This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

In less than 24 hours the clock will strike midnight, signifying another year is behind us. Goodbye, 2015, my dear old friend. This year provided numerous moments across the high school landscape that reaffirmed why we love prep sports over and over and over. Wasatch Academy touched our hearts when it left an empty chair for its former coach Geno Morgan, who suddenly died in his sleep. The Santa Clara community inspired us when they believed in Britton Shipp, a three-sport athlete at Snow Canyon who suffered a traumatic brain injury. We were captivated at the historic runner-up finish from the "Lost Boys" of the Kearns boys' basketball program, and we received an inside look into the exhaustive recruiting process when Brighton receiver Simi Fehoko announced his commitment to Stanford. We were encouraged by the fortitude of 14 girls at 13 different high schools refusing to abide by gender roles while playing football. We smiled after learning Stockton Malone Shorts plays for Copper Hills. We gained a greater appreciation of the difficulties of small-town football when Wayne played on the gridiron for the first time in its 101-year history, and we grasped how high school athletics has an ability to influence youth for the future when players reunited to surprise their dying coach 30 years after graduation.

This was a special season, and I feel comfortable speaking for my colleagues when I say: Thank you for following our coverage this year. We're fortunate to cover the countless student-athletes in Utah who have the potential to change the world. So, for the final prep story of 2015, we decided to revisit the 10 best moments of the season before we drop the ball to commence another great year:

10. Wrestling dominance continues

If you happen to be a supporter of a few select wrestling programs in this state — you're going to finish the season satisfied more times than not. Perhaps more than any other sport, the powerhouse programs within the wrestling realm continue to establish their supremacy. Pleasant Grove added one for the thumb, winning its fifth consecutive Class 5A championship, while Delta notched its seven straight title for its 33rd championship — the most from one school for any one sport.

9. Spanish Fork sweeps both baseball and softball titles in the 4A classification

The Dons' baseball program opened the season with a 1-6 record after a treacherous preseason schedule, but throughout the year, particularly in the postseason — including overcoming a three-run deficit in the sixth inning of the championship — Spanish Fork's resilience was illuminated. It was the first title for the program since 2011, and the seventh overall — tied for seventh most in UHSAA history. Jim "Shoe" Nelson guided the Dons to the first six. This time, his son, Casey "Gub" Nelson — in his first year atop the program — was the man in charge.

The softball program delivered its fair share of dramatics, too, when senior Cheyenne Pratt smacked a three-run, two-out, walk-off home run in the final game against rival Maple Mountain. "We just wanted to win it so bad," Pratt said. "I just swung hard. I will remember it forever."

8. Sky View, Juan Diego and Panguitch embark on undefeated campaigns in girls' basketball

Sky View celebrated its second state title in school history with an unblemished 25-0 record behind Tribune MVP Lindsey Jensen. Juan Diego soared through the 3A ranks, virtually untested, and ultimately finished 23-0. The Eagle registered 11 wins by 25 or more points under the direction of twin sisters Monique and Dominique Mills. Panguitch completed arguably the most commanding season of all-time, with its smallest margin of victory being 21 points. It embarrassed opponents by an average of 40 points per game en route to its second straight championship. The Bobcats' streak of winning 64 consecutive games, the second-longest of all-time, ended this week, but for a school with a population of 134 students — the accomplishment of the girls' program is one of the greatest in state history.

7. Craig Drury and Dave Peck both retire, Quincy Lewis accepts BYU assistant coaching job

Three legendary coaches moved onto the next chapter of their lives this year. Drury retired after pacing the Provo sideline for 32 seasons, finishing with 546 career wins, the fourth-most in UHSAA history, and guided the Bulldogs to eight boys' basketball state titles, the most for any one coach. Technically, Dave Peck's final season atop Bingham was 2014, but he announced his retirement this year. For 15 seasons, Peck built the Miners' into the premier football program in the state of Utah, compiling an overall record of 154-37. His teams won 10 region championships, five state titles, and finished second twice. He also won a region championship at North Sanpete in 1984, and took Cyprus to the state tournament four of the five years he coached there in the late 1990s. After garnishing a career record of 250-45 and leading Lone Peak to seven state boys' hoops titles — including four straight — 10 region championships and the 2013 national title, Lewis had little left to accomplish at the high school level. He accepted an assistant coaching position at BYU.

6. Pleasant Grove ascends national rankings and wins first baseball title in 17 years

After securing the final out in the second game of the state championship, before scattering into the masses, the Vikings huddled together behind home plate, chanting: "Light the G" in unison — a tradition at Pleasant Grove of brightening the hillside letter after every state championship. For the first time in 17 years — the G glowed that night. It marked the culmination of an entire year fueled by heartbreak after Pleasant Grove fell short of the title in the second game of the championship series against Jordan the previous year. Billed as the preseason favorite after bringing back numerous contributors, the program climbed to unprecedented heights for a program residing in a cold-weather state — reaching as high as No. 6 in national polls.

5. Frank Jackson commits to Duke; recruiting Class of 2015 considered best ever

Jackson climbed into rarefied air during his high school career. Currently a senior at Lone Peak, Jackson is ranked as the 14th best prospect in the entire nation by ESPN. Rivals, the recruiting outlet, listed him as No. 10. "He's grown leaps and bounds," Tim Davis, coach of Jackson's AAU squad Utah Prospects, told Tribune reporter Aaron Falk. "In the seventh grade, I don't think he was a top-20 kid in Utah." After narrowing his final four schools to Duke, Stanford, Utah and BYU, Jackson opted for the Blue Devils.

The football Class of 2015 has every argument as the best ever. Time is the only answer to that statement, but the class collectively featured more highly-recruited prospects than any before. Two five-star linebackers — Brighton's Osa Masina and Salem Hills' Porter Gustin — both signed with USC. Herriman's Andre James, a four-star offensive lineman, signed with UCLA; East's Christian Folau, a four-star linebacker, signed with Oregon State, and Northridge's Dayan Lake, a four-star defensive back, signed with BYU.

4. Powerhouse football programs dethroned

This season was a changing of the guard in football. The annual flagship programs: Bingham (two straight titles), Timpview (three straight), the southern region (four straight) and South Summit (two straight), were all cut down in the postseason. Herriman avenged an ugly loss in the final week of the season in dramatic fashion, knocking off previously undefeated and nationally-ranked Lone Peak on the final march of the game to win its first state title in school history. East overcame years of heartbreak and captured its first state championship since 1996, handing Timpview its worst loss since the Leopards beat the Thunderbirds in that 1996 title game in the process. A new king arrived in the 3AA classification, as Logan earned its eighth state title in its first season following the region reshuffle. The Grizzlies' win snuffed the flame the southern region held over the classification for four years. Beaver provided the biggest shocker of the season in the Class 2A state championship. The Beavers were fitted for championship rings for the first time since 1990 after shutting out South Summit, 33-0, to snap the Wildcats' state-leading 21-game winning streak.

3. Morgan volleyball finishes undefeated and ranked best small-school program in the nation

The Trojans, who were led by two All-Americans — Jaiden Farr and Jorry Randall — were named the best small-school program in the nation by MaxPreps. Morgan capped its perfect 32-0 season with the Class 3A title, avenging its loss against Snow Canyon in the 2014 state championship. The Trojans lost only three sets the entire season, and finished the season ranked No. 10 in the country.

2. Viewmont stuns Lone Peak with buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the Knights' dynasty

It was the shot heard around the Beehive. Lone Peak's Frank Jackson whipped the ball from the bottom of the net, hurling it with both hands the length of the court as Viewmont players streaked past him. But the buzzer had already sounded, and the empire had already fallen. Josh Richins' 3-pointer soaked the twine as the clock expired, ending the Knights' 1,821-day reign where they captured four straight state titles and posted an overall record of 113-14. The moment was the stuff of dreams for Richins, who had dedicated his senior season to his dying father, who was in attendance when he made the famous trey. The father and son discovered love — not death — can heal all wounds through the game of basketball.

1. Davis girls' soccer wins national championship

Legendary rosters are comprised once in a generation. The 2015 Davis Darts fit that description. USA Today, in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, named Utah's two-time Class 5A soccer champion Davis as the top girls' team in the country, joining the 2012-13 Lone Peak basketball program as the only two Utah programs believed to have been honored as national champions. The Darts, who finished a perfect 20-0, featured nine college-bound players, including 2015 Tribune MVP Mikayla Colohan.

Now, imagine what 2016 might bring.

— Trevor Phibbs

Twitter: @trevorphibbs