Bullard softball coach Julie Murry is shown on Dobrinski Field accepting her award for Best Preps Tyler Coach of the Year.

Bullard knew the 2020 softball season was going to be one of emotion.

On Aug. 14, 2019, Bullard head softball coach Megan Dobrinski passed away after a battle with cancer.

The Lady Panthers had set out to honor their late coach each time they took the field.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was only able to play 21 games as their season was cut short right before the beginning of District 16-4A competition.

“It was pretty hard because this was supposed to be the season that we went pretty deep in the playoffs,” senior Jolee Dixon said. “It was hard not being able to play with my teammates anymore.”

Before the season, Bullard named Julie Murry as the new head softball coach.

After leading Henderson to the Class 3A state championship game in 2012, Murry stepped away from coaching. Following two years at home, Murry went to Bullard Middle School to teach seventh grade science.

In 2018, Murry spent the season on Dobrinsk’s staff as an assistant.

On Feb. 17, Bullard hosted Lufkin Hudson to open the season. On that night, the field was named “Dobrinski Field.” The Lady Panthers won that game, 6-0.

“Looking back on it, it was incredible how the kids were able to play through the emotion and take care of business,” Murry said.

“It was very special because every time we stepped on that field, we were playing for her,” Dixon said. “It was nice to honor her and thank her for everything she’s done not only for the program but for the community.”

“Those are memories we will remember for the rest of our lives,” senior Kenzie Colston said. “It was super special for all of us. At least we got to have a couple of games on that field.”

Bullard had one more home game — an 18-3 win over Canton on March 10. The season came to an end following the Lady Panthers’ 5-1 victory over Van on March 12 — their sixth consecutive win.

“It was definitely heartbreaking,” senior Payton Hancock said. “Our team was finally starting to click. We were finally figuring each other out. It was the peak of our season, and then we found out it was over. We were waiting around, hoping the news would get better. But when the UIL decided there was no way, it didn’t feel good.”

The Lady Panthers finished the season with a record of 13-3-5.

“We had five ties, and I had one tie in my career prior to this year,” Murry said. “We didn’t like tying. All of us felt like the five ties were games we needed to find a way to win. There were some things we worked through early in the season, and the team had really grown a lot. We were playing our best softball of the year the week all of this happened.”

Murry said her three seniors — Dixon, Colston and Hancock — along with assistant coaches Marisa Ledkins and Kendall Redd helped make the transition easier.

“Our seniors did a great job of bridging the gap,” Murry said. “Our coaching staff has also been great.”

“It was a pretty smooth transition,” Dixon said. “It was not really hard for us because we knew her. It was not somebody completely different. It helped a lot.”

“I think it was definitely easier because she was one of our coaches before,” Colston said.

The three seniors will now head to college.

Dixon will play softball at Galveston College. Colston is going to Texas A&M University to major in animal science. Hancock will begin at Blinn College before transferring to Texas A&M to major in business and finance.

Other players on the Bullard roster are juniors Ariel Matula, Gabby Nichols and Claire Cannon; sophomores Addison Hooker, Kaylee Paul, Berlyn Grossman and Emma Lambert; and freshmen Hadi Fults and Teagan Graul.