I've received Sports Illustrated every week since 1998. One of my favorite issues each year is a recent development for the storied magazine, the "Year in Pictures."

This issue hit newsstands in the last week and features stories and photos from the top images of the year. That's the way I've always remembered each sports season - not necessarily in terms of statistics and wins and losses, but by images. For the second year, I present my top images of the last 12 months:

Joel Struckhoff and

Jerry Voorhees:

Few teams enter a season with higher expectations than the Thunder Ridge High School football team did last August. Thunder Ridge returned six starters, including senior running back Joel Struckhoff, for coach Voorhees.

Thunder Ridge rolled through its first 10 contests before it played host to Ashland in the second round of the playoffs. In a game that players and coaches called the de facto state championship, Thunder Ridge came back to win, 32-28, in the final minute.

With less than a minute remaining, Voorhees called an isolation play on fourth down for Struckhoff, a play Thunder Ridge had ran hundreds of times.

Struckhoff ran left and Ashland senior Chance Stebens nearly tackled him in the backfield. Struckhoff wriggled free and scored from two yards out. Rarely does the season come down to one play - but that run was the season for the Longhorns.

If Struckhoff doesn't score, Ashland likely runs out the clock and wins the game.

After the season, Struckhoff said he hadn't looked at the run on film.

However, Struckhoff said his dad, Jim, a big football fan, had watched the play often. Following the game, Voorhees stood at midfield among the Thunder Ridge fan base, a mix of excitement, joy and relief on his face.

He spotted Struckhoff a few feet away, walked over and enveloped him in an emotional, big bear hug.

The following week, Thunder Ridge defeated Otis-Bison and then beat Baileyville B&B easily in the state championship game.

The Longhorns finished 13-0 and Struckhoff broke the Kansas eight-man state record for rushing yards and touchdowns.

Blane Hrabe's option.

Multiple area teams run some form of the option - however, after seeing area teams play for 13 weeks, no one runs the option like Hrabe, Thunder Ridge's short, speedy senior quarterback.

Hrabe ran the option to perfection.

One play that stood out was a Week 4 contest against Otis-Bison. Hrabe was nearly tackled before he pitched out to Struckhoff who raced down the sideline for a long run. In addition, Hrabe was one of the smartest and mistake-free players I've seen in any sport. He went 21-1 as a starter and finished with 568 passing yards, 308 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns accounted for.

Hrabe only threw 59 passes and didn't have enough attempts to qualify for the Kansas leaderboard at MaxPreps.com, but his 62.7 completion percentage would have tied for sixth and been in the best in the area, regardless of classification.

In his nearly full two seasons as starting quarterback, Hrabe completed 58-of-91 passes for 936 yards with 19 touchdowns against five interceptions. He had 168 rushes for 943 yards and 21 scores.

Tayler Stull's leadership

While Hrabe arguably was the area's headiest player, Stull paced northwest Kansas in leadership.

Stull, La Crosse's four-year starter at defensive back and three-year starter at quarterback, led the Leopards to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the Class 2-1A state championship game.

In the sub-state championship game against Plainville, Stull calmed down third-year coach Jon Webster, an intense man, but one who certainly isn't known for screaming at officials.

However, Webster lost his temper when an inadvertent whistle on a fake punt went against La Crosse. Stull walked over and calmed down his coach.

Webster wasn't ejected and La Crosse, behind Stull's running, went on to win the game.

Then, in the state championship game, Stull, playing in pain, fumbled four times, including a miscue on Centralia's 1-yard line in the final seconds.

La Crosse eventually lost in a wild finish, 20-14, in overtime.

Afterward, Stull showed tremendous poise in interviews with multiple media outlets, including myself.

He didn't issue blame on senior center Kyle Sramek or try to make excuses.

Instead, he explained the situation and was happy with the season - the first time the Leopards ever had made a state championship game in school history. Stull's leadership was a lesson for players, coaches and fans.

Fort Hays State University is one of many schools recruiting Stull - he'll be a great fit for the Tigers if he ends up making the 20-plus mile journey north to Hays.

Kameron Dinkel and

Victoria's run

In the first round of the Class 1A, Division I state tournament, No. 8 seed Victoria defeated Hanover, the No. 1 seed and two-time defending champions, 55-53.

After the game, senior Kameron Dinkel stood by himself for a few seconds in silence, soaking in another upset.

Dinkel later said he "couldn't believe it was real."

The victory against Hanover capped an amazing four-game run for Victoria, a streak similar to Virginia Commonwealth in the NCAA tournament.

Victoria trailed - sometimes by double digits - to four ranked teams in sub-state and state: Quinter, Stockton, Downs-Lakeside and Hanover. However, Victoria came back to win all four and finished fourth at state.

After the first win against Quinter, Dinkel unleashed a loud scream. Then, when he finished screaming, Dinkel said "he screamed some more."

A week and a half later, Dinkel could only stand in stunned silence as Victoria continued to shock the state.

Dominique Jones and

Corbin Kuntzsch

Two of Fort Hays State University's four all-conference players - along with forwards Dijon Smith and Ken Bowman - Jones and Kuntzsch provided the lasting image from last season's 26-7 finish and second round exit in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Jones, a whirling dervish as the Tigers' point guard, earned All-American honors with his crafty ability and continued highlight reel plays. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, though, Jones played just five minutes in the first half because of fouls. Fort Hays trailed by 22 midway through the second half before Jones, who scored 21 points after intermission, led a big turnaround and helped FHSU tie the game at 66. It wasn't enough as Fort Hays lost 81-69.

After the contest, Jones and Kuntzsch each displayed different emotions - emotions that encapsulated their careers.

Jones, always quiet and serious when it came to basketball, barely could speak in the postgame press conference after he knew his Tiger career was over.

Kuntzsch, a four-year starter, a consistent player and arguably the best Kansas native in FHSU men's basketball history, was always calm.

He remained calm after the defeat, too - the last image of two great careers.