LONDON — Built on decades of dominance, North Laurel softball reached a historic milestone Thursday, becoming the first program in Kentucky to record 900 career wins with a 15-5 win over Montgomery County .
North Laurel is no stranger to success, at the state or region level.
The Lady Jaguars became the first mountain school to reach the KHSAA State Championship Game in 2000, then made even more history in 2001 by becoming the first mountain school to win a KHSAA State Championship under former head coach and Kentucky Prep Hall of Famer Jimmy Durham.
Former coach Shane Weaver continued that tradition of excellence, guiding North Laurel to another state runner-up finish in 2008.
More recently, current head coach Chris Edwards has kept the Lady Jaguars among the state’s elite, leading North Laurel to a state runner-up finish in 2024, the program’s third.
The Lady Jaguars have also won 20 region titles (region championships in 1995, ’97, ’98, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’21, ’24, and ‘25.”
The 900-win milestone is a testament to the sustained excellence of North Laurel softball since the introduction of fastpitch in Kentucky in 1995.
“Certainly to be a part of this program when it achieves its 900th victory is something special,” Edwards said. “It gives testament to over 30 years of success, to the players and coaches that came before us, and to the tradition and legacy that those individuals and teams built.
“As a fan watching from the distance, watching family members go through the program and then getting into the program, I knew what the expectations were at North Laurel — continue with the success that had been achieved before us. We hope that we are continuing the legacy and we also hope to continue to build on it but it is certainly an incredible privilege to be a part of this program at this historic time.”
