As the year winds down, so do spring sports. With athletes pushing themselves to perform at their best, and coaches helping them do so, the Cougar athletic records reflect the hard work of athletes. Throughout this spring season, long standing rivalries have continued.

“We prepared a lot for Fauquier because they beat us last year,” sophomore lacrosse player Seth Tenberg said. “It was arguably the best game of the year for us and we came back to beat them. I scored a hat trick, and I’m really proud of how we played against them.”

Other players shared similar sentiments.

“Beating Fauquier was therapeutic, and watching a character like Matt Begley seal the game gave the seniors of the team great relief that, perhaps, the most passionate game of the regular season ended in victory,” senior lacrosse player Rutger Scott said.

Across the board, Fauquier High School is Kettle Run’s biggest rival, in all sports. “

This season, our biggest win was against Fauquier,” freshman baseball player Matt Twomey said. “They have been our rivals for a long time and beating them was a big win.”

With the start of the spring sports season, teams formerly lacking in numbers have increased the players carried on their roster.

“This year we have a lot of new girls trying out,” varsity girls tennis player Faith Schaefer said. “I am a first time tennis player myself and I really enjoyed the experience of this year.”

For other teams, the 2018 season is a rebuilding season after losing senior stars to graduation.

“This year the boys tennis team is mostly made up of freshman,” varsity boys tennis player Jonathan Moore said. “Most of us have not played much tennis and the amount of wins we have is impressive.”

Though the varsity boys soccer team was unable to pull through its game against Fauquier with a win, players put forth their best effort.

“Fauquier is always a tough match, and we made it a great game,” senior Lorenzo Falsone said. “But in the end we ended up losing.”

Though losing to rivals has made for a hard season for some sports, the loss of talented athletes in the senior class will by far be the hardest hit the athletics department takes this year. As for the next spring sports season, coaches may have to scramble to find freshman talent. If not, their athletes will have to fill the gaps left by former athletic standouts.