Time flies when you’re having fun.

It was 11 years ago today that I started working at the Butler Eagle. In that span, I’ve been fortunate enough to have covered many memorable games and outstanding athletes. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Boys Basketball: In a December 2002 game, Seneca Valley senior Jon Aldridge scored 22 points in the fourth quarter alone, helping the Raiders force overtime against visiting Shaler. SV went on to win 85-80, with Aldridge dropping a game-high 34 points on the Titans.

Girls Basketball: No game in particular, just a collection of memories covering Union, especially during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.

Josh Meeker coached some very good teams in Rimersburg, but those two, which combined for a 56-5 record, were definitely his best.

Led by Bethany Koch and Andrea Mortimer, the Damsels suffocated teams with their defense, then buried them with a lethal offense.

The 2004-05 team lost in the state quarterfinals and the next year, the Damsels fell in the semifinals. Both games were close, heart-breaking defeats. But those girls brought a lot of pride to the small Clarion County town.

Football: Last September at NexTier Stadium, Forrest Barnes rushed for a Seneca Valley school record 306 yards and seven touchdowns against Connellsville. He reeled off touchdown runs of 96, 55 and 50 yards and ended the night with more than 19 yards per carry in a 64-14 victory.

Though it came at the expense of my alma mater, it is not often that you get to see a player who makes the defense look like it’s moving in slow motion. It was incredible to watch.

Girls Soccer: Mars had a fantastic run to the Class AA WPIAL and state titles in 2011. The Planets finished 25-0-1 overall and outscored their opponents 193-8. That’s not a typo.

Coach Blair Gerlach expected a lot out of that squad and the Planets delivered. It was a team with no weaknesses.

Swimming: Mars’ Maggie Gruber corralled six WPIAL titles and six state crowns while setting numerous records at the school, district and state level. All that success and she’s one of the most humble athletes you could ever meet.

Baseball: In 2007, Seneca Valley responded after losing in the WPIAL Quad A semifinals by winning four games to become state champions.

The state title game yielded a 9-1, nine-inning defeat of Souderton at Altoona’s Blair County Ballpark. I’ll never forget the diving catch Phil Double made in foul territory down the left-field line. Though the Raiders had an eight-run lead, Double went full speed to snag the game’s final out and cap a spectacular 22-2 season.

Those are a few examples of why I love what I do.

I wonder what the next 11 years will have to offer.

Derek Pyda is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.