With that in mind, here are the top ten most noteworthy moments from the year.

NO. 10 — BEA volleyball AND Bellefonte baseball return to state quarters

Following recent program highs, Bald Eagle volleyball and Bellefonte baseball each experienced brief steps back. The Eagles went from PIAA Class AAA quarterfinalists in the fall of 2023 to falling short of a district title a year later. And after winning a state title in 2023, the Red Raiders finished 2024 and 2025 without a state win.

However, in their most recent campaigns, both squads showed progress and established firmer identities, taking steps forward as a result.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Bald Eagle Area’s volleyball team competes during a playoff game this past season. Bald Eagle Area’s volleyball team and Bellefonte’s baseball team both returned to the state quarterfinals and both were named the No. 10 moment of the year.

In October of 2025, a BEA squad led by four-year starters Leah Bryan and Nora Eppley put together a strong postseason. It avenged its LHAC championship loss to Central Cambria in the District 6 Class AAA semifinals, swept Richland to avenge its previous district final loss and carried that win into another sweep against Hopewell to kick off states.

With that, the program has now experienced to state quarterfinals in three seasons, winning 59 matches within that span.

On the other hand, Bellefonte took progress displayed at the end of last season and built on it.

Zach Lehman, Carsen Henry and Triston Heeman made up one of the strongest pitching cores in the state while its offense averaged over eight runs and nine hits per game. That success carried into the postseason, which saw it run-rule Elizabeth Forward in the first round of the PIAA Class AAAA Championships.

NO. 9 — Bailee Scott becomes first Bellefonte girls wrestler to make states

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Bellefonte's baseball team reached the state quarterfinals this year, as did Bald Eagle Area's volleyball team. Both their runs were named the No. 10 moment of the year.

After a heartbreaking end to her freshman season, Bellefonte’s Bailee Scott used the abrupt conclusion as motivation to better herself ahead of the runback. The result? A massive leap forward as a sophomore, one which not only earned this year’s title for the Express’s Most Improved girls wrestler but also helped her accomplish history.

On February 28, Scott picked up the two biggest pins of her career, the first clinching her first regional medal and the next – a sub-minute pin against Wyoming Valley West’s Brooke Long – earning her a PIAA bid. With those victories, she became the Bellefonte girls’ first regional medalist and states representative.

Just two seasons into its history, the Bellefonte girls wrestling program has been featured at the Giant Center in Hershey. While it didn’t result in their first state win, as Scott finished 0-2, the sophomore has set the stage for a promising second half of her career, and the Red Raiders have shown they have what it takes to make it to the grand stage.

“It was a fun experience,” said Scott on her time in Hershey. “I know there’s freshmen here, but it’s nice to be here as a sophomore because I can take what I did today and have two more years.”

Bellefonte football returns to top of

FRANK DIMON/For The Express Bellefonte’s Bailee Scott became the first Bellefonte girls wrestler to qualify for states. It was named the No. 9 moment of the year.

NO. 8 — District 6 for first time since 2019

Based off the program’s state in Tony Confer’s first season at the helm (2023), it isn’t likely many anticipated a district championship in Bellefonte football’s very near future then. The Red Raiders had just finished 2-9 and got throttled by Juniata, 37-0, in the District 6 Class 4A final, capping a three-year stretch where they won five games on a sour note.

However, while struggles showed on the surface, the gears were turning behind the scenes. Bellefonte would increase its win total by five in 2024, succumbing to Juniata again as it earned its fourth straight district title but only doing so by two scores.

And in 2026, it effectively broke through. Behind a consistent run game led by freshman Alten Howell and strong defense, Bellefonte defeated Juniata, 17-6, to end the Indians’ title streak and secure its first since 2019.

The win was especially special given what the team overcame throughout the 2025 campaign. Though it saw three quarterbacks man the helm, was constantly impact by injury and started 3-6 as a result, Bellefonte established its identity at the right time, with its players buying in and believing in the process.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Bellefonte's football team returned to the top of the District 6 mountain by winning the title for the first time since 2019. It was named the No. 8 moment of the year.

NO. 7 — Bellefonte girls’ 3,200-relay team becomes first to qualify for states

On the brink on a program first, the Bellefonte girls’ 3,200-relay team – consisting of Althea Helms, Anna Tyson, Madyson Miller and Addison Fry – were forced to mull over their nerves for an extra two hours. Just as Day 2 of the District 6 Track and Field Championships was kicking off, a downpour forced the teams present to head back to their buses.

However, even with the threat of a potential postponement on the horizon, the squad kept each other motivated and ready to go at any moment. And that showed when they were finally able to take the track again, as they narrowly missed a PR that was already well below the state-qualifying standard.

With its silver showing and most notably, its time of 9:25.81, the quartet of Red Raiders did something no other girls relay has pulled off in school history, qualifying for states and doing so with plenty of breathing room.

The milestone meant a lot for the group and team as a whole, especially with three of its members – Tyson, Miller and Fry – being seniors, the former two which got to experience Shippensburg for the first time. It took some moving things around and plenty of hard work but now, Bellefonte can officially say it’s had relays on both sides at states.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Bellefonte's Addison Fry and Madyson Miller were part of the Red Raiders' 3,200 relay team which qualified for states. It was the first time Bellefonte had a relay head to states. It was named the No. 7 moment of the year.

NO. 6 — Bucktail softball earns first state win in program history

Though the Bucks had made states three times entering this year’s tournament, three first-round battles came and went without an Elite Eight appearance. They had great teams capable of deep runs. But circumstances – often brutal first-round or district draws – kept them from building on their most successful era at the next level.

However, on Monday, June 1, something finally gave. Bucktail received its most favorable draw since its states debut in 2019 in five-win, District 3 champion Greenwood. And though the Wildcats certainly didn’t make it easy, forcing a 2-2 tie heading into the seventh inning, the Bucks stayed poised and made the necessary plays to accomplish history.

Freshman Kelsie Wagner took a leadoff double in the top of the seventh and turned into a go-ahead run. Then, sophomore pitcher Carrie Ditty pulled off a three-strikeout retirement, posting Ks against Greenwood’s top two batters, to seal the deal.

With the win, the Bucks saw their season extended to Thursday’s quarterfinals for the first time, where they showed tremendous fight before falling to Tri-Valley. It served as one last bullet point on an expansive list of accolades for their 2026 class, which featured four four-year starters in Lola English, Eva Sockman, Makenna Stone and Kendall Wagner.

NO. 5 — Bellefonte’s Victoria Schellenberg secures District 6 four-peat in pole vault

Of Victoria Schellenberg’s four battles for District 6 gold, perhaps none came with more pressure than that of her senior stint. Not only did she have to deal with additional nerves, she also endured the toughest competition she’s faced at Altoona’s Mansion Park in the form of State College phenom Ella Raish.

But the Bellefonte senior prevailed within its tensest moment, first hitting an 11-0 to extend her chances before hitting an 11-6 to secure her fourth gold medal. She’d go on to hit the same make at Shippensburg one week later, finishing with her highest states placement in tenth to close out her storied career.

The accomplishment was especially special given she doesn’t plan to compete in college.

“I said to myself, ‘If I do not make this 11-6, I do not go to states, and this is the end of my career.’ I’m not doing track in college, so it was a lot of pressure,” said Schellenberg. “When I went over (that 11-6 bar), it was just like everything stopped. I was just in complete shock at the fact I got over that.”

An honorable mention here goes to Bellefonte junior Althea Helms. After finishing as a district runner-up as a sophomore, Helms earned her second District 6 title in the 400 as a junior, going on to finish 14th in state preliminaries.

NO. 4 — Spencer Althouse becomes second Penns Valley state medalist in three seasons

While competing at states for the first time as a sophomore in 2025, Penns Valley’s Spencer Althouse was simply excited to be there. He had accomplished a defining goal in his career, ran the best race he could in prelims and ended up finishing in the middle of the pack.

Come time for his junior campaign, the goal posts had shifted. Althouse entered his third postseason knowing what he wanted in the runback – a medal to go along with the long, exhilarating trip to Shippensburg.

Some goals are left unachieved, but not Althouse’s.

On Friday, May 22, the Ram ran the second best 100-meter dash race of his career, posting a 10.96 time to finish fifth in preliminaries, earning a spot in Saturday’s final and most notably, clinching the first PIAA Class AA medal of his high school career. Ultimately, he claimed sixth on Saturday with an 11.00, becoming Penns Valley’s first state medalist since 2024.

With one more season to go and considerable improvements from one season to the next, the sky is the limit for the Ram if he can maintain that level of development. From 16th to sixth, Althouse’s state medal was the biggest Express track story of the season.

NO. 3 — Three area wrestlers finish as PIAA finalists

It’s not every day that an area featuring six wrestling programs sees three wrestlers walk under the bright, Saturday-night lights of the Giant Center.

Central Mountain junior Aiden Kunes, Bald Eagle junior Tanner Guenot and Penns Valley sophomore Max Dinges each made valiant runs through their respective PIAA brackets at 145, 133 and 121. They defeated state-title-caliber wrestlers on their way to the finals, giving themselves a shot at glory with one more victory.

While it didn’t work out for the trio, they’ve set the stage for what could be a very exciting 2026-27 season for the area. Each has at least one more shot at becoming their program’s next state champion, Dinges having two at becoming Penns Valley’s first since 1958.

Warranting an honorable mention within this excerpt is Bald Eagle senior Caden Judice, who placed fourth at the tournament’s toughest weight class at 145.

All four of Judice’s postseason losses came to wrestlers ranked top ten in the nation, including two at the hands of No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler Bo Bassett. Judice was notably one takedown away from extending his chance at PIAA bronze against No. 7 Grayson Music.

NO. 2 — Penns Valley wrestling sets new state-qualifier bar

Coming off a breakout, 2025 season – a historic one in its own right, Penns Valley wrestling managed to things a step or two further in the runback. Its strongest individuals put together their best campaigns yet and as a team, the Rams perhaps had their deepest group… ever.

After qualifying just two for states the previous season, Penns Valley more than tripled that output in the latest. Seven Rams – Evan Lisowski, Max Dinges, Conner Myers, Erik Carlile, Tripp Watson, Brayden Lisowski and Robert Martin – competed under the bright lights of the Giant Center in March, the most state qualifiers the program has ever had.

Ultimately, five Rams went on to pick up state wins, as the team finished 12th out of 115 teams. Two made it to the blood round – Brayden Lisowski and Erik Carlile – and one – Max Dinges – went on to claim silver. Dinges, Evan Lisowski, Carlile and Tripp Watson are all set to return next season, looking to build on what they achieved during the 2025 postseason.

The feat complemented another historic milestone Penns Valley breached through the regular season.

In defeating Clearfield for the first time since 2019, this group became the first in school history to finish a regular season undefeated in 60 years. With that and the aforementioned, it can be argued that the Rams produced their best season in 2026.

NO. 1 — Jersey Shore boys tennis makes program, District 4 history

While there’s an argument in the latter excerpt’s ‘best season’ claim, Jersey Shore boys tennis’s 2026 campaign is in a realm of its own when it comes to the program’s lore. The Bulldogs reached heights no other Shore team has experienced in every facet, from both a team and individual standout.

As a team, Jersey Shore won 23 straight matches, finishing the regular season 19-0, earning its first District 4 Class AA team title and going on to make it all the way to the state final, where it finally suffered defeat to finish as PIAA runners-up. In 24 matches, the Bulldogs only surrendered 15 points, eight which came through states.

And from an individual standpoint, they also posted notable milestones.

Senior Ryder Fink became the first Bulldog in program history to win back-to-back District 4 singles titles, going on to claim bronze at states and closing his last two seasons with a record of 55-2.

And in doubles, Ezra Paulhamus and Saul Hensler earned Shore its first District 4 title since 1985. The duo ultimately made it to the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals, picking up the program’s first PIAA doubles win in over half a century.

Their season as a whole rivaled even the best to take place in all of District 4.

Through the 25-year history of the PIAA Boys Tennis Team Championships, only two District 4 programs have pulled off three-title sweep in districts (Lewisburg in 2024, Jersey Shore in 2026), and the same number applies for District 4 representatives in the state championship match (Danville in 2003, Jersey Shore in 2026). Until this season, none had pulled off both feats in the same campaign.

While some signs were there through the 2025 season, where Jersey Shore made the district team semifinals after years of missing the tournament entirely, to say the jump was anticipated by anybody would be a stretch.

The Bulldogs put in the work over the offseason, showed progress across the board and kept believing in themselves even as the road grew ever steeper. Ultimately, the result was a historic, memorable season to say the least, the most memorable Express area moment through the entire 2025-26 year of high school sports.

Henry Huber is the sports editor at The Express. He can be reached at hhuber@lockhaven.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @HenryHuber_.

DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express Bucktail's softball players react during the District 4 Class A final vs. Montgomery. Bucktail won the program's first-ever state playoff game this year and that success was named the No. 6 moment of the year.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Bellefonte’s Victoria Schellenberg won a fourth consecutive District 6 pole vault title. Her success in the event was named the No. 5 moment of the year.

CHRIS MANNING/For The Express Penn Valley's Spencer Althouse medaled at the state meet this year. It was the No. 4 moment of the year.

DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express Bald Eagle Area’s Tanner Guenot was a state medalist and was one of three Express-area wrestlers to claim a state medal this year alongside Central Mountain’s Aidne Kunes and Penns Valley’s Max Dinges. The three wrestlers claiming state medals was named the No. 3 moment of the scholastic year.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Penns Valley’s boys wrestling team had a lot of success this year, which saw five wrestlers earn wins at states and the team finish 12th out of 115 at the state meet. It was named the No. 2 moment of the year.

MARK NANCE/For The Express Jersey Shore teammates celebrate after defeating Central Columbia for the District 4 boys tennis team final at Muncy High School Thursday. Shore’s outstanding season in boys tennis — winning the District 4 team title, Ryder Fink winning the singles title, Ezra Paulhamus and Saul Hensler winning the doubles title, and the program reaching the team tournament state final — was named the No. 1 moment of the 2025-26 high school athletic season for The Express coverage area.