The transition is under way.

With the high school fall sports season in the process of wrapping up, we have begun to turn our sights toward winter and a new set of athletic activities in the county.

While doing so, it's easy to reflect upon what has been an incredibly entertaining fall sports campaign around here.

Here are a few items from the fall that receive the following recognition from yours truly:

Team of the season: Slippery Rock football.

The Rockets did more than go undefeated in the regular season this year. They did so without having to throw the ball.

Quarterback Jake Whitmer threw a mere 28 passes during the regular season. That's fewer than three per game.

Woody Hayes would have been impressed with that.

Slippery Rock's ground game included plenty of backs and a ton of yards.

This team was old-school football, big time.

Rivalry of the season: Freeport-Knoch volleyball.

When those two neighboring teams butted heads, they meant business.

The squads split their matches during the regular season, including the Knights claiming a 3-2 win behind 33 kills from Celina Sanks.

The Yellowjackets won their WPIAL semifinal match, 3-2, needing more than two hours to win by an epic final count of 25-22, 22-25, 21-25, 25-15, 15-7.

Best effort of the season: Mars girls cross country.

The Planets had not won the WPIAL title since 1976. They ventured to Coopers Lake on a cold, raw day and easily outran the competition.

Seven of Mars' runners were among the top 37 in the field. The Planets' team score was 74. Second-place Greensburg Salem had 90.

Achievement of the season: Summit Academy football.

The Knights reached the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in the program's history.

By the nature of the school, Summit Academy rarely has student athletes for more than a year. To develop cohesive line play, install an offense, construct a defensive scheme, special teams and get it all to mesh with no previous in-house development is amazing.

Hats off to coach Steve Sherer, his staff and those kids.

Dynasty of the season: Karns City girls soccer.

The Gremlins rolled to their 16th District 9 championship in 19 seasons.

And rolled is the right word.

Rarely challenged all year, Karns City out-scored its competition 27-0 in the District 9 playoffs. They took on the defending state champion in Greensburg Central Catholic and were in the game late in the second half.

This is a team that just seems to reload year after year after year.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle