These days, it’s easy to fall victim to the moment.
We can be so quick to judge, whether it’s ridiculous adulation for the victor or scornful criticism of the loser.
This lesson was learned again last week, when both the Burlington baseball and girls soccer squads lost on the big stage.
Tears were shed, interviews turned somber and uncomfortable, and a social media hater even took issue with yours truly as the result of a YouTube video where a hint of nervous laughter slipped out accidentally in the wake of heartbreaking defeat.
Although it’s extremely difficult to see light in the darkness of a season-ending loss, it’s downright necessary we reflect on the journey – or the best part of the process.
And when history is made, it usually becomes the thing that lasts.
A baseball powerhouse
On Tuesday morning, sophomore pitcher Trey Krause finally had a bad game after 32 innings of dominant play this season, and it just so happened that the Demons’ defense and hitting also didn’t come through at the same time.
On paper, it was one of the team’s worst performances of the season, but what will we remember in a few months about the 2017 Demon baseball squad?
For starters, they completed an improbable, remarkable two-year run in which they won 46 games and lost only 10.
Seniors Dale Damon, Aaron Sturdevant, Jacob Lindemann and Zach Campbell capped off brilliant careers with the school’s first state championship in 2016 and first back-to-back state trips in 2017.
The crushing quartet combined to hit about .400, with Sturdevant (.438) and Campbell (.416) eclipsing that plateau.
The Demons followed a 25-5 state title run with a 21-5 record, despite losing Lindemann’s pitching to injury.
Krause, a crafty left-hander who keeps his fastball down, forces groundouts and breaks knees with a spell-binding curve, has emerged as a star, finishing 7-1 with an ERA around 1.00.
“Sometimes, it’s just baseball,” said pitching coach Bob Lee after Tuesday’s state loss. “If you don’t have your fastball, someone can’t just give it to you.”
It was one of those days for Krause, but the experience gained on the highest level of high school baseball will prove priceless for 2018.
Krause won the conference title game and sectional semifinal with unhittable stuff, and Campbell went 4-for-4 at sectionals and eviscerated Waterford’s potent offense despite a bout of bronchitis.
Throw in the newly developed middle infield of Grant Tully and Riley Palmquist, along with outfield and pitching contributions from Trent Turzenski, Derek Koenen and Drew Pesick, and the Scott Staude-coached Demons should continue to churn out wins in the near future.
A once-strong program has become elite, and it shows little sign of slowing down.
New girls on the block
The Lady Demons soccer squad took part in an epic, instant classic in a sectional final Saturday at Oregon.
In near 90-degree weather and howling winds reaching 25 miles per hour, Burlington hung tough with a team that’s now advanced to three straight state tournaments, including a title in 2015.
Oregon boasts all-state caliber talent, and the Demons stuck with the Panthers for 108 grueling minutes.
With 90 seconds left before a shootout, it took the perfect kick, a 30-yard miracle boot around three defenders and barely over the outstretched hands of goalie Cora Anderson, to knock off what coach Joel Molitor called the “most complete team I’ve ever coached.”
Anderson, who was sick and received an IV hours before the match, shined brighter than the scorching summer sun with 13 saves, a few of which left Oregon players with no choice but to shake their heads in disbelief.
“Unbelievable,” said teammate Ashlyn Barry of Anderson’s play.
It was the first sectional final appearance for the Demons after five consecutive conference titles.
After a second straight sectional appearance, success is now the norm for the team.
Morgan McCourt scored an impressive 32 goals, but nine other players scored at least one goal.
Girls like Amelia Crabtree, Anderson, McCourt and Jessa Burling are likely to keep the good times rolling next year.
Molitor said for the first time, he had a team where all 11 players posed a threat and could play multiple positions.
The Burlington High School athletic program continues to pump out success on the field, and the baseball and soccer squads are two more glowing examples.
So while it may be easy to hang your head thinking of the painful losses, instead try to reflect on the history made, though it’s going to take awhile.
The promise of state glory for both teams in the near future should keep the Demon faithful smiling.
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