They didn't win a single match this season, but Black Bird Landscaping U-11 girls' soccer players were champions, nonetheless.

And not just here in town, but across the entire county.

That's because the La Conner team was honored at the end of the regular season with the Skagit Valley Soccer Association's coveted Sportsmanship Award.

On that score, it wasn't even close.

During the season, referees assigned to youth soccer matches submitted scores for sportsmanship for each team on a 1-5 scale. Those scores were tabulated and averaged for all the association's U-11 through U-14 teams.

"The team with the highest score is awarded a pizza party and sportsmanship trophies," an association spokesperson told the Weekly News on Friday. "This year that honor went to the La Conner U-11 girls' team with an average score of 4.78. That's exceptional!"

The team's coach, Sanny Catubo, knew his team was exceptional by the way it bounced back from setbacks on game day.

"As a competitor," he noted, "winning was important to me. I, myself, was getting discouraged halfway through the season until I realized the girls would show up to practice and games rain or shine with smiles on their faces willing to work hard.

"They worked hard," Catubo stressed, "for their coach, each other and their families."

Which is a definition for being a winner if ever there was one.

"Our team's biggest strength," reflected Catubo, "was definitely not giving up and always bringing each other up."

Team members who embraced that sense of teamwork and camaraderie are Izzy Barnett, Georgia Brown, Josie Catubo, Faith Kowalcyk, Savannah Kuhlman, Rylee Manley, Penelope Mueller, Georgia Paulson, Julia Rivas, Harper Stevens and Jasper Suit.

Catubo said receipt of the sportsmanship award is an honor the Black Bird Landscaping players, coach and parents will remember long after the team's won-loss record is forgotten.

"The parents and I were more excited about receiving this award than going to the playoffs," said coach Catubo. "I believe receiving the sportsmanship award shows what our team is really about."