A Skyline Spartans baseball celebration of epic proportions took place 212 miles from the school’s campus in the friendly confines of Eastern Washington this past weekend.

The Skyline Spartans captured the Class 4A state baseball title courtesy of a 2-1 win against the Kentwood Conquerors on May 28 at Gesa Stadium in Pasco. Skyline, who finished the 2016 season with an overall record of 20-7, road to the title was a rocky one filled with adversity and grittiness. After suffering a 7-6 defeat to Mount Si on May 7, the Spartans won five consecutive games to earn the state championship. In those five contests, three of their victories were by just one run, including the state title game against Kentwood. Skyline took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kentwood tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Skyline answered with a run in the top of the fifth, taking a 2-1 lead.

It would be the final run of the game.

Skyline relief pitcher Connor Knutson closed out Kentwood in the bottom of the seventh, preserving Skyline’s 2-1 win. Nearly two months ago, Skyline head coach Brandon Hemphill raved about Knutson’s competitive spirit. Those words proved to be prophetic in the biggest game of the 2016 season.

“Connor is a gamer. It doesn’t matter what position it is on the field. He gets the job done and he is a competitor,” Hemphill said after a 2-1 win against Issaquah on April 8 in which Knutson was on the hill.

The Spartans state crown is something they will not only savior for the rest of their lives, but the entire community of Sammamish will celebrate with them as well for the long haul. The journey for these players and coaches was simply unforgettable.