For the third time in school history, the Valley Falls baseball team captured a state runner-up finish while setting a new school record for wins in a 24-5 season. The Dragons came up short in the championship game on May 30th in Great Bend, falling to St. Mary's Colgan 10-0. The Panthers improved to 22-13 in state title games, making it to the championship 35 of the last 40 years.

Valley Falls had just five hits in the title game including two by Damien Cervantez, who finished the three state games going 6-9 at the plate and delivered the game-winning walk off hit in the 1-0 opening round win against Medicine Lodge. Trenten Vanhoutan also had a hit to finish state going 6-10 while fellow senior Hayden Kearney finished his record setting career by adding another hit to his state record going 4-10 during the two-day tourney. 

After dominating efforts by Vanhoutan and Collin Kearney in the first two state games, Sophomore Matt Stapp started pitching the championship and went 4 and 2/3 innings. The game was 0-0 with two outs in the third inning until Colgan rallied to score two runs and then one more in the fourth made it 4-0 into the fifth frame. That's when they blew the game open scoring five runs on four hits to put it out or reach. 

Semifinal Win - Valley Falls 16, Whitewater Remington 6

Earlier on Friday, the Dragons pounded our 16 runs on 16 hits and run-ruled Remington in six innings. Vanhoutan and Collin Kearney each had three hits and three runs scored while Grant Meyer added a trio of hits as well with three RBI. Kearney tossed 5 and 1/3 innings and stuck out four to earn the win and drove in four runs to support his effort.  

Coach Luke Burns was named the Class 2-1A Baseball Coach of the year in his fourth season at his alma-mater. Hayden Kearney broke several school records as well as the state all-time hits record. The Dragons, who were undefeated NEKL champs, have gone 80-21 over the past four years and made it to state for the fourth time in the past five seasons. They will lose senior seniors, but just two starters.