Deshler Baseball Champs Aim for Repeat Title

Talented roster returns to defend state championship, but coach warns against resting on past success.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The Deshler High School baseball team is coming off a historic 2025 season in which they won the state championship. With a talented roster returning, including standout players like Price Thornton, Garrett Reid, and Camden Fuller, the Tigers are poised to make another run at the title. However, head coach Justin Cantrell is cautioning his team against getting complacent and is urging them to 'flush' last year's success and focus on the new season ahead.

Why it matters

Deshler's championship run last year was the first in program history, and the team is now in the rare position of defending a title. As the reigning champs, they will have a target on their back, and how they handle the pressure and expectations could determine if they can repeat their success.

The details

The Tigers will return one of the best pitching rotations in the state, led by Thornton, Reid, and Fuller. However, coach Cantrell says the team still has work to do, particularly on the defensive end. He wants the players to avoid dwelling on last year's accomplishments and instead focus on the challenges of the new season.

  • The Tigers will begin their title defense on February 19 against Haleyville.
  • Deshler won the state championship in 2025.

The players

Justin Cantrell

The head coach of the Deshler High School baseball team, who led the Tigers to their first-ever state championship in 2025.

Price Thornton

A key returning player for the Deshler Tigers, part of the team's talented pitching rotation.

Garrett Reid

Another returning player for Deshler, also a part of the team's strong pitching staff.

Camden Fuller

A veteran player for the Tigers who is focused on improving the team's defense ahead of the new season.

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What they’re saying

“You can't get focused on what this team did last year cause if we do that, like I told them already, you're going to have a disappointing season. I told them they are going to have a target on their back. You won state last year, you got all these guys that are supposedly coming back, but we just can't get caught up in that. We've got to stay the course.”

— Justin Cantrell, Head Coach (whnt.com)

“Defensively, we are not very good right now, and it's a different team, different players, so we have a lot to rebuild and a lot to work on this season. You know that's very important, having a lot of experience, going to state and stuff like that. We are trying to just flush everything and just focus on the new year cause none of that stuff last year matters at all.”

— Camden Fuller, Player (whnt.com)

What’s next

The Tigers will begin their title defense on February 19 against Haleyville.

The takeaway

Deshler's baseball team faces the challenge of defending their first-ever state championship, with a talented roster returning but a coach who is urging them to avoid complacency and focus on the new season ahead. The Tigers will need to balance their championship experience with a renewed hunger to prove themselves all over again.