The Lava Bears celebrate a point during the 5A volleyball first-round playoff match against West Albany on Saturday at Bend High School.

Before diving into basketball, wrestling, swimming and other high school winter sports that begin this week, let’s take a look back at the thrilling fall season and some of Central Oregon’s top storylines.

Mountain View football returns to state title game

After losing more than 20 seniors, replacing its quarterback and rolling into the postseason with 18 different starters from last year’s state runner-up team, there would be a drop off for Mountain View football, right?

Nope, the Cougars ran it back with nearly an identical season as they had a year ago. Once again, Mountain View went undefeated in the regular season, won the Intermountain Conference title and played for a state championship. But it was too similar, because the Cougars saw their state title hopes end with a 56-35 loss to Wilsonville in the 5A championship game on Friday in Hillsboro. Over the past two seasons Mountain View boasts a record of 24-2, the winningest two-year stretch in program history.

Bend High girls soccer finds postseason magic

Bend High girls soccer had just three wins in 2022 and five wins in 2023. But in 2024, the Lava Bears made it all the way to the 5A state championship match. The seventh-seeded Lava Bears pulled off two postseason road upsets — a win over No. 2 North Eugene in PKs in the quarterfinals and a 2-1 victory over No. 3 Caldera in the semifinals — en route to their first state title berth since 2014. Bend lost to No. 5 Wilsonville 4-1 in the state title match on Nov. 16 in Hillsboro.

Summit boys soccer reaches fifth title match since 2018

It has become a common occurrence in the past six years. After winning the IMC and having a 13-match winning streak, the Summit boys soccer team once again reached the state title match for the fifth time in six seasons and sixth overall in program history. The No. 1 Storm fell to No. 2 La Salle 2-1 in the 5A state championship match on Nov. 16 in Hillsboro.

Crook County boys soccer makes history

Dating back to 2006, no Crook County boys soccer team had won double-digit games. Never before had they won a league title. This fall the Cowboys turned in the program’s finest season ever with a 13-2-2 record, winning the Tri-Valley Conference outright and advancing all the way to the 4A semifinals.

Redmond boys soccer rises from the ashes

The last time the Redmond boys soccer team had reached the postseason was 2011. That all changed this season when the Panthers finished 9-5-1 and reached the 5A state playoffs for the first time in more than a decade under 5A Coach of the Year T.J. Thrasher.

Culver and Crook County football have undefeated regular seasons

Mountain View was not the only Central Oregon football team to make it through the regular season without a loss, as both Crook County and Culver did the same.

The Bulldogs won their first 10 games of the season, claiming a district title and reaching the 2A state quarterfinals. It was the most wins for Culver since 2007.

The Cowboys had their first winning season since 2015, claiming a district title and finishing with the most wins in a season since 1984.

Hayden Boaz is one of the fastest Northwest runners

Boaz, a senior at Summit, had one of the best cross-country seasons in program history. He set a program record in the 5K at the Rose City Championship with a time of 14 minutes, 31.1 seconds. Boaz won five of the six races in which he competed, including his first IMC individual title. Boaz went on to finish second at the 5A state meet and then sixth at the NXR Northwest Regional Championships to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals this Saturday in Portland.

Summit girls cross-country streak comes to an end

No Oregon high school sports program, no matter the sport or classification, had a state title winning streak as long as Summit girls cross-country. But the streak that started in 2008 and lasted 15 years came to end this fall with a second-place finish to Crater at the state meet in Eugene on Nov. 9.

Caldera volleyball completes the puzzle

Caldera, Bend’s newest high school, has had its football team, both soccer teams and both cross-country teams reach the postseason since opening in 2021. The volleyball program was the only fall sport still seeking a postseason berth. The Wolfpack not only made the postseason this fall after winning 14 matches but reached the 5A state tournament for the first time in program history.

Bend High and Crook County volleyball earn trophies

Both the Lava Bears and the Cowgirls won league titles, advanced to the state volleyball tournaments and reached the semifinals this fall.

The Cowgirls finished third at the 4A state tournament, their highest finish since 2016. After two straight second-place finishes, the Lava Bears finished fifth at the 5A tournament.