Castle View High School might well be a perfect example of a new high school’s athletics program in development.

The school is only on its second class of seniors since it opened in 2006. The Sabercats’ 2008-09 academic year was a bit of a breakout season for many of its sports programs. For instance, the boys soccer team went on a playoff run. Girls soccer followed with its first playoff home game — the first playoff game at home for the entire school. Softball also made a lot of noise in its league and made an appearance at state.

The school’s cross country teams started qualifying full teams to the state run with one runner, Chris Ganem, finishing in the top three as a junior. Last fall, Cats football not only broke a lengthy losing streak but mounted a much-needed winning season, its first so far.

Needless to say, having started with only freshmen and sophomore athletes who would have otherwise most likely attended Douglas County High School, if the Sabercats haven’t come into their own already, they are certainly on their way.

The 2010 spring sports season is another perfect example of how a new school develops into quality programs. Championship-caliber programs in fact.

Castle View’s girls tennis program, led by head coach Andy Holdefer, who used to coach at Douglas County, with assistants Michael Schneider and Arron Kellar, beat Lewis-Palmer on April 29 to win the league championship.

The Cats’ girls golf team, under the coaching of Perry Villanueba, won four golf tournaments in a row as of April 26 and compete as a heavy favorite for its league title, too.

On the diamond, View baseball head coach Shawn Wyss, along with staff Mike Milham, Chris Cooper, Scott Smeeton, Mark McNeely, Gordy Herhiser and Joe Marti — good lord, they must have more coaches than players — put together a great season, culminating in a league championship-deciding game on the road against Cheyenne Mountain on May 6.

Once again, Cats girls soccer has locked up a playoff spot with a third-place finish in their league. Andy Liddle returned as head coach with Ryan McClintok, Jared Neal and Paul Gardner assisting.

As for the track teams, both the girls and boys teams are in the top 4 in the state and are expected to send several kids to the Class 4A state championship. With coaches John Lancett, Chris Bell, Mike Smith, Dana Walner, Nathan Hartz and Mark Kuhn giving direction, the Sabercats are expected to make quite a noise come the last week of May.

As part of Douglas County’s co-operative swim and dive team, coached by Will Amos, Castle View High School swimmers Gabe Chamberlin, Jake Lenner and Andrew Weber already have booked a trip to Fort Collins for the class 5A state championship swim meet. All three have record state-qualifying times in one event and-or another.

View athletic director Derek Cordes suggests, outside of natural growth and maturity that comes with a senior class of athletes, the work Patrick McHenry, the department’s strength and conditioning coach, and Tom Bradley, the Cats’ athletic trainer, has been doing with their student-athletes have truly been paying off.

However, as a new school continues to grow in development, it also grows in population. Many Castle View teams will have 5A obstacles to contend with come their respective postseasons.

Though, with the past teams’ successes over the past two years, I’m sure confidence will carry the Sabercats far in the next two years.