Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: The Fort Dodge softball team shares a moment together on the Rogers Park field before a regional final game against Ames on Tuesday night.

The natural tendency is to take all of this for granted — feeling, after a while, like it’s always been this way.

The winning. The records. Advancing to state like it’s a birthright. Contending for championships.

For five consecutive seasons, the Fort Dodge softball program has made something incredibly difficult — actually, for all intents and purposes, virtually impossible — look like it’s second nature. They’ve racked up 172 victories versus just 29 defeats. They’ve qualified five consecutive times for state, matching the school’s unprecedented run from 2002-06. And they’ve been seeded No. 1 or 2 in the tournament at Rogers Park for four straight years, taking the bracket’s top billing in 2020, 2021 and now 2022.

This is the smallest school of the 40 in 5A, folks. In fact, next season, they’ll miss the enrollment cutoff and move back to 4A.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time this season reflecting and reminiscing. Trying to find the words and embrace each moment, knowing I’m seeing something in real time I’ll never see again.

Don’t get me wrong: Dodger softball isn’t going anywhere after 2022. Being at the pinnacle of the sport among larger programs in the state of Iowa for such an extended period of time is unheard of, though. Not just in Fort Dodge, but period.

In the last 29 years — the IGHSAU went to a class system for softball in 1994, rather than a one winner-take-all format — only Cedar Rapids Jefferson (1997 and 1998), West Des Moines Valley (2007 and 2008) and Pleasant Valley (2017 and 2018) have repeated as the large-school champion. Ankeny — in 1978, 1979 and 1980 — is the last to reach the finals three consecutive times. Yet this coming week, the Dodgers will have a chance to do both.

This run isn’t just remarkable. It’s essentially unprecedented.

I made the trip to Waukee a few weeks ago to watch Fort Dodge take on then-No. 1 Northwest High School. Everything was new in that part of town except the theme of the game: the Dodgers, in deep water against an opponent dwarfing them in numbers and resources, showing up with a puncher’s chance and nearly walking away with a clean sweep.

After the game, head coach Andi Adams and I had a good laugh about just how illogical — and surreal — it was on paper. Fort Dodge had to replace six position players from its 2021 championship ballclub.

Sure, the Dodgers had all-everything stars and veterans Jalen Adams, Tory Bennett, Haley Wills and Mariah Myers back this season. But there were juniors who had waited their turn — Lydia Lara, Maggie Elsbecker and Reese Pederson — who suddenly looked like they belonged. Same with sophomore Macy Brown. And freshmen Lucy Porter, Meah McCaleb, Ashlyn Wills and Cadence Touney continued to grow and prosper despite their birth certificates claiming, practically speaking, they shouldn’t be ready yet.

“We had to find a way to get everyone on the same page, because we had a lot of big shoes to fill,” Adams said at the time. “You have to do this as a team. Top to bottom. It can’t just be about a small handful of (standout players). Not if you claim you have the goals we do.

“There were times where it didn’t look great early on. But if there’s one thing that I hope people see and remember about this program, it’s that we’re going to get the kids to connect. That’s critical to the process: making every player feel valued and important in their roles. You can do that regardless of (talent level). And you’d be surprised, if that clicks, what you’re able to accomplish.”

There were over 700 fans at Rogers Park for Tuesday night’s regional championship between Fort Dodge and Ames. It was a state tournament atmosphere six days before the real games begin. The Dodgers have been in a lot of these situations through the years — 12 consecutive regional finals, to be exact.

This coming state appearance will be the program’s 13th under Adams overall. The teams have held its own identity with a few unique twists. Some were underdogs. Some have been legitimate contenders.

Every FDSH squad under Adams has been a fighter, though. And one opponents just don’t want to deal with in the postseason.

The difference in recent years? The mentality is the same. The close-knit relationships and togetherness of the group remain. But blending those tried and true intangibles with elite talent? It’s a potent combination of both natural skill and cultivated will.

We sometimes foolishly assume this is all a given. Don’t, because it isn’t. Embrace every inning — every moment, every memory — of next week’s state tournament. This is history in the making.

Eric Pratt is Sports Editor at The Messenger. Contact him via email at sports@messengernews.net, or on Twitter @ByEricPratt