High school softball: Vandebilt Catholic's incredible 112-game run tops list of longest winning streaks

In 1978, Vandebilt Catholic (Houma, La.) athletic director Gerald Albert was having difficulty finding anyone to coach the school's relatively new softball program. So he decided to take the job himself.

According to a feature in the July 1, 2008 edition of the Houma Times, Albert had two choices, shut down the team or coach himself. "Whenever there was a coaching opening we couldn't fill, I would step in and coach that so we could continue to compete."

As a result of Albert's decision, Vandebilt Catholic survived extinction and instead made high school softball history. Behind the pitching of Michelle Broussard, the Lady Terriers won 112 straight games between 1980 and 1983. Broussard was the catalyst, winning 88 straight games and finishing her high school career 88-0. Unfortunately, her career strikeout and no-hitter totals have never been compiled.

Vandebilt Catholic's win streak highlights the MaxPreps list of high school softball teams with 50 or more wins in a row.

At the time of the streak, the National Federation of High Schools did not have a record for consecutive wins, Bruce Carnahan, the editor of the record book, told the Associated Press in 1983. The only school at the time believed to have as many as 50 wins was Righetti (Santa Maria, Calif.), which had a 50-game win streak from 1979 to 1981.

No team has topped the 112-game streak, but a team 180 miles away on the west side of Louisiana came close. Barbe (Lake Charles, Calif.), behind the pitching of Candice Carnahan, won 108 straight games, 107 in a row by Carnahan. During the streak, Carnahan also had 88 shutouts and 50 no-hitters. Barbe lost to West Monroe (also undefeated at the time at 30-0) in the state playoff quarterfinals in the final game of Carnahan's career.

Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.) is the only other school with over 100 wins, finishing with 105 straight before losing to Northwest (Germantown) 9-5 in the third game of the 2017 season. Sherwood went on to post a 32-game winning streak over the next two seasons for a run of 137-1.

There are two current streaks on the list. Papillion-LaVista has posted back-to-back 36-0 seasons during Nebraska's fall season and will take a 72-0 streak into the 2021 season. Scarborough (Maine), meanwhile, has a 63-game win streak dating back to 2017.

Sources for the list include the NFHS record book, state association record books, Cal-Hi Sports Record Book by Mark and Nelson Tennis, as well as research via the MaxPreps rankings and newspapers.com. Streaks do not include totals that occurred from a summer or spring season to a fall season.

Additions or corrections? Contact kevinaskeland65@gmail.com
Softball teams with win streaks longer than 50 games

1.   112 — Vandebilt Catholic (Houma, La.), 1980-83
2.   108 — Barbe (Lake Charles, La.), 1988-91
3.   105 — Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.), 2012-17
4.     96 — Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.), 2002-04
5.     95 — Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.), 2013-15
6.     94 — Chase County (Cottonwood Falls, Kan.), 2012-15
7.     93 — East Anchorage (Anchorage, Alaska), 2012-16
8.     88 — Richmond (Maine), 2013-17
9.     85 — Leake Academy (Madden, Miss.), 2010-12
10.   84 — Salem (N.H.), 1990-93

11.   83 — Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.), 2004-06
12.   80 — Cabrini (Allen Park, Mich.), 2006-08
13.   78 — Moultonborough Academy (Moultonborough, N.H.), 1999-2003
13.   78 — Seymour (Conn.), 2005-07
15.   77 — Masuk (Monroe, Conn.), 2007-09
15.   77 — Northern (Owings, Md.), 2010-14
15.   77 — Southington (Conn.), 2013-16
15.   77 — Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 2013-16
19.   76 — Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City, Texas), 2003-04
19.   76 — Ferndale (Calif.), 2003-05

21.   75 — Whippany Park (Whippany, N.J.), 1989-91
22.   73 — El Camino Real (Woodland Hills, Calif.), 1984-87
23.   72 — Papillion-LaVista (Papillion, Neb.), 2019-present
24.   71 — Madison (Vienna, Va.), 1987-89
25.   69 — Casey-Westfield (Casey, Ill.), 1997-98
26.   68 — Clay (Portsmouth, Ohio), 1980-82
27.   67 — Crescent (Iva, S.C.), 1991-93
27.   67 — Clifton (N.J.), 1997-99
27.   67 — Cornerstone Christian (Columbiana, Ala.), 2008-10
30.   66 — Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh, Kan.), 2017-19

31.   65 — Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), 2017-19
32.   64 — Laconia (Rosendale, Wis.), 2015-18
33.   63 — Scarborough (Maine), 2017-present
34.   62 — Gibbs (Corryton, Tenn.), 1986-88
34.   62 — Keystone (La Grange, Ohio), 2017-19
36.   60 — Bald Knob (Ark.), 2015-16
37.   59 — Jefferson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), 1990-91
37.   59 — Crestview (Convoy, Ohio), 2005-06
37.   59 — Mortimer Jordan (Kimberly, Ala.), 2009-10
37.   59 — David W. Butler (Matthews, N.C.), 2006-08

41.   58 — Casey-Westfield (Casey, Ill.), 1986-87
41.   58 — Wellsville (N.Y.), 1995-97
41.   58 — South Putnam (Greencastle, Ind.), 2011-13
41.   58 — John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.), 2011-13
41.   58 — Akron-Westfield (Akron, Iowa), 2013-15
46.   56 — Butte Central Catholic (Butte, Mont.), 1999-01
47.   55 — Waterford (Conn.), 2009-11
47.   55 — Assumption (Davenport, Iowa), 2017-18
49.   54 — Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.), 2000-01
49.   54 — Central Davidson (Lexington, N.C.), 2007-08

49.   54 — Poynette (Wis.), 2018-19
52.   53 — Amity Regional (Woodbridge, Conn.), 2002-04
52.   53 — Madison (Vienna, Va.), 2017-19
52.   53 — Strafford (Mo.), 2017-19
55.   52 — Portage Northern (Portage, Mich.), 2000-01
55.   52 — Hoover (North Canton, Ohio), 2013-14
55.   52 — East Coweta (Sharpsburg, Ga.), 2017-18
58.   51 — St. Bernard's (St. Paul, Minn.), 1989-91
58.   51 — Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.), 1991-92
58.   51 — Stevens Point (Wis.), 2002-03

58.   51 — Volcano Vista (Albuquerque), 2011-12
58.   51 — Paraclete (Lancaster, Calif.), 2015-17
63.   50 — Righetti (Santa Maria, Calif.), 1979-81
63.   50 — Chugiak (Alaska), 2003-04
63.   50 — Akron-Westfield (Akron, Iowa), 2011-12