Editor’s note: This is the fifth and final part of a summer series revisiting the best of “The Prep Zone” sports show at locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville, featuring interviews with area coaches and players with host Mike Ridaught from the 2025-26 seasons.
The Trenton softball team and head coach Kevin Benson, the Florida Dairy Farmers Rural Coach of the Year, joined “The Prep Zone Sports Show” on June 3.
The two-time defending state champion Tigers defeated Madison County, 1-0, in the FHSAA Rural State Semifinals at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, followed by a 13-1 win in five innings against Liberty County (Bristol) in the state title game. It was the third straight state title for Trenton (25-3).
Below are excerpts from the May interview — edited for length and clarity — on The Prep Zone show. You can listen to the full conversation online.
Q: Coach, congratulations! Great season again. Tell us how it feels.
Coach Kevin Benson: Oh, it’s amazing. Like I told you guys down there in Longwood, each year is its own unique season, different trials and hurdles to have to overcome, so each one of them is special and unique, and it’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with these young ladies and to continue to represent our community and Trenton High School,
Q: I kind of felt like all year long that Trenton, Santa Fe, which lost in the region final, they didn’t get there, and then Columbia, all had a good chance to win a state title. Gainesville and Leanna Bourdage got back to the region final. But overall, how about softball in the area this year?
Coach Kevin Benson: Yeah, North Central Florida softball has really grown a lot in the last five, six years. You’ve got some good coaches that have been around for a long time, and they’re able to start rebuilding rosters. It wasn’t that long ago that GHS, year in and year out, they were at the top. Gene over there at Santa Fe. He was up on top and had a couple of down years, but he’s rebuilt it again. Chris did the same thing there at GHS. And then Joe got that job in Lake City at Columbia High School. He’s been around the coaching world for a long time, and he got his opportunity. It took him a year to change the culture and change the mindset and build that program, but he’s done a good job up there in Columbia building that program. And then don’t leave out Williston. It’s been a really good program for a couple of years now. Branford, really good program up there, so it’s been great to see the development of the sport in this area and help keep us all competitive.
Q: How did this year’s group compare to the last two championship teams?
Coach Kevin Benson: This group was probably the most complete group as far as team chemistry. Anytime you get a bunch of teenagers, let alone a bunch of teenage girls, you can have some things pop up from time to time that just causes conflict in the dugout. This group, I can’t think of one time this season where we had to sit down and have a conversation of this isn’t how we do life. It was nice not to have that this year. I’ve actually been coaching in Trenton eight years now and I was fortunate enough that Todd Bryant brought me on back in 2019, and so I was with the program in 2019 for the state championship, ‘21 for the state championship, but I was JV coach for those years and just helped him as needed whenever he requested, so I was fortunate enough to learn a lot from him in those years that I was coaching under him, and learn from Clint (Anderson) while he was the head coach…but when you start trying to compare teams, I have a hard time comparing them because they’re all so unique.
Q: How did this championship feel compared to the last one or two?
Addison Allaire (JR): I think this year we came in with a big target on our back. We knew we had to play our best every day. Everybody wanted to beat us, so I think it’s just a little bit of a different mentality than we’ve had the past couple years. And I’m just really proud of us for working hard every day.
Q: In the first meeting against Madison County, you had your first perfect game. What was that moment like and did you know that you were about to hit a perfect game?
Addison Allaire (JR): I think it was in the back of my mind the whole time. But it was a little bit of an odd day. We don’t usually play at 6 O’clock, so we played in the light. It was a little different. We had a couple of kids out. It was definitely a different day, but it was really nice to do it.
Q: You’re pretty vocal. Talk about being that leader behind the plate from a vocal standpoint.
Khloe Kirby (SO): I love when everybody’s talking on the field. You know, having energy. The game is supposed to be fun, so I like when everybody’s hype, especially my pitcher. I mean, everybody truly, but I love bringing energy to the game.
Q: What did it mean to win this state championship, especially after coming off a championship last year?
Mackenzie Fisher (JR): Winning this state championship, we have a very good team dynamic. We work together well. Before games, we’re playing hacky sack. Working together, being fun, letting loose, to be able to win it again, it’s great.
Q: Tell me how it feels to win a third state title.
Presley Akins (SR): It feels amazing. Being able to do it three times in a row, it just gets better every time, and I wouldn’t want to do it with any other team than with the team I have now. They’re just such good people, and we just work together so much, so well, and we just bond. It’s always nice to be around them.
Q: Talk about the state semifinals when you turned a single into a double (with your speed), stole third, and then scored the only run.
Addilynn Welbers (SO): Coach Kevin always says how I go, we go, so I definitely knew I had to do something. I saw that the first baseman was in my way, so I knew I was either going to run into her, so I did, and they’re either going to call obstruction or not, so I just hoped for the best. Then I saw third base was open, so I knew I could steal that base. It was wide open, and then the rest, Lexi (Faught) bunted and I just scored.
Q: How much did going to Longwood last year help this year?
Addilynn Welbers (SO): Yes, it definitely did. It helped the nerves a lot. Just knowing that we could do it, and had already done it, it just really calmed me down. And it helped me help all the other girls that hadn’t been there before to get them ready and prepared too.