I've talked about storylines in the past and how they normally come in one of four realms: the start of a storyline, the continuation of one, the likely culmination of one, or a storyline totally out-of-the-blue.This year's top stories include first-ever District 4 titles for a Sayre team and an Athens team, as well as another state title for a Tioga team.
It includes great individual performances, and consistent programs that kept doing what they almost always do.
As I've said in the past, lists are like ... well, everyone has one.
Here is one person's list - from 13 to 1 - of the "Baker's Dozen - Top Stories of 2025."
13. TIOGA SOFTBALL RETURNS TO SECTION IV TITLE GAME: Tioga brought back seven starters from its 2024 team that lost to Union Springs in the Class C Championship game.
Tioga posted a 15-4 record, with two of its losses to Union Springs, which it beat in the Class C semis, and one each to Athens, and Deposit-Hancock, which beat Tioga for the Section crown, and advanced to the state finals.
Tioga graduates a pair of key seniors in Erin Luther and McKenzie Williams, but has a slew of talent in the pipeline. This is definitely a storyline with several chapters yet to be written.
12. SURPRISING WAVERLY HOOP SEASON COMES UP JUST SHORT OF SECTION TITLE REPEAT: After losing seven of its top eight players through graduation, injury, and early enrollment, there were few expectations surrounding the Waverly hoop program 2024-25. Yet the Wolverines battled their way back to the Section IV, Class B playoffs, and into the title game.
Waverly returns the vast majority of its varsity roster, plus will have two or three up from the JV ranks to help. But, with a bump up Class A, the chances of Waverly writing a third chapter in this storyline will be much more difficult.
11. ATHENS GIRLS WRESTLING MAKE WAVES IN POSTSEASON: The Wildcats crowned three champions and advanced eight to the Central Regionals in a second-place finish at the District 4 Championships.
Two weeks later, Athens advanced five to States in a third-place finish at Regionals.
For of Athens' five state qualifier are underclassmen, and there are more quality wrestlers coming up through the pipeline. This storyline is far from finished.
10. TIOGA BOYS TRACK & FIELD ENJOYS ONE OF BEST SEASONS IN PROGRAM HISTORY: Tioga won a division title, and an IAC Small School title, then finished fourth at the Section IV, Class D Championships in one of the best seasons ever in program history.
Individually, junior Gavin Albrecht won the first state title in program history, clearing 15-feet in the pole vault to win a Division III title, while senior Andrew Earley won a fourth-place medal in the 110 hurdles, and junior Dominic Palmer finished 12th in the pentathlon — in just his third try in the event.
With Albrecht and Palmer returning, and Vida Rossi a likely candidate to qualify for States next year, this storyline has a chapter or more remaining to be written.
9.ATHENS BOYS SWIM TEAM POSTS ANOTHER BIG SEASON: A year after Athens sent three events to the State meet — all via wild card, the Wildcats won the program's first-ever District 4 title, including four gold-medal performances.
Athens sent a school-record seven events to states, including all three relays. Sophomore Brayden Pettitt went in two events for the second year in a row, while senior Ethan Hicks and sophomore Eli Hicks each swam one.
Athens loses a strong group of seniors, led Ethan Hicks, Ryan Gorman and Ronel Ankam, but still have a strong core returning. Still, this storyline made have reached its peak, but there might be another chapter or two to come.
8. WAVERLY BOYS BOWLERS QUALIFY FOR STATES FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR: Waverly had a very good postseason, but came up especially big at the State Qualifier to punch their ticket to States for the third consecutive year.
The Wolverines have just one senior in its top six, and with all of five returnees finishing this year in the Top-20 of the STAC standings, it looks like there could be a few more chapters to be written in this storyline.
7. WAVERLY'S KITTLE WRAPS UP STELLAR CAREER; STRONG FRESHMEN GROUP MAKES MARK AT STATES: Mira Kittle wrapped up her incredible career in the pool for the Wolverines with three more state medals, including a bronze medal in the 50-yard freestyle — the best finish ever for a Waverly girls.
Kittle finished her career with 10 state medals out of a possible 13 events. She will graduate as the program record-holder in the 50 and 100 freestyle events, the 100 backstroke, and the 100 butterfly. She is also the record-holder in the six-dive, 1-meter diving event, as well as being part of all three relay record foursomes.
This storyline obviously draws to a close, but the Waverly girls swim program could write a few more exciting chapters over the next three years.
6. ATHENS VOLLEYBALL WINS FIRST DISTRICT TITLE IN 20 YEARS: Midway through the season, Athens was 2-8 and riding a six-game losing streak, but coach Heather Darrow righted the ship, and the Wildcats qualified for the District 4 playoffs with a 7-10 record.
Athens then knocked off Shamokin and top-seeded Danville to win its first District 4 title in 20 years.
With most of its roster returning next season, the Wildcats could write a sequel in 2026.
5. McKEE ADDS TO GROWING LIST OF STATE CHAMPS AT TIOGA: Sophomore Declan McKee made it six years (no state tournament in 2021) in a row that a Tioga wrestler has won a state. Dating back to 2019, the Tigers have had nine state champs. In that span, Tioga has had nine runners-up and six third-place finishes.
McKee and junior Jayden Duncanson, who has four state medals, will both be back next year, as will junior Kadin Cole, who was ranked No. 1 in the state in 2024-25 before being sidelined by injury and placed third at States last year, and Logan Bellis, who has a second- and third-place medal at States to his credit, will both be back next year.
Tioga also has a good crop of young wrestlers coming through the pipeline. This storyline appears to be far from over.
4. WAVERLY WRESTLING REBUILD COMPLETE: Nearly 10 year ago, Waverly finished the season with just seven wrestlers on its roster. This year, the Wolverines brought home five state medals, and a team title from the New York State Division 2 Championships.
All five - juniors Troy Beeman and Cooper Robinson, sophomore Rhylee Stotler, freshman Drayton DeKay, and 8th-grader Avery Bowman — of Waverly's state place-finishers were underclassmen and will return. Waverly will also return sophomore Matthias Welles, a two-time state qualifier, who broke his leg in January and missed the remainder of the season, and junior Daltton Davis, who had a 25-11 record when he was diagnosed with cancer in February.
The Wolverines also have some talented wrestlers coming up through the pipeline. This storyline may not have reached its zenith, and more chapters are sure to be written.
3. ATHENS SOFTBALL WINS FIRST-EVER DISTRICT 4 SOFTBALL TITLE: Athens went from 5-15 two years ago to 21-2 and its first-ever District 4 title this spring.
Along the way, Athens posted a one-loss season in the NTL to win its second-ever league title.
With sophomore Gretchan Hiley, who had one of the best season in Valley history in the pitcher's circle, returning for two more seasons, along with five other starters, there's a pretty good chance we'll see at least two more chapters in this storyline.
2. TIOGA FOOTBALL WINS ANOTHER STATE TITLE: When you win your fourth state title in five years, you wouldn't think it would be an unexpected development, but Tioga's Class D championship was just that.
The Tigers dropped their Week-00 game to Windsor, 9-7, in a game that saw them produce less than 100 yards in total offense. Ten games later, they rolled over Trumansburg for coach Nick Aiello's 12th Section IV title since 2011.
Wins over Lowville, Newfane and Tuckahoe gave Tioga its fifth state title since 2015, and ran its win streak to 12 games in the state playoffs.
Tioga loses a group of key seniors, but returns its dominating offensive line nearly en tact. There could be a sequel in store for this storyline.
1. SAYRE VOLLEYBALL WINS FIRST-EVER DISTRICT TITLE: It's not often that a state title can be outdone, but the Sayre volleyball story is one for the ages.
The Redskins lost their first two matches of the season to run their losing streak to 68, but first-year coach Colby Sangrey kept his group positive and it responded.
Sayre finished the regular season at 9-9, then beat Sugar Valley and Canton to win the program's first-ever District 4 title.
Sayre kept its storybook season alive with a five-set win over Mountain View in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs, but saw it come to an end in the state quarterfinals against a private school — Linville Hill Christian School.
The Redskins lose Rylee Lantz to graduation, but return everyone else. And, with Canton bumping up to Class AA, another District title is theirs for the taking, which means a sequel to this storyline.
