COMMENT: East County athletes impressive in 2011

It’s hard to believe another year has already come and gone.

Where did the time go?

It seems like only yesterday that I saw the Lakewood Ranch boys soccer team make school history, hopped in my car and drove halfway across the state to cover the softball state semifinals and watched another group of seniors bid farewell to their coaches and teammates.

Is it just me, or do the days seem to roll off the calendar a lot quicker as you get older?

It’s been an eventful year in the East County. Braden River, Lakewood Ranch and The Out-of-Door Academy all had athletes etch their names into the record books in 2011. State champions were crowned, records were shattered, and new faces emerged onto the scene.

And I’ve been fortunate enough to be there every step of the way.

In 2011, Lakewood Ranch made a name for itself with six of its athletic teams winning district titles. Lakewood’s boys golf team saw unprecedented success in 2011, capturing the Class 2A state championship en route to a perfect 103-0 season.

But they weren’t the only team making headlines. The boys soccer and volleyball teams advanced to the regional finals for the first time in school history while juniors Olivia Ortiz, Danielle Valley and Will Kazokas each won individual state championship in cross country and swimming, respectively.

Across the East County, Braden River saw its softball team bounce back from a district championship loss to rival Lakewood Ranch and advance all the way to the Class 4A state semifinals. Not to be outdone, the boys basketball team captured the program’s first district title.

With so many accomplishments and milestones over the past year, it only seemed fitting to celebrate them one more time as we close 2011. On the following pages, you will find a list of the Top Five Teams and Top Five Moments of 2011.

I also want to take a moment to thank the coaches, athletes and families, and especially you, the readers, for your continued support of the East County Observer in the past year. We truly have been blessed this year, and we look forward to a championship-laden 2012.