2017 has seen a lot of firsts for the YCHS fall sports programs, leaving seniors with feelings of accomplishments and newfound bragging rights in their final year of high school.

After 6 long years, the YC boys soccer team had finally ended its 67-game losing streak, winning 5-2 against South Umpqua. Varsity Player Noah Breazile credits their newfound success to the team’s willingness to adapt. “Every game, we’ve been improving.”

But breaking a losing streak is just one of YC’s newest achievements. The girls soccer team went to state playoffs for the first time in 15 years, a feat not easily accomplished in one of the strongest leagues in the 4A conference. Senior  Andie Jo Whitlow said, “We’re working a lot harder together, and the team’s coming together a lot better.”

As well as going to playoffs for soccer, Whitlow placed 21st in the state championship meet for cross country.

Senior cheerleader, Dylan Whitmore said that this year’s cheer team has had its high points and low point but there has been more teamwork. The cheer team uses football season as a prep for competition which is the winter sports season. They don’t have a specific league as most sports but they compete against other coed-small schools. They competed coed-large last year.

Volleyball was under the second year of coach Quinn Takashima and this season had more high points than past seasons. The girls had two preseason wins and two conference wins. Both of their conference wins were against the Newport Cubs. With a 3-0 sweep on senior night, seniors Becca Whitchurch, Cami Hurst, Morgan Smith, and Kali Sivula had a wave of emotions roll across them.

Asking about the win at senior night, Whitchurch said, “It was so great. It was a great way to end the season.” These four seniors left their mark and freshman Kierra Knapp instantly felt determination for next season having an automatic varsity place. “We just come out and give it our all because I think we have a lot of potential and next year’s gonna be a good year for us.”

The YCHS football team did not have a win this season, but they played hard and the fifteen seniors on the team will definitely be missed since they have been such a key feature to this team. This season we had one senior who wasn’t able to play and according to several players he was missed. Senior Colton Saddoris said regarding the amount of younger athletes, “When we’re scrimmaging, you can’t do a full 11, you do your starters and then you have freshman that you’re going against, so it doesn’t really give the best look at what teams you’re facing and how they execute it.”

Being a senior Saddoris had already been under the coaching of Brennon Mossholder for two seasons. Saddoris said that Moss just brings a better atmosphere to the coaching program, and to their football season. Despite the fact that the Tigers, under head coach Moss, only have a 3-22 record, they have found more teamwork and team leadership.

In the 2018/19 school year we will be officially dropping into the 3A classification and we will be in the Pacwest conference, playing Dayton, Blanchet Catholic, Scio, Salem Academy and Amity. YC definitely faced some major challenges in the Oregon West Conference. Not only did the student athletes have travel times that were as long as three hours, but YC has the lowest student body count. As of the 2017/18 school year YC is one of the largest schools that will be joining the pacwest conference. The fall sports seasons have definitely had its ups and downs with seniors graduating, coaching changes, and overall the player, but this season had some firsts and some great accomplishments.