But this season left us with several great memories and outstanding achievements.
Let's look at some of the best for Fall, 2003.
FEEL-GOOD STORY: Three of the Central California Conference's four playoff football teams were schools that traditionally have not had a lot of success in the league.
Downey shared the league title with Turlock and finished the season at 9-2. The Knights were 2-18 the previous two years, and this season they earned their first winning record since 1992.
Ceres advanced to the Division I playoffs for the first time since joining the CCC in 1995. The Bulldogs battled hard in a playoff loss to Edison, and with two games remaining in the league season, were undefeated.
Johansen, the CCC's fourth-place team, made the playoffs for only the second time in the school's 11-year history.
LEAGUE PERFECTION: Turlock Christian football coach Mike Turpin joked after his team completed a perfect Sacramento Valley Christian League season that "we didn't want to be the only team at school to lose a league game."
They weren't. In fact, all three of the school's fall teams: Football, soccer and volleyball, were undefeated in league play.
For two of those teams, football and volleyball, it was a record-breaking season.
The football team was in its first year, yet still won the SVCL and advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs.
And the volleyball team, having never previously advanced beyond the first round of the section playoffs, made it to the section championship match this season, taking Woodland Christian to five games before falling.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE: Deshon Benton's last carry as a Downey Knight was a 4-yard touchdown run in Downey's 35-19 section playoff loss to St. Mary's.
It was Benton's 37th career touchdown in three years for the Knights. He has set just about every school record for rushing and scoring, and with 3,967 rushing yards, is the City of Modesto's career rushing leader.
In a game for a share of the CCC championship against Ceres, Benton set a school rushing record with 332 yards.
There was little Benton didn't accomplish this season.
His next stop? He'll make the jump to the basketball team, where he's expected to play an important role as Downey tries to defend its CCC title in that sport.
SO CLOSE: Johansen senior Geraldine Hazlett scored 141 goals for the Vikings water polo team this year -- only two off the school record, set by current Stanford player Wendy Watkins.
Hazlett has received a 50 percent athletic scholarship to play for the University of Michigan next year.
TWO STATE CHAMPS?: It would take a nearly perfect game by one of its opponents to beat Central Catholic, so this could very easily be the second straight year the Raiders finish the season atop the Calhisports.com Division V rankings, winning the mythical state title.
But another team may win a state title as well.
Oakdale beat Oakmont in the first round of the playoffs last week while previous state No.1 Foothill fell to Bear River.
The Mustangs (11-0) were vaulted ahead of Miramonte of Orinda (10-1) to the top spot in the Division III rankings, but Calhisports.com editor Mark Tennis said that could change even if both teams win out.
Tennis said in his weekly press release that, in this case, the opponents for Miramonte and Oakdale will play a key role in the final ranking.
"For now, Oakdale gets the slight edge for being unbeaten, for having a win over Turlock, for having a win over 10-1 Yosemite and because it looks like the section Division III playoffs are stronger than the North Coast Section Class 2A East Bay playoffs," Tennis said. "Miramonte's case can get stronger depending on what Pittsburg does in the next two weeks. If the Pirates (who have a 23-21 win over the Matadors) advance to the NCS Class 4A final and do well against mighty De La Salle, and if Turlock and Yosemite both lose this week, this ranking could definitely change in Miramonte's favor even if Oakdale doesn't lose."
COACHES, THE BEE is in its All-District selection process for every sport. To make sure your athlete doesn't fall through the cracks, please send me a nomination with your athlete's pertinent statistics as soon as you can.
Will DeBoard's high schools column appears Thursdays. Write him at P.O. Box 5256, Modesto, CA 95352-5256, call 578-2300, fax 238-4551 or E-mail wdeboard@modbee.com.
