The year that was
Times Observer file photo Youngsville volleyball players celebrate after defeating Sheffield during a match in September 2018. The Eagles picked up more victories in the 2018 season than they had in the previous two years, combined.
Times Observer file photo Warren’s Mackenzie Bickling is brought to her knees after the Lady Dragons defeated Meadville, 2-0, in the district semifinals in October 2018. The Lady Bulldogs had knocked the Lady Dragons out of the playoffs the previous two years, making the victory even sweeter for seniors like Bickling.
Times Observer file photo Sheffield’s Jacob Disshon raises his hands in triumph after a pinfall victory during a match with Coudersport in December 2018. Disshon had a strong season on the mat and was one of two Wolverines who earned an all-star nod on the gridiron.
Times Observer file photo Sheffield’s Matt Dunham buries his head in his hands after exiting the floor for the final time as a Wolverine in February 2019. Dunham missed a large part of his senior season after being injured during the football home opener in the fall.
Times Observer file photo Youngsville’s Jake Hogg celebrates with coach Mike Barr after clearing 6 feet, 5 inches in the high jump at the 2019 Warren County Track Meet. Hogg set a new school record with the jump, but it only lasted two weeks as he cleared 6-6 at states to bring home a fourth place medal.
Times Observer file photo Eisenhower’s Paul Swanson is carried off the field after hitting a walk-off single to give the Knights a win over Maplewood in May 2019. It was an extra special moment for Swanson who was one of the Knights seniors honored after getting the win on Senior Night.
Times Observer file photo Warren’s Aidan Morrison is fired up after hitting a 3-run homerun in the District 10 title game on Memorial Day 2019. The Dragons went on to win the program’s third district title, 4-3, over General McLane. It was WAHS’s third team district championship of the year as the school sent six different teams to district title games.
Times Observer file photo Youngsville volleyball players celebrate after defeating Sheffield during a match in September 2018. The Eagles picked up more victories in the 2018 season than they had in the previous two years, combined.
Times Observer file photo Warren’s Mackenzie Bickling is brought to her knees after the Lady Dragons defeated Meadville, 2-0, in the district semifinals in October 2018. The Lady Bulldogs had knocked the Lady Dragons out of the playoffs the previous two years, making the victory even sweeter for seniors like Bickling.
Times Observer file photo Sheffield’s Jacob Disshon raises his hands in triumph after a pinfall victory during a match with Coudersport in December 2018. Disshon had a strong season on the mat and was one of two Wolverines who earned an all-star nod on the gridiron.
Times Observer file photo Sheffield’s Matt Dunham buries his head in his hands after exiting the floor for the final time as a Wolverine in February 2019. Dunham missed a large part of his senior season after being injured during the football home opener in the fall.
Times Observer file photo Youngsville’s Jake Hogg celebrates with coach Mike Barr after clearing 6 feet, 5 inches in the high jump at the 2019 Warren County Track Meet. Hogg set a new school record with the jump, but it only lasted two weeks as he cleared 6-6 at states to bring home a fourth place medal.
Times Observer file photo Eisenhower’s Paul Swanson is carried off the field after hitting a walk-off single to give the Knights a win over Maplewood in May 2019. It was an extra special moment for Swanson who was one of the Knights seniors honored after getting the win on Senior Night.
Times Observer file photo Warren’s Aidan Morrison is fired up after hitting a 3-run homerun in the District 10 title game on Memorial Day 2019. The Dragons went on to win the program’s third district title, 4-3, over General McLane. It was WAHS’s third team district championship of the year as the school sent six different teams to district title games.
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It's often said "a picture is worth a thousand words."
We've written tens of thousands of words about Warren County athletes during the 2018-19 athletic year, so we thought we'd take a moment and let the pictures speak for themselves.
Certainly, this photo collection doesn't cover every standout memory from the past year, there were simply too many to choose from, but we wanted to make a point to choose those photos we felt captured those most emotional of instances. Like life, sports has its ups and downs. While this was a stellar year athletically for the county, there were also trials and tribulations along the way.
But sometimes it's in those most heartbreaking moments that we see just how much our student-athletes pour into the sports they love. Of course, there's also the sheer joy that can be seen when an athlete has that breakthrough accomplishment.
It's all here. Or, at least as much of it as we could pack in from a year that saw some of the most memorable athletic performances in the county's rich history.
People often ask us why we love doing what we do. Primarily it's because we get a chance to meet great people and tell their stories. But it's also for the chance to be there when the remarkable happens. When the personal record is set, the clutch shot is made or when the player comes through with the big hit, the opportunity to capture that fleeting instant when the guard is down and the pride that accompanies that achievement is displayed.
Those are the moments that bring it all together.