The Dugouts Post Season Fall Sports Awards: Who won the coveted Lunch Pail Award. Our All-State awards. And the Tip Of The Red Sox Hat Award to the O'Dea sisters.

Sisters and Park High student/athletes MacKenna and Landess O’Dea, together at Park High, are the winners of the Tip of the Red Sox Hat Award from the Dugout.

By: Jeff Schlapp

It's that time of year—the 2nd Annual Park County Dugout Post-Season Fall Awards. This year (a combination of Fall, Winter, and Spring High School sports), each season, the awards will be handed out. In May, a committee of community leaders supporting the schools will gather with the Dugout to select the student/athlete of the year.

If you are new to the Dugout, these awards came about because I wanted to do this when I was the sports editor for John Sullivan’s newspaper. John nixed the idea because he feared receiving letters from parents complaining about so-and-so being left off. I’m not.

Too often, Park County athletes are ignored by other publications, whereas we concentrate on bringing you the story beyond the score. Where else can you discover that Fiona Roberts loves Costco hotdogs, Logan Jergenson owns a cool Polaris Slingshot, or read about my day spent (with my daughter) on Coach Joey Lanes ranch for my first cattle drive?

Recently, a parent thanked me for making her kids feel like rock stars. Well, they are, and more. I traveled around this great state, watching Park High, Shields Valley, and Gardiner kids compete this fall in soccer, football, volleyball, and cross country, and I witnessed some truly amazing athletes.

Stars like Robbie Anderson and Jace Page from the Rebels and John Hasbrook for the Rangers soccer team to players who came off the bench and played key moments, came up big and were ready for their moment, such as Gardiner volleyball player Marley Wyman and eight-grade cross country runner Grace Malloy competing at state for the Lady Rangers.

Grace Malloy and Marley Wyman answered the bell when called upon and gave big time performances for the Rangers cross country team and the Gardiner volleyball team. There performances didn't go unnoticed as they were winners of the Dugout Rookie of the Year Award.

All the athletes, whether they started or played only a minute, contributed to their team, school, and community. I’d say they are better than rock stars—they are leaders.