Going 4-4 in section play and coming out 21-8 overall, the Falcon baseball squad had a pretty solid season stacked up against some pretty daunting odds.

Playing in a unique section shift that should return to normal by 2017, the Falcons had to take on much larger teams from much larger schools this past year. According to head coach Mike Briguglio, the guys did a good job of holding their own.

Earning first team all-section honors this season were Tiger Horikawa and Connor Gevirtz. Second team honors went to Teo Vargas, Matt Woltkamp and Bryce Andrashie.

Looking back, Briguglio said that, overall, he feels the Falcons had a very successful season.

“It was the toughest schedule we’ve ever had, so I think the boys did a nice job,” Briguglio said. “We had some tough losses, losing games we shouldn’t have. Then, ironically, the very next day we’d beat a superior team.”

Briguglio gave the example that the Falcons bested Casa Grande this season, who went on to win the section. The Falcons were that team’s only section loss on the year.

“We had flashes of brilliance,” Briguglio continued. “We played a great state game against Lee Williams, a bigger school, and also had a nice game against Kofa, but their pitcher really stifled our bats.”

The Falcons actually started the season with a monstrous winning streak, earning 11 victories in a row. The middle of the season saw the local squad trading about an even number of wins for losses before going on another five-game winning streak near the end of their run.

Fountain Hills bested Peoria 13-2 in the final regular game of the season to end section play on a high note. As Briguglio mentioned, the Falcons went on to best Lee Williams in the opening round of the state tournament, 5-3, before falling to Kofa in round two, 4-0.

“The boys really battled and did a fine job of representing Fountain Hills,” Briguglio continued. “The highlight of the season was winning that first state tournament game.”

Briguglio said he found team leadership in his senior group, particularly Kyle Tolis and Zeb Hunteman.

“They may not start every game, but they did a really nice job of leading by example,” Briguglio continued. “Those two really stood out from practices, to pre-game, to keeping everybody pumped during the games.”

Hitting a tough spell mid-season, Briguglio said the Falcons showed some tenacity to persevere and keep fighting back.

“We didn’t have the best average, the best fielding percentage or the best earned run average, but we had that tenacity,” he added. “We won a lot of games where the statistics didn’t matter. But we went through the grind and did what needed to be done.”

Along with Horikawa, Hunteman, Tolis and Woltkamp, the Falcons will bid farewell to seniors Andrew Dykman, Connor Gevirtz and Michael James.

“I wish them the best,” Briguglio said. “I think they’re all planning to go to college in various capacities and I hope they’ve had a positive experience with our program over the years.”

Looking ahead, Briguglio said that he’s looking forward to the section lineup returning to normal. He also expects to have a lot of returners hitting the field next year, which should make for a strong core.

“Of the 16 we dressed for the state tournament, we have 10 coming back,” Briguglio said. “We’re going back to the old 3A setup and there’s a new Metro region, so our travel will be greatly diminished. But I expect us to contend for a state title, just like always.”