Gatesville softball standout Brilee Ford heads to Temple College

Brilee Ford is spending the summer with Buzz Gold 18U in Waco, taking on national-caliber events in Plano, Oklahoma City and St. Louis before she ever plays a college game at Temple College. For the Gatesville standout, the move tests the faster pace and tighter pressure that come with the next level.

Ford leaves Gatesville with one of the program’s strongest résumés. District 23-4A coaches named her Defensive Player of the Year, and she also finished with offensive marks in the record book, including 132 career runs scored and 40 runs scored in 2025. Gatesville’s spring signing ceremony made the move official, putting Ford among the college-bound seniors from Gatesville ISD and marking the last step of a high school career that carried real weight for the Lady Hornets.

Her path has also been personal. Ford said softball has been her coping mechanism, a place where difficult emotions can be worked through without always being spoken out loud. She described the game as “calming and chaotic all at one time,” and said it helped her push through obstacles while staying motivated to perform at her best. The summer circuit tests college-bound players with the same speed, travel and pressure they will face once classes and conference games start piling up.

Buzz Gold 18U, part of Central Texas Buzz Fastpitch, is coached by Trey Holdbrook and focuses on sportsmanship, responsibility, respect and disciplined Christian development. Its higher-level schedule sharpens players against elite competition before they report to college programs. Ford’s summer reps connect Gatesville High School to Temple.

The Leopards finished the 2026 season as the NJCAA Division I national runner-up after earning the No. 4 seed in the national tournament, and their 2025 team went 41-16 overall and 22-10 in conference play. Kadie Berlin-George leads the program. Temple College also offers more than 80 associate degree and certificate programs.