The 2008 fall sports season for Ashtabula County high school athletic teams must be wearing a tremendous Halloween costume, albeit a bit early.

After all, it’s almost impossible to recognize.

The efforts of seven individuals have made it so.

Dave Fowler, Jeanine Bartlett and Stephanie Kubec (seven times each), Stan Bielech and Paul Stofan (twice each) and Don Palm (once) have taken 26 county volleyball teams to the regional tournament level.

Starting with Fowler taking his 1982 team to the Class A regional at Middleburg Heights through last fall, the county averaged a team a season in the Sweet 16.

In fact, this fall marks only the fourth time in the last 26 years that the county is not represented at the regional level in volleyball — the others being 1984, 1988, 1996 and 2000.

Without question, volleyball has been the most successful team sport for county schools in that time frame.

For example, only six girls basketball teams have reached the regional tournament in that span — Rod Holmes’ Jefferson teams (1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1995-96 and 1999-2000) and Tom Ritari’s Conneaut Spartans in 2000-01.

As far as boys basketball goes, only three county teams have reached the regional tournament in the same time frame — coach Andrew Isco’s Harbor Mariners in 1982-83, coach Dick Heath’s Edgewood Warriors in 1990-91 and coach Jeremy Huber’s Pymatuning Valley Lakers last winter.

The equivalent to reaching the regional level in volleyball or basketball for football was making the playoffs through 1997 — something only Jim Henson’s Grand Valley Mustangs (3 times — 1986, 1996 and 1997), the St. John Heralds in 1982 (coached by Paul Kopko) and 1987 (coached by Bill Halter) and coach Jeff Whittaker’s Conneaut Spartans (1985) and Mike Hassett’s Harbor Mariners (1991).

The football playoffs were expanded in 1998 and since that time, no county team has reached what would be the regional level in volleyball or basketball, which would require not only making the playoffs, but also winning one game.

That means while 26 county volleyball teams have made it to the final 16 in their respective division in the 26-season span from 1982 through 2007, girls basketball, boys basketball and football teams have done so — 16 times — combined.

Taking it another step, seven of those 26 volleyball teams — Bielech’s 1985 Geneva team, Fowler’s 1989 S. John squad, Bartlett’s 1990, 1991 and 1995 Jefferson units, Palms 2005 Jefferson team and Kubec’s 2006 SS. John and Paul squad — made the regional championship match, or the final eight in their respective division.

In that same time frame, only two county boys basketball teams — Isco’s 1982-83 Harbor Mariners and Huber’s 2007-08 Pymatuning Valley Lakers — one girls basketball squad — Holmes’ 1995-96 Jefferson team — and one football team — Kopko’s 1982 St. John squad — have made it that far.

This is not meant to downplay the accomplishments of county teams in other sports. Actually, it’s to appreciate and fully understand just what county volleyball teams have done for 26 years.