Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Clarksville celebrates its Class 1A softball title on Friday night at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The third-ranked Clarksville softball team has been chasing a state championship for the past two seasons, but No. 1 Collins-Maxwell always held them back.

This was the fifth meeting between the two programs in the last 770 days, and the Spartans had been victorious in every previous meeting.

That all changed on Friday.

This time the Indians (19-1 overall) had all the firepower, ending the hex against the Spartans (21-2) and upsetting the two-time defending Class 1A state champions to secure the school’s first-ever state softball title, 2-0.

In last summer’s title game, Clarksville took a 3-2 advantage into the sixth inning before C-M scored two in the bottom half and held on to claim the crown.

All four Clarksville losses in the past three seasons had been to the Spartans — and all by a single run.

But on Friday night at Rogers Park, it was Cheyenne Behrends who helped the Indians turn the tide for good.

Behrends, the 1A all-tournament team captain, broke a 0-0 tie in the fourth inning with her second home run of the state week. In the sixth inning Behrends duplicated the feat, blasting another longball over the left field fence for the 2-0 advantage.

Behrends also provided the heroics for the Indians in their 7-6 eight inning quarterfinal win over Akron-Westfield, ripping a walk-off inside the park home run for the victory.

It was a pitcher’s duel once again last night, with Clarksville’s Kori Wedeking (17-1) and Collins-Maxwell’s Mikayla Houge (20-2) again squaring off. Both tossed three-hitters, with Wedeking fanning seven to push her state total to 19.

Houge, the University of Virginia signee and 2020 Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year, also allowed a single to Janet Borchardt. She had 11 strikeouts in the contest and 32 in the tourney.

Clarksville was one of four teams to become first time state champions this season. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (5A), Albia (3A), and Ogden (2A) joined the Indians in the winner’s circle.

Albia, who won the school’s first state championship in any sport, was the only No. 1 team to claim a title.

CLARKSVILLE 2, COLLINS-MAXWELL 0

Clarksville 000 101 0 — 2 3 1

C-Maxwell 000 000 0 — 3 0

WP–Kori Wedeking (17-1, 7IP, 3H, 0ER, 0BB, 7SO); LP–Mikayla Houge (20-2, 7IP, 3H, 2ER, 11SO); LOB–Clarksville 1, Collins-Maxwell 3; 2B–CM: Ella Kahler; HR–C: Cheyenne Behrends (2); SACB–CM: Brailyn Tankersley; SB–CM: Alexis Houge, Avery Fricke.