As December rolls around and students begin to prepare for their final exams, the Fall athletes of SHC can look back on a great season that was complete with its ups and downs, but an overall success.

The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams continued their sterling progress in the Bay Area, as they both qualified for the California State Finals for a third consecutive year. In his 15th season, Head Coach Andy Chan led both teams to a solid season highlighted by stellar team performances at the CCS Championship, as well as countless personal best times for many of the runners throughout the season.

The football team played a hard fought season, but fell just one point short of a second consecutive CCS Division III playoff berth. However, Head Coach John Lee ’84 and his team have a lot to be proud of, including their 5th straight victory over Archbishop Riordan High School to once again claim the Stanfel Cup, in which Brett Raso ’14 tied a school record by scoring an astounding five touchdowns in the win.

The Fightin’ Irish girls golf team finished up their season a bit short of expectations at 1-11, but showed vast improvement as a team across the board, much of which was proven against some of the toughest teams in Northern California in the WCAL. Among the team’s bright spots was a consistent performance from Sarah McDonagh ’13, who shot the low-score for the Lady Irish when they took down Notre Dame at Lake Merced.

Despite barely missing the CCS Team Tournament, Head Coach Amy Kleckner and the Fightin’ Irish girls tennis team tied a team record for WCAL wins and finished the season with one of the team’s best seasons and their first ever winning record at 13-9. In addition to their accomplishments on the court, the girls tennis team showed what it truly means to be students at SHC, participating in community service projects that included the California Coastal Clean Up Day and the St. Mary’s Haunted House “Toy Box of Terror”.

After making it all the way to the Division III State Championship last season, the 2012 Fightin’ Irish girls volleyball team finished strong with a 31-10 record. The Lady Irish finished as the CCS Division III runners-up, and qualified for the CIF State Tournament for the ninth consecutive year. Further highlights on the season included a 15 game winning streak during the CCS playoffs and into the sectional finals, as well as Head Coach Margi Beima’s 300th win that was earned during the CCS quarterfinals in a victory over Saratoga.

On behalf of the entire SHC community, congratulations to all of the Fightin’ Irish teams, their players and their coaches on another great season. Also a big thanks to all of the parents, students, fans, and alumnus who came out to games and showed their support. Go Irish!