The leaves are falling, but Columbia High School's fall athletes gave Maplewood plenty to cheer about this season.

From the soccer field to the cross-country course, the Cougars delivered wins, milestones and memorable moments.

The boys soccer team put together one of the season's best runs, building a seven-game winning streak from late September into October.

The Cougars climbed to 9-3-1 by mid-October and advanced to the Essex County Tournament quarterfinals.

In the state tournament, ninth-seeded Columbia blanked eighth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan 3-0 in the opening round on November 4.

Their run ended three days later in a hard-fought 1-0 quarterfinal loss at top-seeded Elizabeth.

Still, it was a season that showed real depth, with goals coming from up and down the roster.

Field hockey celebrated its 50th season in style.

In October, the team shut out Westfield 4-0, its first win over that rival since 2015, to move to 9-4-1.

Seniors Maddy Popowsky and Phoebe Perlman each scored twice in that game, while the Cougars' goalkeeper turned away eight shots to secure the shutout.

On the trails, Columbia's cross-country runners held their own at the Super Essex Conference meet.

The girls placed third out of 11 schools, and the boys finished fifth.

The football team, in its second year under its current head coach, earned its first win of the season in October, a step forward for a program working to build momentum.

For student-athletes, these seasons are about more than records.

They teach teamwork, resilience and how to bounce back after a tough loss, lessons that carry into the classroom and beyond.

As winter sports get ready to tip off, now is a great time for neighbors to show up, cheer loud and support the young athletes who represent Maplewood.