The posts concerning the Wells Fargo Cup got me thinking about how schools consistently do well in one or two certain sports, over a span of several years. Which leads me to ask all you posters - in which sports has your school thrived and struggled? We are talking about team sports, and over the long haul - say, for as long as the school has been open, or as far back as you can remember. Allow me to start it off, and if any Salem people can offer historical corrections, please do.
Salem
Strengths
~Football: Aside from five bad years early on, it's all been good. Probably better than we could have hoped for.
~Girls soccer: definitely the most successful girls sport on a consistent basis, and the most consistent overall after football.
~Golf: the only sport in which Salem won a state title in old AAA, back in '83. Also won AA in 2012.
~Boys tennis: multiple state titles, and usually good.
~Girls and boys lacrosse: both teams seem to be among the top eight in the state on a yearly basis, with the girls having made it to the state semis each of the past two years.
~Swimming & Diving: I don't know too much about these squads' histories, but they always seem to be competitive, with many standout individuals over the years.
Weaknesses
~Baseball: To the best of my recollection, the Spartans have advanced to the state tournament once in school history, when the 1988 team won the Northwest Region title in the school's last year in AAA. There have been a few pretty good teams in recent years, with a couple of conference crowns, but over forty seasons, the diamond has not been a place where Salem has shone.
~Wrestling: Perhaps the poorest-performing boys sport, over the long haul. I'm not sure the grapplers have ever won anything; maybe one or two district titles, way back when.
~Girls cross country: a few good individuals stand out (e.g. Lori Archer, Hannah Moran), but nary a really good team in sight.
~Boys and Girls Indoor track
~Girls tennis: again, some excellent players, but no great teams, and most years, not very good teams.
~Boys soccer: I think the Salem boys might have won a conference title or two under the structure of the last four seasons. Aside from that, I'm not sure the guys have ever won anything on the pitch. Generally seems to be an average team.
Peaks and Valleys
~Boys Basketball: many dizzying heights - state titles in '94, '99, and '13, and two other final fours - and many wretched lows, such as last season's 4-win team. Aside from the Charlie Morgan era of '93 to '00, very few periods of sustained quality.
~Girls basketball: Similar to the boys team, but with fewer highlights. The Tai Taylor years saw consistent success, with three straight final fours, culminating in 2013's state championship. There have been two or three other standout years, such as the '97 team that reached the AA final four, but sadly, the Spartan ladies have also seen a lot of lean times. Last year's 0-22 campaign springs to mind.
~Boys cross country: As with all the running sports, there have been some fine individuals, but not a lot of standout teams that won a lot of titles. There have been several district champs, and a couple of regional winners. I think fourth place on a couple of occasions has been the pinnacle of Spartan achievement at the state meet.
~Volleyball: The girls have contributed one state championship cup to the trophy case. Apart from a few other good years, this seems to be another team that is usually in the average to above-average range.
~Softball: A history very much like that of the volleyball program - one state title, a few other standout seasons, and not much else.
~Boys and Girls Outdoor Track: Lots of individual state champions, but not many instances of stringing good years together. The girls teams were very good in the first years the school was open. Both teams have placed highly at the state meet on occasion.
Salem
Strengths
~Football: Aside from five bad years early on, it's all been good. Probably better than we could have hoped for.
~Girls soccer: definitely the most successful girls sport on a consistent basis, and the most consistent overall after football.
~Golf: the only sport in which Salem won a state title in old AAA, back in '83. Also won AA in 2012.
~Boys tennis: multiple state titles, and usually good.
~Girls and boys lacrosse: both teams seem to be among the top eight in the state on a yearly basis, with the girls having made it to the state semis each of the past two years.
~Swimming & Diving: I don't know too much about these squads' histories, but they always seem to be competitive, with many standout individuals over the years.
Weaknesses
~Baseball: To the best of my recollection, the Spartans have advanced to the state tournament once in school history, when the 1988 team won the Northwest Region title in the school's last year in AAA. There have been a few pretty good teams in recent years, with a couple of conference crowns, but over forty seasons, the diamond has not been a place where Salem has shone.
~Wrestling: Perhaps the poorest-performing boys sport, over the long haul. I'm not sure the grapplers have ever won anything; maybe one or two district titles, way back when.
~Girls cross country: a few good individuals stand out (e.g. Lori Archer, Hannah Moran), but nary a really good team in sight.
~Boys and Girls Indoor track
~Girls tennis: again, some excellent players, but no great teams, and most years, not very good teams.
~Boys soccer: I think the Salem boys might have won a conference title or two under the structure of the last four seasons. Aside from that, I'm not sure the guys have ever won anything on the pitch. Generally seems to be an average team.
Peaks and Valleys
~Boys Basketball: many dizzying heights - state titles in '94, '99, and '13, and two other final fours - and many wretched lows, such as last season's 4-win team. Aside from the Charlie Morgan era of '93 to '00, very few periods of sustained quality.
~Girls basketball: Similar to the boys team, but with fewer highlights. The Tai Taylor years saw consistent success, with three straight final fours, culminating in 2013's state championship. There have been two or three other standout years, such as the '97 team that reached the AA final four, but sadly, the Spartan ladies have also seen a lot of lean times. Last year's 0-22 campaign springs to mind.
~Boys cross country: As with all the running sports, there have been some fine individuals, but not a lot of standout teams that won a lot of titles. There have been several district champs, and a couple of regional winners. I think fourth place on a couple of occasions has been the pinnacle of Spartan achievement at the state meet.
~Volleyball: The girls have contributed one state championship cup to the trophy case. Apart from a few other good years, this seems to be another team that is usually in the average to above-average range.
~Softball: A history very much like that of the volleyball program - one state title, a few other standout seasons, and not much else.
~Boys and Girls Outdoor Track: Lots of individual state champions, but not many instances of stringing good years together. The girls teams were very good in the first years the school was open. Both teams have placed highly at the state meet on occasion.
