With 2012 just around the corner, we’d like to take a look back at some of the most memorable sports moments in York County during what proved to a be a great year for some area athletes and teams.

First, we should start with high school hockey. The Biddeford Tigers once again seemed like the team to beat in Class A hockey earlier this year. The Tigers dominated almost every game in which they played and didn’t look to slow down entering the playoffs. Biddeford, however, ran into a determined Thornton Academy team in March that showed mettle when it counted. The team’s determination came to light in the playoffs as Thornton upset the Tigers and went on to win the school’s first-ever state championship with a win over perennial power Lewiston.

In football, the Wells Warriors rode the powerful running and play of Paul McDonough and Louis DiTomasso to an undefeated season. The Warriors were the most dominating team in all of Class B, rarely facing a challenge as they won the Western Maine Class B championship and the school’s first Class B state title since 1997.

Many people picked Leavitt to beat Wells in the state title game in November, but the Warriors’ defense rose to the occasion, taking the title and finishing 12-0. They also became the first York County team to win a state title in football since Massabesic won in 2000.

Speaking of Massabesic, the Mustangs came back to have a solid year on the gridiron. One year after losing every game, Massabesic earned four wins and seem to be stronger heading into next season.

Individually, some athletes were standouts in York County ”“ like Kennebunk’s Abbey Leonardi.

The senior raced to her third Western Maine Class A state championship and crushed the field by more than a minute to win her fourth-straight state title in late October. Those wins capped one of the most impressive running careers by any Maine high school athlete, as she will go down as the most decorated runner in the state’s history.

Sanford’s Ben Bell also came out of nowhere to win the Class A golf championship in October.

In track and field, Biddeford’s Keila Grigware proved she was one of the best athletes in the state, when in June, she repeated as the Class A state champion in the javelin. What made Grigware’s win impressive wasn’t that it was only her second year in the sport, but that she did it with a torn labrum in her right throwing shoulder. She is now throwing for the University of New Hampshire.

Thornton Academy’s Abigail Huntress in June also hurdled the second-place bug that had bitten her for several years as she finally won the Class A state championship in the shot put.

And who could forget Tyler Goulden of Thornton Academy? Goulden set a school record of 401.50 points while winning the Class A diving championship in February.

Not every story was happy, however, but they are worth noting. The Biddeford Tigers football team went 0-8 for the first time since 1979.

Outside of the county, the Boston Red Sox, well-loved in Maine, completed the worst collapse in Major League Baseball history despite starting off in September as one of the best teams in baseball. By the end of the regular season in early October, the Red Sox didn’t even make the playoffs.

The New England Patriots in January were upset in the American Football Conference playoffs in the National Football League when they lost to the New York Jets. New England had earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first-round bye after going 14-2 in the regular season. The Pats still haven’t won a playoff game since the 2007-08 season.

Also in Boston sports, the still-memorable Boston Bruins’ Stanley Cup win in the National Hockey League was celebrated throughout the region. Boston won the title, beating the vaunted Vancouver Canucks in July, winning the franchise’s first title since the early 1970s. As a result, they might have finally surpassed the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics as the third favorite professional sports team in New England. The Patriots and the Red Sox are still No. 1 and 2.

Time will only tell what 2012 will bring.

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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.