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Even after all these years, I still struggle with how quickly a high school sports season comes to an end.

Such is the case as the 2023 fall season is nearing its conclusion. But the end of this week, there will only be a couple of teams still competing for state championships.

It has been a great fall so far. We have had a lot of great regular-season games since play began in August. Each and every one of the six high schools we cover have found success in at least one sport.

They either won championships, competed for titles or at the very least, improved on their previous season, which is truly all you can ask for.

Some have excelled with conference championships, earning postseason appearances, competing for district and regional championships, as well as, make history at the state finals.

Congratulations to all the athletes who have competed this fall. You have provided lasting memories for both yourselves and for the fans who follow your teams. Its has been a pleasure writing about your exploits as it usually is.

I would like to single out a few teams who have had success this fall.

The Dowagiac girls golf team made history this year by qualifying for the Division 3 state finals for the first time in school history. The Chieftains only a few years ago were sending their first-ever player to the state finals.

Now they are sending the entire squad, which set the bar pretty high for future squads by placing 12th overall and having Rebecca Guernsey set a new standard for excellence as an individual by finishing eighth overall.

Congratulations to the players and to coaches Bob and Jason Turner, who have built a solid program despite low numbers.

Congratulations also go out to the Buchanan boys and girls cross country team who broght home Division 3 Regional championships last weekend.

The Bucks have built a strong cross country program which unlike a lot of area schools, has good numbers to go along with its talent.

Led by Emma Miller, who captured the individual regional championship in Portage, the Bucks’ easily won the girl’s championship. I cannot wait to see how Buchanan does this weekend at the state finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

The Buchanan boys cross country team has had multiple runners lead the way this season as they won the Lakeland Conference title, as did the girls, and the regional title. Britain Philip, who also plays soccer in the fall, makes the squad even stronger. He was the top finisher for Buchanan last Saturday.

Good luck to both teams today as they try to win some MHSAA state finals hardware.

Staying with cross country, it has been a special season for Niles’ Aiden Krueger, who set the all-time school record with his time of 15:55 at the Wolverine Conference Championships at Madeline Bertrand Park. Krueger, along with the Vikings’ top female runner — Charlie Drew — will be competing at MIS this weekend.

Dowagiac’s Owen Saylor will also be competed in Brooklyn at the state cross country finals. Good luck to all our area runners. Cap off a great fall with your best finish possible.

Buchanan has also found success on the volleyball court this fall as the Bucks captured the Lakeland Conference championship by going undefeated in both the regular season and at the conference tournament. The Bucks are trying add another district championship to their trophy case as they faced Bridgman Thursday night for the title.

Edwardsburg may have gotten off to a slow start in volleyball, but the Eddies have hit their stride. Edwardsburg rallied after losing an early conference match to finish in a three-way tie for the Wolverine Conference title for the second straight season.

The Eddies are currently trying to win another district championship as they faced league foe Three Rivers for the championship Thursday night at Paw Paw High School.

Moving over to college athletics, the Southwestern Michigan College teams have had another successful fall.

The Roadrunner men’s and women’s cross country team remained nationally ranked, while they also captured some National Junior College Athletic Association hardware for the first time in nearly three decades.

Southwestern Michigan finished runner-up at the NJCAA Region XII meet last weekend to add two more trophies to the Hall of Champions. The Roadrunners also qualified for the NJCAA National Championships for the third straight season.

The SMC volleyball team continued to build on its success from last year by improving on its number of victories and its standing in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Western Conference.

The Roadrunner were 23-10 heading into the Great Lakes District Tournament for a second straight season. They finished alone in third place in the final conference standings and picked up its first win over arch rival Lake Michigan College.

Good luck to the cross country and volleyball teams in their postseason endeavors.

 

Scott Novak is spots editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com