michigan State (she’s tied for second in program history for RBIs in a game with six), Clark is back and trying to continue Saugus’ winning tradition.
The Centurions beat Castaic, 23-1, on Tuesday afternoon to clinch their first Foothill League title since 2019 and their first title under Clark, the team’s first-year head coach.
“This year, I knew we were gonna come back,” Fresno State-bound senior Alyssa Ramirez said. “We have a great group of girls. And you know, we did our thing. And to have Coach Clark by my side, too. She’s been my coach ever since I was little.”
Clark took over for Julie Archer this season after serving as an assistant coach for several years. Archer, formerly Julie Watson, also played for Saugus and went on to play college softball at Cal State Fullerton.
Starting in 2007, Archer coached with competitive fire and maintained Saugus’ high winning standards. Although Clark’s coaching style is different, according to players, it’s still effective.
“She’s like your mom,” junior Madison Campeau said. “It helps some of the girls relax, which I think helped them to overcome like any nerves. During the games, it’s a good atmosphere. We’re very relaxed, we’re very together and you’re not afraid to mess up.”
The Centurions tore through the Foothill League this season, outscoring opponents 115-15 with five shutouts, and they have one more game to go against Canyon.
Ramirez has been strong in the circle and at the plate, setting the record for home runs in a season with 13. Campeau is a speedy baserunner and has 15 stolen bases this season.
Saugus will face heightened competition in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs that start next week. The Centurions are trying to win their first CIF-SS title since 1996 when Saugus beat Woodbridge, 1-0. Clark was on that team, too.
“Division 1, it is ruthless,” Clark said. “Everything’s got to be working: pitching, defense and offense. So that’s what we’ve been focusing on in games where we have a big lead, working on driving down on a rise ball or a changeup or you know, working on little things that could really mess us up in that playoff run.”
Winning is always a goal for the Centurions, but for the players, it’s also rewarding to be coached by one of the school’s former star players. Whether it’s Archer or Clark, they get to know and look up to women who were, at one point, in the same position they’re in.
“We play for something bigger than just us,” Campeau said. “We play for all of each other. And (Clark) knows what it’s like. She’s been around it. It’s easy to relate to her. And I feel like every time that we win, she wins also. She can feel that and it’s just important to her, which makes it important to us.”