This school year was an eventful time for our OIHS athletes. After multiple sports seasons were halted because of Covid, the Vikings came back ready to fight. The cross country team encountered their first home meet, kicking it off on the brand new school track. Many stops were made at Haagens for food grabs, and frisbee was the desired pastime to play in-between meets. At a heated league meet at Fort Casey, two Viking runners, Will Stephens and Ryan Krisch-
Derr, secured places in the top 10.
Girls varsity volleyball had a very successful season, cinching a 12-7 overall record and a 9-5 conference record. The Lady Vikings found themselves competing in the Bracket 4 championship match against Onalaska High School. The team had an easy victory in the first set, however their opponents came back strong and managed to win the second. Despite playing hard, the Vikings were defeated in the final set. Girls JV volleyball fought hard and ended their season with an overall and conference record of 3-7-2.
After Covid cut soccer seasons short and eliminated the OIHS soccer team’s chance at State, the Vikings came back determined to come away with a championship title. With an overall record of 18-2 and a conference record of 8-2, the soccer team only lost two games, neither of which were at home, continuing their long-standing streak of 0 at-home losses. The Vikings secured the title of District Champions after a tense game against Providence Classical Christian, where they went into penalty kicks with a score of 0-0. After a very intense shootout, senior Toby Smith scored the final kick to push the Vikings to victory, ending the wild game with a score of 7-6. However, the soccer team’s winning streak did not stop there. They went on to play Friday Harbor High School and Providence Classical Christian–the only two teams they lost to during their season–at the the1B/2B State Championship. These two games drew a large crowd of supporters from Orcas, and fans who couldn’t make it crowded around computers and TVs to watch them live. The first game, against Friday Harbor, was a battle for a spot in the game for 1st or 2nd place. The Vikings played arguably one of the best games of their season and came away with a 2-0 win. The final game against Providence was a dramatic one; despite playing hard, the Vikings were trailing behind by one point, until Tommy Anderson-Cleveland tied up the score to 1-1. The game went into overtime and then PK’s once again, and after another intense shootout, Pedro Guerra made the kick that would not only win the game but win the team the title of 2021 WIAA 1B/2B State Soccer champs! The team was greeted with a crowd of cheering fans when they came home.
Boys varsity basketball was excited to welcome fans back into the stands, and the change in atmosphere was very clear. With the support of students and community members full of school spirit, the boys set an overall record of 10-10 and a conference record of 4-6 during their season. This victory led the team to state regionals, where they battled against Wilpinit High School, but were sadly defeated. Their final post-season game was against Grace Academy, where they won 55-48. Despite injuries and a bout of Covid mid-season, the team still made it down the road towards state; they played a tight game against Puget Sound; with five seconds left on the clock, freshman Remy Lago came
in, got fouled, and with no time left, hit two free throws to not only tie the game, but win it. This victory led the team to state regionals, where they battled against Wilpinit High School, but were sadly defeated. JV boys basketball had a strong season, with a 4-3 overall record and a conference record of 3-3. Girls varsity basketball played hard and secured an overall record of 7-11 and conference record of 4-7, while the JV team, which consisted of a handful of brave eighth graders, finished with a 1-4 overall record and 1-3 conference record this season.
Varsity softball was a relatively new team, with only half of their players having returned, and only one senior (who sadly, was out with an injury for the majority of the season.) Despite an injury and Covid-plagued season, the Vikings softball team battled hard and made it to playoffs, where, after an injury filled game, they sadly lost to Darrington, kicking them from playoffs. Perhaps their most memorable game was a 28-8 win against La Conner, played at La Conner. The Lady Vikings finished their season with an overall record of 3-7-2 and a conference record of 2-4. Boys base- ball had a similarly difficult season, with a relatively young team and a myriad of injuries. However, they clutched an overall record of 8-8-3 and a conference record of 7-6-1and even made it to the playoffs, where they just barely lost to Wilbur High School, 8-7.
OIHS wrapped up the year with a successful golf season. Despite many newbies, the golf team made it to state, where they played strong. The girls golf team placed 3rd overall, a satisfying ending to the season for senior Tayla Malo. Said Malo, “I couldn’t be more proud.” As for the boys, golfer Burly Hildreth placed 2nd in the 1B/2B State Golf Cham-
pionship!