PERRYDALE — The Perrydale Pirates girls basketball team ended the season fifth in the state, and junior point guard Sydney Lawrence was a driving force behind making that happen.

INDEPENDENCE — Basketball season is over for Brendan Lesmeister, and the senior from Central High School didn’t expect his last three years on the Panthers basketball team to go by so fast.

Independence — With a swim season plagued by recurring shoulder issues and multiple illnesses, junior Grace Holstad still made it to state in three events.

DALLAS — Not only did Dallas High School senior Joe Foster come into the wrestling season later than everyone else, he also took second place in the 132-pound bracket at this year’s state tournament with a giant brace on his left leg.

Central

INDEPENDENCE — Wrapping up their regular season with a 45-41 win against the Dallas Dragons, the Central Panthers boys basketball team moves on to the first round of playoffs this Friday.

INDEPENDENCE – The Panthers girls basketball team has punched their ticket to the state playoffs after securing a final 63-45 victory against the Dallas Dragons to end their regular season.

PERRYDALE – The blowout game against Triangle Lake on Feb. 20 meant just one thing for the Perrydale Pirates girls basketball team: they’re one step closer to making it to the state championships in Baker City.

PORTLAND — The Dallas Dragons wrestling team finished in third place at the OSAA state wrestling tournament over the weekend, behind Crook County and Crescent Valley.

PORTLAND — Corbin Sedlacek’s final match at the OSAA 5A state wrestling tournament ended with him getting pinned.

INDEPENDENCE — Facing the No. 1 ranked team in league, the Panthers girls basketball team dug deep to find the energy needed to compete with the Lebanon Warriors, losing by just six points, 40-34, at home on Feb. 12.

FALLS CITY — The Mountaineers girls basketball team finished its final regular season game with a 68-22 loss against St. Paul.

TUALATIN — The day might not have ended up  the way members of the Panthers girls swim team wanted it to, but it still made history.

PERRYDALE — The Perrydale Pirates boys basketball team wasted no time in establishing a lead over Willamette Valley Christian and outscored them 77-32.

PERRYDALE — Despite a slow-moving first quarter, the Perrydale Pirates girls basketball team battled against Willamette Valley Christian for a 43-22 blowout victory.

Central

With the 5A Mid-Willamette Conference district meet right around the corner, the Central and Dallas High School swim teams finished out their regular season on Jan. 29 at Corvallis with goals in mind for one of their biggest meets of the season.

Brock Pierce had one goal this wrestling season: don’t get pinned.

When Cooper Hise walks onto the wrestling mat, the rest of the Dallas High School wrestling team yells out “Coooop” in long, low tones as a show of support for their teammate.

It was a tough week of losses for the Panthers boys basketball team.

Over the weekend, sophomore Kimberly Holgate, of Dallas High School, and junior Leslie Torres, of Central High School, competed in the Girls 5A Mid-Willamette Conference Wrestling Districts Tournament, with both girls placing but not advancing to the OSAA 5A State Wrestling Tournament.

“This sport isn’t always fun,” 15-year-old Royce Lavier said as we hoisted weights above our heads and started on our third lap of lunges around the weight room.

The Panthers found their groove this week with two victories after losing the last four games.

Corbin Sedlacek leaned his head against the wall of the gym and closed his eyes in a grimace.

It’s been a month since the Central Panthers and Dallas Dragons swim teams have competed, but their month-long hiatus was hardly noticed on Friday’s meet at Crescent Valley.

It seemed that all of the confidence the Central girls basketball team came away with from the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona, played in late December, washed away in their match up against Crescent Valley Friday evening, where they fell 40-27.

Facing a top-ranked team is tough, and the Falls City Mountaineers girls basketball team felt the struggle on Jan. 3 against their Polk County rivals, No. 2 ranked Perrydale Pirates, suffering a 48-16 defeat.

The first loss of the season for the Perrydale Pirates girls basketball team came on Saturday against undefeated St. Paul, losing 41-30.

A back-and-forth rally kept onlookers on their toes as the Falls City Mountaineers boys basketball team battled for a victory against the Perrydale Pirates (8-5 overall, 4-1 Casco League), coming up short after losing their grip in the second half for a 43-35 loss.

It was another win that wasn’t supposed to happen for the Perrydale Pirates boys basketball team when they clinched a 62-59 victory against St. Paul. Head coach Brian Domes couldn’t stop smiling after the win.

Never underestimate yourself.

Despite sluggish scoring during the second quarter, the Perrydale Pirates girls basketball team slaughtered the Crosshill Christian Eagles in an offensive assault that resulted in a 57-20 victory.

Suffering losses against Crosshill Christian three times last year, the Perrydale Pirates boys basketball team was determined to take a victory in their first contest with the Eagles this season.

It’s the second swim meet of the season, and for some swimmers on the Dallas and Central high school swim teams, it’s one of the few swim meets they have ever participated in.

The Panthers struggled to keep up with the fast-paced play of the Silverton Foxes — the top-ranked team in the Mid-Willamette Conference — and lost 54-46 Friday night on their home court.

The Central and Dallas wrestling teams are a few meets into the season now, and so far their hard work is paying off.

With 25 fouls against the Hillsboro Spartans and 29 total turnovers, the Dragons boys basketball team took an 82-67 victory Friday night.

The Perrydale Pirates girls basketball team dominated the Jewell Bluejays in a blowout game on Dec. 6, winning the onslaught 60-26 for their first league game of the season.

The Dragons girls basketball team began the 2018-19 season with a Nov. 28 nonleague match-up on the road against The Dalles Riverhawks.

Jesse Cable’s talent on the turf is impressive; there’s not much else to be said about that.

Alex Jimenez speaks for everyone on the Panthers’ soccer team when he says all they wanted this season was to make it to the state championship game, a goal that team hasn’t managed in more than 15 years.

Alyssa Lux had a goal for her last high school volleyball season with the Pirates, and a few weeks ago, that goal came to fruition: going to the state tournament. It was her second time going; the first time was when she was a freshman.

It’s hard not to be pulled in by Sophie Bliss’s bubbly energy when you talk with her.

Dallas High School senior Trevor Cross is running 60 miles a week. In the off season.

Sophia Henke’s last high school soccer season has ended.