In case you didn’t realize it, 2017 was a really good year for sports here in Southern Ocean County. In fact, for as long as The SandPaper has been publishing its Top-20 Sports Stories of the Year, this may have been one of the best years to date.

For one thing, there was a lot of diversity among the candidates. Second, there were a lot of “firsts” highlighting the list. And third … well, we really don’t need a third reason, even though one probably can be conjured up. Just read for yourself:

10. Pinelands RegionalBoys Soccer Team Takes Big Step – With the loss of former scoring stud Matt O’Connell and several…