With all six teams earning district playoff appearances and four teams earning state tourney berths, Sequim High’s prep squads earned some top placings among their fellow Olympic League foes this fall.

For their efforts, several SHS athletes earned all-league honors — including a pair of MVP awards.

Football

A first-team receiver and kick returner in 2015, junior Gavin Velarde helped lift the Wolves back to the West Central District playoffs.

Velarde also raised his game this fall and it earned him the league’s Most Valuable Player honor.

Velarde amassed 58 receptions for 919 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air, and added 230 yards and five scores on the ground, as the Wolves went 7-3 and took second in the Olympic League behind North Kitsap.

For good measure, Velarde had three kickoff returns and a punt return for touchdowns, along with two interception returns for scores.

Teammate Riley Cowan, an all-league first team quarterback in 2015, was named the Olympic League Offensive MVP this fall. A sophomore, Cowan was 146-of-256 for 1,980 yards and 24 touchdowns, with 15 interceptions.

Wide receivers Payton Glasser and Kyler Rollness and offensive lineman Brendan Lauritzen were each named to the all-league offensive first team and offensive lineman Josh Benson was named to the second team.

Glasser had 30 receptions for 340 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season at the position. Rollness had 25 catches for 414 yards and five touchdowns, and had a kick return for a score. Lauritzen and Benson helped Sequim amass 3,230 total yards and 326 points in 10 games.

On the all-Olympic League defensive squad, linebacker James Thayer was picked for the first team while linebacker Rudy Whitehead and defensive linemen Beau Bernsten and Michael Larsen were selected for the second team.

Sequim’s defense held opponents to 271 points in 10 games. The Wolves held opponents to two scores or less four times, including a shutout in Sequim’s key 7-0 win at Bremerton on Sept. 23.

Sequim also took home the league’s Team Sportsmanship Award.

North Kitsap took the all-league coaching staff award. Viking Quinnten Noah was named the league’s top defender.

Volleyball

It likely comes as no surprise to anyone that the Sequim High three-sport star also is the most versatile volleyball player to take the court in 2016.

Senior Adrienne Haggerty was selected the Olympic League’s Most Valuable Player after posting team highs in nearly all categories, as she helped Sequim to their first back-to-back state tourney appearances since the 1980s.

Teammates Ella Christiansen and Sydney Balkan, also seniors, were named to the all-league second team and the Wolves took home the league’s Team Sportsmanship honor.

Haggerty, who also stars for Sequim’s basketball and softball squads, led the Wolves with 196 kills (8.5 per match), 66 blocks (2.7) and 244 digs (10.6), and was second on the team in aces (48).

“(The award) shows all the hard work is paying off,” Haggerty said, but was quick to deflect the praise onto her fellow Wolves.

“You don’t play out there by yourself … it’s definitely a team game,” she said.

Haggerty saved her best for last, racking up 31 kills, 14 blocks, 28 digs and six aces in the Wolves’ three-game state appearance.

Despite her volleyball prowess, Haggerty said she hasn’t decided what she’ll do next year for athletics.

“I’m still on the fence,” she said. “I could play (basketball) somewhere, too. It’s going to be a tough decision.”

Christiansen was second on the team with 162 kills (7.0 per match) and 38 blocks (1.7). She also had 30 aces. She had 24 kills and six blocks in three state games.

Balkan, a setter, led the team with 266 assists (11.6 per match) and 59 aces (2.6), and was third on the team with 203 digs (8.8). She also was 354-of-374 (94.7 percent) on serves, second on the team behind Lillian Oden. Balkan was a perfect 50-for-50 on serves with 38 assists and 31 digs in a trio of state games.

Junior Eunice Moran was named the league’s top defensive player.

Tim French of North Kitsap won the Olympic League’s coaching award, leading the team to a league title and seventh place at state.

Soccer

After helping the team to a record-setting season, four Sequim High girls soccer stars are all-leaguers.

For the second time in as many seasons, goalkeeper Claire Henninger was selected an all-Olympic League first team player, joined by senior defender Erin Vig.

The pair helped Sequim post nine shutouts and had a 1.16 goals-against average.

Sequim coach Derek Vander Velde said Henninger had a lot of confidence all season long.

“She just believes in herself and her teammates … which in turn they believe she’s going to do an awesome job,” he said.

Vander Velde said Vig controlled the backline of defense.

“Part of our success was Claire in goal, but Erin, too, and forcing the whole team forward and communicating with the midfielders,” he said. “She was the glue that held everything together.”

Named to the second team were junior midfielder Adare McMinn and freshman forward Jessica Dietzman.

McMinn holds a strong vision for the game, Vander Velde said, and as coaches would tweak things, they’d turn to her to communicate that strategy with other players.

“I can’t speak enough for her,” he said.

As for Dietzman, who led the team in scoring, Vander Velde said the freshman was phenomenal on offense and defense.

“She was like the Energizer Bunny. She just never shut down,” he said. “She works well with a lot of girls on the team and doesn’t let up. Her work ethic was just incredible.”

In his first campaign as a head coach in Sequim or anywhere, Vander Velde was named the Olympic League’s 2016 Coach of Year. Sequim went 7-5 in league (third place) and 11-8 overall, posting the most wins in the program’s history.

“It’s a huge honor to be recognized by your peers,” he said. “I never would have expected this.”

He attributes his coaching success also to assistants Keith McMinn and Tony Frutos.

“I’m just honored they want to be a part of the program,” Vander Velde said. “They were in-line with the vision and it was a huge success.”

His goal was to finish at .500 prior to starting the season and now Vander Velde said the girls have a lot more confidence.

“There wasn’t one star player, it was the team that made it happen,” he said.

The league’s MVP award went to North Kitsap senior midfielder Briann George. The Team Sportsmanship Award went to the Bremerton Knights.