What fun it was to watch all the local high school sports teams in action during the spring.

Soccer, as usual, drew attention for all the teams that reached the state playoffs and, especially, the two that won state championships.

The McIntosh boys completed the most impressive season in school history, winning the state title and capping their first-ever unbeaten season (21-0-2) with a 2-1 victory over county rival Whitewater.

The Chiefs were led by one of the state’s top defenders, Joaquin Reyes, goalkeeper Jason McCloskey and a host of talented offensive players, including Cameron Black, who had a goal and an assist in the championship match, Derek Farnsworth, Michael Mateos and Bilal Duckett, who had the game-winning goal in the championship match.

Whitewater’s girls also experienced an unforgettable season, winning the first team state championship in school history with a 2-1 victory over crosstown rival Starr’s Mill. Brittany Vining scored the decisive goal on a header off a corner kick in overtime.

Vining was one of many players who were responsible for Whitewater’s memorable season. Bailey Powell, Katie Schwartz, Erin Emerson, Lisa Wilson, Holly Crawford, Emily Culbreth and Jewelia Strickland, among others, carried the team all season.

Whitewater’s boys, led by Ryan Pugh, Brian Forero, Victor Murray, Jordan Cooper, Daniel Higginbotham and Kyle Adams, won five straight matches late in the season to reach the state championship match for the first time in school history. They lost the championship match to crosstown rival McIntosh, but it still went down as the best season the Wildcats have ever experienced.

Starr’s Mill’s boys and girls, both coached by Mike Hanie, contended for state championships. The Lady Panthers were one of the youngest teams in the state — they didn’t have any seniors — but their underclassmen, led by Katrina Frost, Laura McCalla, Carlie Banks, Brittany Schwanitz and Kaitlyn Stroud, proved talent can overcome inexperience. The Lady Panthers should be expected to vie for the state championship once again next season.

The boys also reached the state playoffs, going as far as the quarterfinals, where they saw their season come to an end with a 1-0 loss to Habersham Central. The Panthers relied on their upperclassmen to produce yet another playoff run: Chris Capati, Gray Phelps, Sam Martin, Shane Moroney, Nick Fevella and Patrick Bugara.

The McIntosh Lady Chiefs played one of the toughest schedules in the state, and they came up just short of adding another state title to the school’s trophy case.

Playing without one of the state’s top seniors, Kelsey Quinn, who came down with mono, late in the year, McIntosh still had Tawny Moffat, Rachel Barnette, Chelsea Clements, Meghan O’Rourke, Olivia Tucker and Kaelyn Horton to lead the way to another successful season.

Both the Sandy Creek boys and girls, Fayette boys, Our Lady of Mercy boys and Landmark girls also made the state playoffs.

Other boys players who excelled locally were Fayette’s Ryan Whitehead and Chris Feigenbaum; Creek’s Jerry Riet and Harry Lee; and Our Lady of Mercy’s Jake Lethbridge.

Two other girls who weren’t already mentioned but also had terrific seasons were Fayette’s Kristina Fain and Creek’s Ally Treat.

None of the teams that reached the state playoffs would have made it without great coaching. Bunky Colvin won his second state championship at McIntosh, Whitewater boys coach Shane Pulliam was named Class AAAA Coach of the Year by the Georgia Soccer Coaches Association, and Whitewater girls coach Heather Allen did an outstanding job of leading the team to the state championship.

Hanie had the difficult task of coaching not only one, but two soccer teams — the school’s girls and boys teams — and he impressively took both to the state playoffs. Marcia Clark turned in another stellar season at McIntosh, directing the Lady Chiefs to the state semifinals for the second time in as many years.

None of the local baseball teams won a state championship, but four did advance to the state playoffs: Starr’s Mill, Whitewater, Sandy Creek and Landmark Christian.

Both Starr’s Mill and Sandy Creek advanced to the second round.

Starr’s Mill opened the season by losing its first six games, but it bounced back by winning 14 consecutive Region 2-AAAA games and finishing second in the region. In the state playoffs, Starr’s Mill defeated Brunswick 7-5 and 5-2 in the first round, before losing to Jones County in two games, 6-4 and 7-3, in the second round. The Panthers relied on the talents of Brian Fletcher, Trent Freeman, Tyler Claburn, Ryan Haynie, Ed Cook, Will Mathis and Bryan Daniels to secure a spot in the state playoffs.

Creek beat Gainesville 10-5 and 4-3 in the first round, and it overcame a 15-1 Game 1 loss to Riverwood to win Game 2, 6-2. Creek’s season came to a close with a 8-3 loss in Game 3. Braxton Lane, Cody Dodd, Robert Jaracz, Blake Brewer, Jimmy Munson, Kody Green, Nathan Bowen, Duncan Midkiff and Casey Wolfe all had standout seasons for the Patriots.

Whitewater made a short playoff run, losing to Greenbrier in the first round. Seniors Justin Carpenter, Kevin Lewallen and Ryan Johnson, junior Heine Rivera and sophomore Miles Head excelled on the diamond for the Wildcats. Landmark Christian’s War Eagles were knocked out in the first round by Athens Academy. Among their key players this year were Trey Strickland, Luke Griffith, Ryan Lloyd and Cole Abernathy.

Local players who didn’t play for playoff teams but had exceptional seasons were McIntosh’s Jake Tanis, Eric Weiss, Jonathan “Tank” Smith and Brent Hardy and Fayette’s Josh Brock, David Buchanan and Sean Finn.

Well, that’s it. Let’s hope next spring is just as exciting as this spring for all our local high school athletes.

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