PHILADELPHIA — Success has come in droves for the Neshoba Central High School softball program since Trae Embry took over as head coach three years ago.

The Lady Rockets are back-to-back reigning fast-pitch state champions in Class 5A and have won three Classes 5-6A state titles in a row in slow-pitch. Neshoba Central currently sits atop The Clarion-Ledger’s high school softball rankings, at at 13-1 (2-1 in district), the Lady Rockets are aiming for a third straight fast-pitch title.

When it began, however, Embry said he was just hoping to instill good fundamentals so they could compete in every game.

“The first thing I did was look at the schedule, and I didn’t have a clue how many games we could win or anything like that,” Embry recalled. “The kids really bought into what we were teaching and what we brought, and the first thing was hard work. They see now that hard work pays off.”

Several titles later, Embry said he’s not surprised by the success of his players, noting that the talent and hard work they combine makes winning come naturally.

“We have kids on our bench that would start at a lot of other schools, and that says a lot about your program and what you want to have at the 5A level,” Embry said. “One thing we’re blessed with is a lot of depth, along with dedication from the players, parents, administrators and coaches, all the way down.”

Second baseman Kayla Robertson, who’s batting .405 for Neshoba Central, said she and her teammates’ hard work is reflective of the Lady Rockets coaches, who she said put in more time than what’s usually expected of a coaching staff.

“At some schools, the coaches will work on the field for an hour, but if you come here during (school hours), you’ll see the coaches down here almost half the day working on the field,” Robertson said. “They’re always working to make us better. We have schedules every day that we put up of what we have to do, and they’re just dedicated.”

With the success comes the bull’s eye, where every team is aiming to knock you off. Embry said he recognizes from opponents, and it’s something he’s taught his players to embrace.

“When we came in, I always preached, you kind of want that bull’s eye on your chest,” Embry said. “Now we have it, and we know we’re going to get everyone’s best shot, and that’s what you want. We want to be the ones who compete for championships year in and year out — we want to be the Newton Counties of the world, and I feel like we’re there.”

Shortstop Hailey Lunderman, an Ole Miss signee who is batting .650, said she takes other teams aiming at Neshoba Central as a source of pride.

“I like that a lot,” Lunderman said. “I feel like they think we’re the best, and they want to beat the best.”

But there’s also the added weight of expectations, as people have gotten so used to the Lady Rockets winning state titles that it’s almost taken for granted.

“People are like, ‘Y’all should beat them,’ or, ‘You’re supposed to beat them,’” Lunderman said. “We just take it one game at a time.”

Said Robertson, “We just grit out teeth and go, hope for the best and play hard, because if we don’t, we’ll get punished for it.”

The threat of extra drills in practice if the team doesn’t give 100 percent in a game is one motivating factor, but Embry said he’s never sensed his players have lost their hunger, though he admits some days are tough as far as motivation goes.

“The main motivation for these kids is they like to win,” he said. “Winning comes by coming out and working hard every day. We don’t take many days off, and they’ve really bought into that. They know if they work hard, they have a shot at winning ball games.”

Lunderman said while they’ve gotten used to winning championships, the chase never gets old.

“Winning state motivates us,” Lunderman said. “We always want to win state. We like to compete a lot, but we don’t like to lose. When we lose, we take it to heart so much.”

There’s also the potential distraction of being a state-ranked team, but Robertson said the best attitude to take is one of humility.

“Personally, I don’t talk about it, and I usually don’t try to think about it,” Robertson said. “I don’t want to get big-headed and get that cocky attitude that we’re the best, because every team can be beaten. I don’t like to be beaten, of course, but every team can be beaten somehow.”

And when the pressure gets too big or the routine becomes mundane, Robertson said she and her teammates can always rely on each other and the fans for support.

“Our fans (keep us motivated); they help a lot,” Robertson said. “Also, in the dugout, if we’re down, they always bring us up no matter what — no matter what the score is. Our fans and our dugout are always up and motivating us to do better.”

The Lady Rockets will host Clinton High School at 6 p.m. today.