Can you believe it? Two sports, two schools, two teams, two champs…right now, we're counting ourselves as pretty lucky to be able to cover both Ellenville and Pine Bush's huge wins this past weekend, as both Ellenville's Blue Devils football team and Pine Bush's Lady Bushmen girls' volleyball team have achieved regional finals wins.

In the case of the 'ville's Blue Devils, our own John Burns — about as big a football fan as you can find in the village — sums up the meaning of the team's win in his "SporTalk" column this week.

We also see that the team's championship glory holds much significance for the entire community. It's no secret that life in Ellenville is far from ideal right now. Prices are going up, jobs are down, and the future isn't quite so certain. But the dedication and spirit of our youth are displayed week in and week out on the grid-iron, as the Blue Devils have shown that you can't count out Ellenville the underdog. Even after a defeat in the season's first game, the boys in blue have shown that by refusing to stay down, you can achieve greatness.

Likewise for Pine Bush's Lady Bushmen — here's a team that's been close to winning the day year after year, only to have victory snatched from them at the very last moment. The team's win seems to echo the struggles the school district itself has had to endure over the past years, with teachers operating without a contract, as well questions regarding who would take on the superintendant's position permanently. This year the district got all that settled, with the establishment of a new contract for the teachers and Phillip Steinberg taking over as superintendant, rather than getting stuck in conflicts of the past. Can the fact that the girls' volleyball team finally managed to clinch their regional championship win this year out of all the others really be a coincidence?

Well, yes. It could. But still, the inspirational ring to the whole affair is tough to sweep to the side. Let's face it: when our kids succeed, it feels like we can succeed, too. And when times are tough, it's doubly important for our kids to show us that victories can be found everywhere, even amid the difficulties of day-to-day life.

So let this editorial stand as both a great big thumbs up to our two championship teams, as well as a huge 'thank you' for showing us that while the weather may get cold, and the future not as rosy as we'd like it, we can still find the road to victory if we work as a team and get up every time we fall.

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