LESSONS LEARNED: How Verdigris developed Gibson, Zaferes into title-ready collegiates

Jun. 11—Jaylan Gibson and Jackie Zaferes have a secret weapon for overcoming hard practices and challenging workouts.

Whenever things start getting difficult, the two often share a joking reference to Brian Keith, their former no-nonsense softball coach at Verdigris. That alone is usually enough to lift their spirits, powering them through whichever arduous task they happen to be facing.

Gibson and Zaferes didn't even play together under Keith — for Gibson graduated in spring 2018 while Zaferes transferred in from Owasso the following fall — but being a Lady Cardinal is a sisterhood that transcends eras.

"(Coach) Keith has so many different sayings, and some of them are so far-fetched that no one would understand," Gibson said. "Me and her (Zaferes) constantly have these insider jokes that when practice gets tough or workouts are seeming a little too demanding, one of us can say something to the other and eventually lift us two up, and then everyone else laughs in confusion like, 'What are y'all talking about?'"

However, as of last week they have more than just silly jokes and references to share.

They both now carry the moniker of "national champion".

Gibson and Zaferes helped Rogers State softball win the NCAA Division II national championship last week in Denver, with the Hillcats notching a five-game sweep of the opposition over a six-day period.

Gibson tallied three hits with four RBIs during the trip, including a 2-RBI home run in Game 1 of the championship series against the Toros. She was also walked four times and scored three runs.

The junior, who was a four-year starter at Verdigris from 2014-2017, was nearly perfect in the field as well with a fielding percentage of 0.92. She had four putouts and 10 assists on 15 chances while committing only one error.

Zaferes, who spent two years under Keith while playing one varsity season (2019) after transferring from Owasso, didn't record any batting or fielding stats during the WCWS, but she did score a run on a double from Makayla Bowman in Game 2 of the championship series.

Although Gibson and Zaferes have been at RSU for multiple years now, they haven't forgotten their roots back in Verdigris.

In fact, they credit Keith and his championship-level culture for their development into title-ready players for the Hillcats despite never winning a state championship in high school.

"The grit and determination, that foundation was built in high school," Gibson said. "I give a lot of that to him (Keith). He didn't really give us that choice. We wanted to be better, and going into college it was really easy for me when it was starting to get tough to look at my teammates and be like, 'We just gotta get back up. It's nothing.' I think all of them had similar experiences because I think that's what made us flow so easily. Determination was not hard for any of us."

Zaferes knew of Keith by reputation before her arrival at Verdigris, and his rumored antics had her admittedly scared and intimidated.

However, she quickly realized his hard-nosed persona was for the benefit of his players. He was tough, sure, but Zaferes never doubted Keith's motivations.

"He'd go to bat for you," Zaferes said. "He just expects perfection and wants the best for you. I definitely think that made me who I am today and all of that. Without him, I feel like I definitely wouldn't be here, that's for sure. Out here (at RSU) it's a job, and it's a lot of work. You've got your schoolwork, which I feel like is a lot harder and a lot more than in high school. We're out here all the time, and you've got to put in your own work and extra work, so I'd definitely say that's one thing he prepared me for — having a really good work ethic and a good attitude all the time."

That, in turn, helped her catch the eye of Hillcats coach Andrea Vaughan.

"She knows what kind of coach he is, so she knows the type of players he creates," Zaferes said.

Playing at a high level is simply what is expected at Verdigris, so it is no surprise that Gibson and Zaferes experienced some big-stage moments long before winning a national championship at RSU.

Gibson was especially familiar with winning in the postseason, for the Lady Cardinals made the state tournament in all four of her years. She helped them to a state runner-up finish in Class 3A as a sophomore in 2015.

Zaferes also made the state tournament with Verdigris, though she couldn't play as a transfer athlete from out-of-district. In 2018, the Lady Cardinals advanced to the Class 3A semifinals, where they were defeated by eventual runner-up Washington.

So when the Hillcats arrived in Denver for the Women's College World Series, the packed stands and the overall atmosphere all felt familiar to Gibson.

Playing for Verdigris prepared her for the moment, and she didn't disappoint.

"For me, it felt like we had been there before," Gibson said. "I think that was because of us going to the state tournament in softball all four years. And I knew I had a team that wanted it as bad as me, and there was no school keeping us off balance. All our family was super supportive, and we made sure everyone was mentally there. The excitement of being in Colorado was there, but the tournament in general was so lax for me. I was more excited than I was anxious or nervous. We had been playing so well, and my confidence level was high with my team.

"Me and a couple of teammates joked that it felt like we were back at State," she added. "Everyone's hooping and hollering, you see all the colorful school colors and to experience that again really filled my heart and gave me a nostalgic feeling of being back at home.

"It was exciting to see our community, family and friends put that into a full picture."