With the 2024-25 school year behind us, it’s again time to take a look at and celebrate the year that was on the Columbia County high school fields and courts, hitting on many of the highlights from the past nine months.

The easiest way to do so is chronologically, so let’s start in the fall where football typically dominates the conversation.

Fall

Scappoose again showed out on the gridiron, winning the Cowapa League and advancing to the state semifinals before falling to eventual champion Marist Catholic.

The Indians were led by the senior connection of quarterback Max Nowlin and receiver/defensive back Quinton Olson who were named the league’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

Scappoose’s run to the semifinals was their third straight, and while the team wasn’t able to achieve their ultimate goal of a state title, it succeeded and ultimately failed the way this group of seniors always did — together.

“Everyone does it for each other,” Olson said following the loss to Marist. “You do it for the person to your left, and the person to your right, and usually good things happen when you do. Just not today.”

Scappoose’s girls soccer team too won the Cowapa League, and like the players’ football brethren, advanced all the way to the state semifinals where they also lost to Marist.

This year’s squad was particularly impressive due to being forced to rebuild minus much of the firepower — including 10 seniors — that led them to success the year prior. But that was no deterrent for this group who head coach Bruno Zanotta said adapted quickly thanks to the tight-knit nature of the returning players and their desire for success.

Much of that relationship building could be attributed to senior captains Peyton Piccolo and Payton Hamman who Zanotta said both motivated and inspired their teammates, with help from their senior peers: Alyssa Pindell; Brooklyn Johnson; Ava Vetsch; Claire DuBois; Emma Murray; and Addison Schrotzberger who led by example.

“I will remember this team as the best team I ever coached,” Zanotta said. “We had to grow in a very short time, and players stepped up all over the field and played their hearts out. They represented the Scappoose community with pride, determination and sportsmanship. I will miss our seniors dearly, and I wish the best of luck to all of them.”

Anderson was the league’s player of the year, while Zanotta earned coach of the year honors.

The Scappoose girls cross country team placed fourth at state, led by Aubrey Strang who finished 24th individually, followed by Taylor Bourgoine, Lyla Bourgoine, Freddie Baker, Norah Paul, Aimie Beutler and Scarlett McHugh.

Taylor Bourgoine said afterward that she couldn’t have been more proud of her teammates.

“It was a really good day and I think really well deserved,” she said. “We’ve all worked super hard this season, and while I had a tough race, I love our team because Aubrey really picked it up, Lyla picked it up, and everyone ran for each other today. It was a really great day.”

On the boys side, Scappoose’s Taj Forney led his team with an 18th place finish, while St. Helens’ Ben Zuschlag placed 22nd.

Scappoose volleyball placed second in the Cowapa League standings and was led by senior Aryanna Searle who earned the league’s Player of the Year honor.

St. Helens placed fourth in the league and boasted two first team all-leaguers, Andrea Brooks and Payton Mauldin.

Winter

Winter action was headlined by state champions on the wrestling mat.

St. Helens sophomore Jadyn Pense won her second consecutive state title, pinning Tillamook’s Addison Josi in the first round of their state final bout.

“I’m feeling good and feeling relieved,” Pense said. “I just wanted to go out there and do my stuff, do what I know what to do, and not do anything crazy and get caught. I feel great.”

Pense finished her season with a record of 47-1, with her only loss coming when she wrestled up (190) at an event late in the season.

Now, with two state titles in her first two attempts, Pense can’t help but think about the opportunity that awaits her next season, along with the year after as she chases four high school championships.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment to happen again,” Pense said, “but now I’m already thinking ahead to next year, and I definitely want to be a four-time champ.”

Scappoose’s Maverick Heimbuck to repeated as state champ. He won last year after suffering a heartbreaking first-round defeat in his sophomore year. Now, two years later, the senior — who’s set to wrestle at Trinity College in Connecticut in the fall — is a two-time champion who has a special appreciation for his accomplishment as the result of his early setback.

“This just puts everything in perspective a little bit,” Heimbuck said. “I had a setback to begin with, then having to overcome that and being able to accomplish my goal two times… incredibly rewarding. I think it made it more rewarding because I lost two years ago.”

On the basketball court, both Scappoose and St. Helens’ boys earned their way into the postseason, with the Lions upsetting North Marion in a play-in game before narrowly losing to top-ranked Cascade, while the Indians advanced all the way to the state tournament before losing to Mazama in the quarterfinals.

Quinton Olson was named the Cowapa League Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, the St. Helens girls finished third in league play and too won a play-in game before losing to Henley in the state playoffs’ first round.

The Lions’ Devan Lee earned the league’s Player of the Year, while her teammate D’aye Davidson was the Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

Scappoose’s dance and drill team impressed at the state competition, earning third place in the 4A/3A/2A/1A Hip Hop competition, and sixth in the 5A/4A/3A/2A/1A Traditional competition.

Spring

The spring sports campaign was highlighted by the Scappoose boys 4×100 relay team.

The team consisting of junior Max Everett, sophomore Bennett Fink, and freshmen Slater Smith and Colton Smith, shocked onlookers by not only crossing the line first, but setting a new 4A state meet record in the process.

Scappoose finished with a time of 42.55, edging second place Madras (42.66), third place Henley (42.84) and pre-race favorite Marshfield (42.98).

While surprising to some, the time nor the outcome was a shock to Everett who knew what he and his team were capable of.

“We won, and it’s a pretty great feeling,” Everett said shortly following the race. “We worked really hard this season and we’re going to all be back next year to hopefully break it (the meet record).”

The Scappoose girls 4×400 relay team consisting of Lyla and Taylor Bourgoine, Emily Garcia Ensaldo and freshman Jasmine Kearse placed second with a time of 4:05.74, finishing just more than four seconds behind first place Junction City.

St. Helens too represented, led by junior Nathan Hammond who finished fourth in the 200 meters, crossing the line with a time of 22.55, a personal best.

“I’m happy with it,” Hammond said. “I thought I had a little work to do, but on the back stretch I felt really good chasing down the other guy.”

The local baseball and softball seasons were defined by near misses.

The Scappoose baseball team fell just short of its attempt at a third straight state title, losing to eventual state champion Pendleton in the semifinals.

Head coach Cam Webb said that despite the loss, this team will be remembered far more for what it accomplished over the course of their careers opposed to what they didn’t in the end.

“When we started the season we sat down with the guys and asked them about goals, and obviously they had outcome goals,” the coach said. “But all worked back to process goals and specified that a successful season was for them to put everything they had into it. And those guys definitely did that.”

Quinton Olson was named the Cowapa League Player of the Year, capping a year where the senior won player of the year honors in football, basketball and baseball.

Meanwhile, St. Helens softball had a magical year, winning the Cowapa League, earning the state playoffs’ No. 1-seed, and advancing all the way to the state championship game before losing to league rival Astoria.

First-year head coach Natasha Sharp said that while the loss stung, it certainly didn’t take from what was an otherwise historic Lions season.

“One thing I said to the girls was don’t be sad, be happy that we made it here and be happy that it happened,” Sharp said. “Because there’s 30 other teams that wish they could’ve made it here and had the type of season we had.”

The coach added that the experience is about far more than winning between the lines, and in that regard they were all champions in her eyes.

“Softball is so much bigger than just the sport,” Sharp said. “It’s the friendships you make, the memories you make on the field and off, and it’s the time you spend together day after day. I know they’re proud of themselves and they should be. It was a really great season.”

The Lions’ Eme Curaming earned league Pitcher of the Year honors, while her teammate Adaleigh Ellis was the Player of the Year.

Sharp was the Coach of the Year.

Scappoose’s Kayla Brainerd was the Defensive Player of the Year.

On the links, Scappoose’s girls golf team opened a lot of eyes by finishing third at the 4A/3A/2A/1A State Championships.

Despite finishing second at regionals a week prior, few had the team — consisting of Emma Strachan, Hannah Hendrix, Aryanna Searle, Kelsey Mollenhour and Avery Elliott — finishing inside the top 5 to start the state event.

“Going down to state, our goal was to bring home a trophy,” Scappoose head coach Brenda Lohman said. “I told them after the first day that we need to keep ourselves in fourth place but why not shoot for third place and see if we can close in on second. They rose to the occasion.”

The Indians were led Strachan, who placed 11th individually.