It took just one season for Trent Cherence to flip the script at Pocono Mountain West, and the Panthers' historic 2026 campaign is proof that a culture shift can change everything.

This wasn't just a good season—it was the best in program history. For the first time ever, Pocono Mountain West softball finished above .500, closing the regular season with 10 wins—the most in school history—and earning their first-ever trip to the District 11 playoffs. To put that in perspective, the Panthers' previous best season came in 2022, when they managed just seven wins.

"The girls worked really hard this year," said first-year head coach Trent Cherence. "All offseason, they were in 3-5 days a week, and they just put in a lot of work. I'm grateful to have the group that I have, and that's the only reason why we got there."

Cherence isn't new to the program—he served as an assistant coach for two years before taking the helm. So what changed? According to him, it all came down to mindset.

"I think it's the culture we brought," Cherence explained. "I brought a little bit of the culture with how I coach and how we do things. We try to make everything perfect. And in this sport, you've got to make everything perfect, or else you're going to continue to fail. But we like to fail, because when we do, we get to learn."

The Panthers always had talent, especially in the circle. Senior pitcher Julia MacPhee reached 300 career strikeouts this season, establishing herself as one of the top arms in the EPC. But even MacPhee knew something had to change.

"Before intramurals even started, we were in the weight room before anyone else, running the stairs before anyone else," MacPhee said. "We really put in the work, and we deserved to be there."

MacPhee credited Cherence for setting the tone early, telling the team that their success was entirely in their hands. The senior ace responded with the best season of her career, posting a 4.40 ERA and 93 strikeouts—both personal bests.

But when asked about the turnaround, MacPhee deflected the praise right back to her teammates. "If I couldn't get the strikeout, I knew my defense had my back. We trusted each other completely this year, and that made all the difference."

For a program that had never known a winning season, Pocono Mountain West has finally found its blueprint—and it's built on hard work, trust, and a culture that embraces both the wins and the lessons that come with failure.