There’s still a few days left in 2025, and it was another year of memorable moments for the Mahoning Valley. So with it being the last weekend before the calendar turns to 2026, a couple of the notable high school seasons should be acknowledged.

There were plenty to pick from, especially with the divisions expanding in boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball. So if your team isn’t on the list, it’s not a knock on their season, but I think these are the top stories.

Let’s start with winter sports.

Girls basketball saw a trio of young teams make it to the regional round of the playoffs. Canfield, Western Reserve and Warren JFK had squads that were powered by sophomores and juniors, but they captured a district title.

All three fell in the regional semifinals, but they set their programs up for success in 2025-26. Coming into Christmas, the three teams combined for a 24-2 record. The Cardinals, Blue Devils and Eagles have records of 8-1, 9-0 and 7-1, respectively.

As for boys basketball, Warren JFK saw Nick Ryan put together one of the best individual seasons and careers in Kennedy history. He became the school’s all-time leading scorer, and he helped power the Eagles to a district title and a regional championship appearance.

Then came the spring, when Lakeview softball took the next step as a program.

Lakeview won its district and captured the softball team’s first regional title with a win over Perry to reach the state semifinals.

Meanwhile, the McDonald baseball team sat at 11-8 before winning five straight, including a Division VII district title against Maplewood. The Blue Devils were ahead of schedule with a team that only featured one senior, but they made it to the state semifinals all the same.

The most recent football season also saw its share of fun storylines.

McDonald had one of the best seasons in program history, and is there a better way to celebrate a century of gridiron fun?

They ran the table in the regular season and won its first regional final since 1994. The Blue Devils concluded the year with a Division VII state semifinal appearance and a 13-1 record.

Also reaching the state semifinals was Cardinal Mooney in Division V. The Cardinals fought through a brutal region that also featured Girard, Poland and Garfield, who each had fantastic seasons of their own.

With former College of Wooster coach Frank Colaprete coming back to take over his alma mater, Mooney had a bit of a resurgence after several down seasons in years prior.

There were two state champions this year, with the Warren JFK boys golf team continuing its dominance and the McDonald boys track team winning a share of the Division III championship.

The Eagles won their third straight state title by claiming the D-III crown with a 23-stroke victory in October. Meanwhile, McDonald earned 31 points in the early summer to split the track title with Huron.

Additionally, while it didn’t take gold, the Boardman boys bowling team deserves recognition for being the runner-up in the Division I state championship back in early March.

So as time moves on and the thoughts of 2026 become front of mind, don’t forget about the highlights of 2025.

Even if they didn’t win like JFK golf or McDonald track, sometimes those moments can be the springboard for great stories in the future.

Dan Hiner is the sports editor for The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle. You can reach him via email at dhiner@tribtoday.com.