CRESTVIEW — Summer tends to breed reflection.
And reflection is cathartic come the offseason, when live coverage comes to a halt and the foundations for deep playoff runs are built.
The 2014-2015 season was memorable for reasons both heartbreaking and triumphant, but I’m here to look at the glass as if it’s half full.
From deep postseason runs on the hardwood to getting the best rivalries, I bring you Crestview’s top five moments of the year.
Is it definitive? No.
Does it reflect everyone’s opinion? Highly unlikely.
This is just my opinion.
But concerning big wins and overcoming bigger odds, it’s hard to debate the list's validity.
Without further adieu …
1. Boys basketball team makes elite eight
There’s a reason why the Bulldogs should have been this good.
Northwest Florida Daily News Players of the Year Denzel Ware and Ronnie Baylark graduated, as did Jerry Aaron from 2014’s 23-win, elite-eight qualifier.
Yet the Bulldogs jelled.
Rusty Moorer proved to be the area's best point guard, Andrew Adkins and Marquis McClain were a formidable duo in the post season, and Crestview peaked at the right time.
First came a 69-58 overtime win at Niceville in the district title, followed by a region quarterfinal 58-39 rout of Chiles. The Bulldogs then pulled off a 58-56 stunner on the road against a Lincoln team, brimming with height and athleticism and setting the stage for a familiar foe in Oviedo.
The year before, the Bulldogs lost 76-48 to the Lions at the Arena. Simply put, they were overmatched.
This would not be the case Feb. 21 in Crestview; the Bulldogs led 45-41 with 5:58 left to play in the fourth quarter. A nearly four-minute scoreless drought, though, ended their final four dreams and led to a 62-58 loss.
But boy oh boy, what a run.
2. Baseball team stuns Tate with rally in district semifinal
The Bulldogs’ season was essentially over.
Down to their final three outs, the Bulldogs trailed Tate 11-6 in the District 1-7A semifinal.
Cue the rally.
Jared Gaszak singled, Nate Gerard doubled and Alik Whited walked to load the bases. Then Austin Polk was plunked for an RBI hit by pitch and B.A. Larkins walked in another.
A passed ball scored one more before Corey Armstrong was walked, and then Colter Hancock singled in a run and it was back to Gaszak, who swatted a two-run single. Suddenly, Crestview had turned a five-run deficit into a one-run lead, which it hung onto in a stunning 12-11, playoff-clinching win.
Despite losing the next two games, it was truly a comeback for the ages.
3. Girls basketball team defeats Niceville, wins district title
It had the heavyweight battle moniker.
With a combined 33-18 and coming off a regular-season split, Niceville and Crestview’s District 1-7A championship was the place to be Jan. 31.
Unless you were an Eagles fan.
In Niceville, Crestview surged to a 37-13 halftime lead en route to capturing its first district title since 2003 with a 55-45 win.
They'd then route Leon to set up a Sweet 16 rematch with Niceville, which evened the series at two apiece and ended the Bulldogs' season with a 48-43 win.
4. Football routs FWB
The Bulldogs had the chance to fell final-four qualifier Choctaw at Joe Etheredge Stadium.
Paired with home losses to Milton, Rickards and Navarre, the 0-4 start didn't bode well.
Sept. 26, that frustration was taken out on non-district rival Fort Walton Beach.
The Bulldogs — who up until that point were averaging just 10 points per game — piled up 331 yards of offense. Moorer passed for 210 yards and a pair of scores and D.J. Stewart rushed for two touchdowns to ignite a 41-16 win at Steve Riggs Stadium.
Crestview, even for just a brief time, had its swagger back.
5. Volleyball team defeats Niceville
Rivalries imply parity.
Yet entering this season, Crestview hadn’t held up its end of the bargain against Niceville for the last decade or so.
But then came Kierra Potts’ kill on Oct. 9, capping off a 25-13, 25-20, 23-25, 27-29 and17-15 win over the Eagles and igniting a melee of celebrations.
“I had a feeling we were going to pull it out this time and we did,” senior Molly Kitchen said. “Every single player has worked hard for this for four years. Every player has given everything that they had and this shows what we can do.”
Potts, Kitchen, Cailey Ness, Marissa Rogers, Christa Johnson, Nichole LeFevre — everyone contributed.
Contact Seth Stringer, Northwest Florida Daily News sports editor, at 315-4421, on Twitter or sstringer@nwfdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: STRINGER: Crestview's top 5 sports moments from 2014-15