Even as this column drops, the playoff pictures for different sports will either be drastically changed or just about to start.

Despite the constant changes, there have been some great stories leading up to each sport’s respective postseason. There have been teams fighting to qualify. There have been outstanding performances. All told, District 4 delivered on another outstanding fall season. Let’s take a look at some of the stories surrounding the postseason for the fall sports.

Nothing like the last minute

Just when it seemed the Defenders were coming back down to earth, they go on a run to qualify for the postseason. It came down to the final regular season game of the year, and Warrior Run delivered with a win over South Williamsport to reach the postseason.

The Defenders won three of their final four games to earn the right to participate in the District 4 Class A Tournament. It was a dramatic finish to a season filled with highs and lows, but the final high resulted in reaching a goal that was set at the beginning of the season.

Long Days Lead to Outstanding Matches

The District 4 Tennis singles championships featured one of the best matches of the year when Loyalsock’s Jenna Beiter and Mifflinburg’s Colette Southerton got together in the second round of the tournament.

Southerton opened the match in complete control, winning the first set 6-1. She even jumped out to a 5-2 lead during the second set, but Beiter wasn’t going down without some type of push. She took the next point, continued to move the ball around the court, and started to retake the form she used to advance.

Southerton continued to play outstanding. Beiter and she exchanged multiple volleys for each point. Nothing came easy for either, and it showed at the end of the match. Both were exhausted. Both were drained. They highlighted an outstanding District Tournament with one of the season’s top matches. Beiter eventually pulled away for a 1-6 7-5 6-1 win over Southerton.

In doubles, the draw was just as good as most schools elected to put their top two singles players together for the tournament. The results were exactly like one would expect.

Top matches and teams squared off in each and every round, but it was a group from Milton that turned the long day into an outright marathon. Rachel Boop and Olivia Eisenhauser opened the tournament as Milton’s No. 2 doubles team, but by the second round, they were the lone Black Panther pair still standing.

In the opening round, they faced Selinsgrove’s top duo in Daisy Ettinger and Ashlynn Peachey. The opening set needed a tie-breaker as Milton overcame an early deficit. The second set was much smoother as Boop and Eisenhauser defeated Selinsgrove 6-1 to advance.

The next match offered some of the best tennis of the day as Milton took on Hughesville’s second pair of doubles. Boop and Eisenhauser jumped out to a quick lead, winning the first set 6-0. It appeared they were well on their way to another win until Hughesville made its move to force a third set.

Once in the final set, Milton jumped out to an early lead, which it held to move onto the third round of the Tournament.

Attitude is everything

A big part of being able to compete at a high level is having the right mentality when approaching a difficult situation.

For Lourdes Regional’s Evan Salamone that attitude was tested when he posted a three-putt on the final hole of regulation at the District 4 Golf Championships. It forced a playoff with Cowanesque Valley’s Tanner Adriance.

Once on the opening tee, Salamone elected to pull out his driver and go for broke. He shanked the opening shot into the street, but came right back with his driver and reached the green off the tee.

It made the final few putts that much more exciting as Adriance closed out the win. For Salamone, he left everything on the course and left with his head high. Not once did he blink when going for the green. He smiled throughout the entire hole and left with one of the top highlights of the tournament.