A sports year in review: September to June

State titles, forfeits, coaching resignations and retirements were among the dozens of story lines in the sporting world of South Whidbey from September to June. These are some of the moments that stood out.

September

South Whidbey football forfeits to Archbishop Murphy on Sept. 23. Five other teams follow suit and news of the forfeits make national headlines.

October

Langley Middle School’s boys and girls cross country teams wins the Cascade Conference championships for the second year in a row.

November

South Whidbey’s Flannery Friedman, Sophia Morgan and Callahan Yale run through muddy conditions to advance to the class 1A state cross country championships in Pasco.

The Falcon volleyball team punches its ticket to the class 1A state championships after two wins at the bi-district volleyball tournament. South Whidbey goes two-and-out at the Yakima SunDome.

Two South Whidbey swimmers, Kinsey Eager and Ally Lynch, qualify for the class 1A state swimming championships.

December

Head football coach Michael Coe resigns. Girls soccer head coach Brian McCleary also resigns a week later.

South Whidbey Reign’s girls U-14 soccer club wins the North Puget Sound League Division 2 Championship in a snowy and cold match at South Whidbey High School.

January

South Whidbey football opts out of the Cascade Conference in favor of an independent schedule.

February

South Whidbey Reign’s girls U-14 soccer club finishes second in the Washington Youth Soccer Founders Cup in Tukwila.

Mark Hodson, who coached South Whidbey football from 2001-2013, is hired as the Falcons’ new head coach.

South Whidbey senior wrestlers Hunter Newman and Chase Barthlett advance to the class 1A state championships at the Tacoma Dome. Newman goes two-and-out while wrestling with a broken hand, while Barthlett rebounds from a first round loss and pins his next opponent in the consolation bracket. Barthlett is eliminated just one match shy of a top eight placing.

March

Wrestling coach Jim Thompson retries after 12 years at the helm.

South Whidbey fifth-grader Isaiah McClure wins the novice 100-pound division of the Washington State Folkstyle Championships. McClure later wins two more state titles in Greco-Roman and freestlye, earning the coveted title of a “Triple Crown.”

South Whidbey’s cheer team is named academic state champions with an average cumulative grade point average of 3.905.

April

South Whidbey softball takes sole possession of first place in the Cascade Conference just a year after finishing 4-18 overall.

South Whidbey baseball climbs out of a eight-run deficit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning against Cedarcrest and wins 13-9.

May

South Whidbey girls golf wins the class 1A state championship for the first time in program history. Falcon junior Kolby Heggenes finishes second individually for the second consecutive season.

The Falcon boys golf team finishes second in the state, their highest finish since 2008 when the boys placed third.

South Whidbey Reign’s U-16 girls team loses in the state finals of the Washington Youth Soccer Founders Cup.

South Whidbey track and field’s boys and girls teams claim Cascade Conference titles. The Falcons later send 16 girls and boys to the state championships.

The Falcon girls tennis team wins the class 1A District 1 tournament and send three to the bi-district championships. All three girls, Alex Foode, Bayley Gochanour and Mary Zisette, fall short of state.

South Whidbey softball advances to state for the second time in three years. The Falcons win one game at state before being eliminated with two losses.

June

Four South Whidbey track and field athletes — Bailey Forsyth, Sophia Nielsen, Romey Rohde and Emma Barker — place in the top eight at the class 1A state track and field championships in Cheney.

All-Cascade Conference

The Falcons listed below were named to all-Cascade Conference teams for their respective sports.

Football

First team: Alex Turner (offensive line), Connor Antich (defensive back), 2nd team: Connor Antich (wide receiver), Lucas Watson (offensive line)

Girls Soccer

Second team: Mikayla Hezel (forward), Carmen Colar (midfielder)

Volleyball

First team: Kacie Hanson

Second team: Megan Drake, Kolby Heggenes, Emma Leggett

Cross Country

First team: Callahan Yale (boys), Sophia Morgan (girls)

Second team: Cory Ackerman (boys)

Boys tennis

First team: Hank Papritz and Ryan Wenzek (doubles)

Boys basketball

First team: Lewis Pope

Girls basketball

First team: Kacie Hanson, Megan Drake

Wrestling

Second team: Chase Barthlett (285 pounds)

Girls golf

First team: Kolby Heggenes (medalist), Emily Turpin, Riley Yale

Second team: Emma Leggett, Chloe Johnson

Boys golf

First team: Anton Klein

Second team: Thorin Helmersen, Ian Saunsaucie

Honorable mention: Ryan Wenzek

Boys track and field

First team: Caden Spear (100-meter dash), Kristopher Dixon (110-meter hurdles)

Second team: 400-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay team, Romey Rohde (pole vault), Owen Boram (javelin)

Girls track and field

First team: Bailey Forsyth (100-meter dash), Elizabeth Donnelly (800 meters), Sophia Nielsen (100-meter hurdles, triple jump), Lila McCleary (300-meter hurdles), 400-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay

Second team: Bailey Forsyth (200 meters), Sophia Nielsen (long jump), Sophia Morgan (1,600 meters, 3,200 meters)

Girls Tennis

First team: Bayley Gochanour and Mary Zisette (doubles)

Boys soccer

First team: Lake Smith (defender)

Second team: Max Cassee’ (midfield)

Baseball

First team: Connor Antich, Will Simms

Second team: Jon Bartel

Honorable mention: Austin Sterba (catcher)

Softball

First team: Kacie Hanson, Mackenzee Collins (defensive player of the year)