When first-year Coach Greg Williams arrived to offseason workouts last summer, he set eyes on a pair of seniors who had witnessed far more struggles than success stories.Having lost 45 of their 74 games over a three-year span and never advancing past the first round of the postseason, Hannah Sutton and Kylie Toebben had simply played for the sake of competing with little reward.“When I talked to them in the summer I told them I felt like they were good players who really needed to have a better experience and go out on the right note,” said Williams, following his team’s defeat in the program's first-ever sectional playoff appearance on Tuesday. “They did that tonight, battling and playing hard.”The Warriors lost to St. Charles West for a third time this season, but the progress was evident. They closed the margin a little more each time, playing with increased poise and confidence.“Knowing that we gave our all and didn’t hold anything back is just an awesome feeling even though we fell short,” said Sutton. “I think we made history, and that’s something that can never be taken away from us.”It was a season of many firsts for the senior duo and the program overall, which has existed as a MSHSAA sport since 1972-73.For the first time in eight seasons, the Warriors finished above .500, closing the year at 18-8.It had also been that long since Warrenton had played in a tournament title game. This year’s team reached the championship of all three tournaments it entered — in its host event and at Washington, winning the most important tournament last Friday by capturing the program’s first-ever district title at Kirksville.“From the beginning, knowing that our goals are to win districts and to get the big titles and to play in championships, and that’s what we did,” said Toebben. "It's really rewarding."The Warriors finished third in the GAC, losing only to St. Charles West and St. Charles, which lost just one regular season game.A team that had struggled to handle pressure in the past suddenly imposed its will on others, playing with a chip on its shoulder.“This year was different than the rest, because I think we all wanted to win just as much as each other, and we didn’t want to say our final goodbyes too early,” said Sutton. “I definitely won’t forget any of the players or memories from this year.”As the final minutes ticked away on Tuesday, Sutton and Toebben retreated to the bench, embracing and sharing tears. But the sadness masked a feeling of accomplishment that Toebben says will make the task of turning in her uniform a lot less painful.“It definitely makes it easier to let go now that we’ve ended well and we know that the program is going to continue to grow,” said Toebben. “To be the start of that puts a good feeling in my heart and makes it easier to leave.”SENIORS LEAVE ON POSITIVE NOTEDerrick Forsythe photo.