Flag Football
As the school year comes to an end, we still have many sports actively playing and closing out their seasons as well. Without OSAA support and an extremely short season of only five weeks, flag football is often overlooked. However, despite these challenges, junior Adelaide Wallin says that the season is going really well, “even though a lot of people are new to the sport, everyone has been improving so much and we have really been locking in and winning games.”
Wallin explains that the flag team has a very good sense of community and connection with one another, and everyone on the team is enthusiastic and willing to work hard and improve. Junior Aven Darnell-Nelson seems to agree with her saying, “The environment and camaraderie of our team this year is great.”
Wallin’s goal this year she says, “To be the best quarterback I can be for my team.” Similarly, Darnell-Nelson expressed that her goals for the season are to, “be a good leader, increase my knowledge of flag football, improve my run game, and keep practicing routes.” Darnell-Nelson says, “Flag has been amazing this year. Head Coach Eric Scott and Coaches Senéad McElligot and Lucie Gruener are doing an amazing job.”
According to Darnell-Nelson, the South Eugene High School has two flag football teams, Team South and Team Axe. Both teams seemed to have improved immensely this year. Both teams have been playing mostly scrimmages with Team South securing a back-to-back win against Willamette High School by over 30 points. Team Axe has a lot of new young talented players who challenged Team South in the flag football team’s civil war, winning by one point. When asked about if she had anything else to share with the south community, Wallin shared, “We are very grateful to have Eric step up to be our coach after everything that happened with cutting flag. We have worked very hard to have a program even though an official one was taken from us.”
Flag football is a fun, emerging sport that creates a wonderful, comforting, diverse sense of community, as girls from all different sports join the teams every year, and is a great way to relieve stress during finals. Unfortunately, it is too late to join this year, as practice is almost over, however you should strongly consider joining either team next spring if you’re looking for a fun, welcoming, exciting sport to join! Flag players at south have started a fundraiser to be able to continue playing next year. There are flyers around the school as well as a post on their instagram with information on how to donate. The goal? To return to playing at OSAA level and represent South Eugene High School in their OSAA league. Darnell-Nelson says, “We want to do this not just for our team, but for all 4J High School girls who want to play.”
Section by Noa Gitelson
Boys and Girls Lacross
The lacrosse season has started off strong. The South boys’ and girls’ teams have worked hard, gotten better, and it’s showing on the scoreboards.
The boys’ team is so far undefeated and begins their playoffs with a home game as conference champions. For the girls, community and team morale have been the top priorities. Having won a good portion of their games, the girls have focused on building friendships on and off the field.
“The season has been going really well,” senior Josie Campbell said. “I am so happy that we were able to have a team this year, and we have overcome so many challenges. The team blended together super great this season, and we are excited for more good times to come. Playing on the team is a great experience; we are a very tight knit team, with a very good bond.”
Coaches for both teams have intensified practice schedules. A larger coaching team was hired this year to help the athletes get more specific training for each position: goalie, midfield, attack, and defense. The coaches have prioritized the team on and off the field. Bonding activities and team dinners created an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone involved.
“Being on the team has helped me to meet new people, from this school as well as the others in our area, as well as creating a lasting bond with these girls,” Campbell said “Lacrosse is such a good way to get outside and move around in general. Being on the team has helped me find myself throughout high school.”
There are still games left in the season to help cheer the lacrosse teams on and another chance to join the team next year. Go Axe!
Section by Ozy Zinke-Haschemeyer
Baseball
For South Eugene varsity baseball the season didn’t go exactly as planned: With a rough 1-25 win-loss record, the team had a difficult season, to say the least. However, despite their record, the team remained in high spirits, leaving behind good memories and fun times spent together.
South baseball, like other South sports, plays in the OSAA 6A Southwest Conference with teams like Sheldon, Willamette, Roseburg, South Medford, and North Medford all ranking within the top 25 in state, according to MaxPreps. South has faced difficult competition throughout this season, a problem many of our school teams experience when it comes to league games. Despite the tough competition the team faced, many of the players remained in high spirits throughout the season, rolling with the punches.
South junior Gino Humphrey, the first batter on the roster, shared how the season stayed enjoyable despite the difficulties.
“We’re all buddies, you know,” Humphrey said. “We have really good team chemistry, and we all just enjoy showing up to the field every day.”
Next year the South baseball team will find themselves in a new conference consisting of a 6A and 5A hybrid of Eugene-area high schools, which Humphrey noted as a thing to look forward to.
“I’m excited for a new season where we don’t have to go down to Medford anymore,” he said.
Jonah Alexander, a junior at South and second batter on the varsity team, also maintained high spirits this year,
“I feel like we had a lot of growth as a program and as a team,” Alexander said. “I saw a lot of guys improve, and I saw a lot of guys getting more love for the game.”
Looking to next year, Alexander expressed a lot of excitement for what’s to come with South baseball,
“We have a good incoming class with a couple transfers,” he said. “And I think we have one of, if not the best, coaching staff in the city, and this was their first year so I’m just excited to see where that goes.”
South senior Burke Sherman, starting catcher for the varsity squad, echoed Alexander’s thoughts.
“The season had a lot of ups and downs, but I think it was a step in the right direction for a brand new coaching staff to set the foundation,” Sherman said.
Overall, rough season or not, the team stayed positive and found that there were good times to be had together, regardless of the scoreboard.
“The first win we had was definitely a highlight,” Sherman said. “It was good to see all the pieces come together and result in a win”
Section by Maggie McMillen
Softball
The South softball team has undergone many changes in the past year, not only with coaching, but also as a program overall . How have these changes shaped Axe softball for the 2026 season and how do players feel about it?
“As a team compared to last year I think we have really bonded more,” South softball player and sophomore Ebhlin Smith said. “And we just all enjoy each other’s company a lot.”
With changes such as only one varsity team and no junior varsity, the team seems to be closer knit compared to other years, which has contributed to the driving spirit of South Eugene Softball.
“This year’s team has been very welcoming, friendly, and we have built a strong community,” Smith said.
And new friends seems to be a common theme in this transformation.
“It has been great,” second year varsity player Ripley Buckhantz said. “We have had a lot of fun creating a great community and lots of new friends.”
The effort and appreciation for teammates has stood out this year, with players acknowledging the hard work they have put in this year as a team.
“My favorite part of softball has been the relationships I’ve built with everybody,” Smith said, “and seeing how much effort people have put into their softball experience.”
These changes have brought unity to the team and optimism that these practices will continue in the years to come, creating a welcoming environment where teammates support one another and new players have an accepting space to improve their skills in the game.
“I am excited for next year,” Buckhantz said. “I hope that we have two teams and get lots of new people to further grow the program.”
Even though it’s been a tough season with lots of new players starting on varsity and no JV level, South softball has still seen some wins against North Salem, Sprague and McKay. And the true win has been the new connections made, with lots of hope for the future of the program.
“We don’t really have any more games coming up, but we are very excited for next year,” Smith said.
Section by Tilda Rhode
Tennis
As spring sports come to an end, and the teams look back on their seasons, the tennis team in particular has had an amazing season.
The end of districts competition made way for an eye toward state competition. The girls’ team was led by senior captains Ellie Cho and Ellie Park with Coaches Andrei Kleshchev and Zach Glauber. The boys’ team was led by senior Jeremy Wang with Coach Byron Gold.
These seniors put in their best effort for this final stretch, reminiscing on how the sport has impacted their lives. Wang has been playing for almost 11 years, and Cho has been playing for more than 10 years; they are both star players at South. One specific memory Wang recalled was playing doubles with his older brother Jalen, who also played for South a few years back. But he also appreciated the team culture he got to be a part of on his own.
“Our team has gotten a lot closer over the course of the season,” Wang said, “and the team chemistry has gotten a lot better.” Cho has also appreciated her time with South tennis.
“My favorite memory is watching my team grow together—with underclassmen becoming older classmen and learning how to be confident on the court!”
As a captain Cho always tries to encourage her team.
“I hope that having a place that they can share and be themselves we become more united as a team,” Cho said. “On an individual level, I hope to compete as far as I can with my doubles partner, Ellie Park. I really appreciate her, and I hope we can end the season with a great match together.”
Section by Sofia Bell