The final race of the season for the Brookwood girls’ cross-country team ended at the highest level it could — state.

Though it may not seem like it, but the last time a Brookwood girls cross-country team qualified for state was 16 years ago in 2003.

The quest for a state berth began last week as Royall volleyball opened regional play on Thursday, Oct. 24.

For the first time in six seasons, the Brookwood football team had secured a first-round football playoff game by merit of a 7–2 regular-season record.

The Brookwood volleyball team ended its season with a 3–0 loss at Elk Mound in a WIAA Division 3 regional quarterfinal Oct. 22.

The Brookwood boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams both won a Scenic Bluffs Conference championship last week at Spring Valley Golf Course in Union Center.

The fate of the game came down to the wire between Royall and Hillsboro on Friday night.

The Brookwood football team focused on its nonconference opponent, Highland, instead of looking to see if it would be a conference co-champion with Bangor and Cashton on Friday night.

The Brookwood cross-country team had one final tune-up before shifting focus completely to this week’s conference races. 

The Brookwood football team was the last Scenic Bluffs team to notch a win against Bangor, and even though that win happened in the fall of 2013, this year’s Falcons were hopeful that they could do the same to the Cardinals and claim a share of a conference title along the way.