Banner Years
Take them back to the moment · Every sport · Every era
We dig through decades of hometown newspaper archives for the headlines, box scores and photos from your greatest seasons, add your community's own photos and film, and turn it into recap carousels, career slides, tribute videos, cartoons, player cards and framed jerseys. Delivered ready to post, play at the stadium or hang on the wall, and built to put every alum right back in the stands.
Our archive access
The game story. The box score. The front of the sports page. The All-County list stuck on the fridge. We work from decades of local newspaper archives, and we know how to find your season.
Original newspaper content © respective publishers. Shown as samples.
Proof of concept: built on Hudson Valley LaxBanner Years grew out of Hudson Valley Lax, a daily Instagram series that brings back Section 1 and Section 9 lacrosse seasons straight from the old sports pages. Every graphic style on this site was made and posted there first, and our first football package was built as a pilot for Dobbs Ferry.
See a clipping come back to lifeYour scrapbook, our archive
Send us your scrapbook, clippings and old photos, and we'll turn them into your program's story.
Pricing is by request: ask for a quote and a free sample slide.
Send it in
Four steps. Your originals come home safe, plus a digital archive and your finished package.
Tell us what's in the box and we'll send a quote and a free sample slide.
The showcase
The title run, the record night, the All-County list on the fridge. If your local paper wrote it up, we can rebuild it: boys and girls, varsity and JV, 1950s to last season. Texas football leads the way, and every sport on the sports page is fair game. Pick a sport below and tap any piece to see it bigger.
Sports we cover
Heartland stories
Every state has the sport it lives for. Tap a story to open its full sample package.
Now showing
The night the whole town remembers, lit up again. This animated final is from our Dobbs Ferry football pilot, and it's the kind of piece we build for the stadium video board, a banquet or a reel. Drive-in, VHS and marquee looks are on the Style Kit menu too.
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Texas football
Odessa Permian, 1988: the town, the team and the season a writer moved his family to Odessa to follow.
7 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Ohio football
Massillon, 1940: Paul Brown's ninth and final Tigers team, state and national champions.
6 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Georgia football
Valdosta, Georgia: two coaches, 21 state titles between them, and a town that calls itself Winnersville.
7 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Hawaii football
Saint Louis School, Honolulu, 1986–99: 13 Oahu Prep Bowls and Hawaii's first official state title, all in a row.
6 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Football samples use a fictional program, the Cedar Creek Mustangs, and invented players. Dobbs Ferry pieces are from our 1980 pilot.
Career spotlight
Russ Swan was a 1981 All-American at Yorktown, his name in the local sports pages every spring. By 1987 he was a linebacker in Dallas. We built his card the Banner Years way: the newspaper headshot from the archive, the All-American honor and the jump to the pros, all in one piece.
Every program has an alum like this. We find the clippings and tell the whole career, start to finish.
Spotlight your alumSample from the Hudson Valley Lax series. Headshot from the newspaper archive, © its original publisher. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the NFL or any pro team.
Friday Final
Mustangs
History Minute
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presented by
Big Red'sBBQ
Smoked low & slow since '79
Your program here
Free
Sample Slide
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send us
One photo+ one big moment
We'll build the slide, no obligation
Samples · from the archive Graphics from the Hudson Valley Lax season-recap series (Section 1 and 9, 1977 onward), shown as style samples.
#TBT · Hudson Valley Lax
Throwback
Thursday
presented by
Sal'sBrick Oven Pizza
Post-game slices since 1977
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Indiana basketball
Milan, 1954: the smallest school ever to win Indiana's one-class state tournament.
8 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Kentucky basketball
Carr Creek, 1928: the Knott County team that made the Sweet Sixteen a statewide event. (Palette nods to their cut-off khakis and white T-shirts.)
6 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Iowa girls basketball
Iowa girls' six-on-six, 1968: Denise Long and Union-Whitten against Jeanette Olson and Everly.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Fictional program, the Harlan Ridge Hornets, boys and girls, with invented players. Every piece below is a design sample.
Hornets Fly to State
Last-second jumper sends Harlan Ridge to its first state tournament
1987 in the books
Hornets
26-4
All-County
1987 · Girls Basketball · First Team
Regional final · 0:01 left…
Swish!
Count it! Hornets win!
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Florida baseball
Westminster Christian, 1992: a South Florida lineup loaded with future pros, and a coach who built the program from nothing.
7 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Fictional program, the Mill River Millers, with invented players. Softball packages use the same looks. Every piece below is a design sample.
Millers Take the County Crown
Galloway fans 14 as Mill River wins its first title in 22 years
1974 in the books
Millers
24-5
All-State
1974 · Baseball · First Team
Lineup · County Final
Beat Ashby!
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · California softball
Lakewood St. Joseph, 1986–89: Lisa Fernandez, before UCLA and three Olympic golds.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Softball packages use the same season recaps, cards, honors slides and scoreboards as the baseball tab.
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Texas girls volleyball
Amarillo High, 2006–09: coach Jan Barker's Sandies, the only 5A program to win the Texas title four years running.
6 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Volleyball packages use the same season recaps, cards, honors slides and scoreboards as the other tabs.
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · California water polo
Long Beach Wilson, 1996–99: four straight CIF Southern Section Division I titles, finished by Tony Azevedo's seven-goal final.
7 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Water polo and swim packages use the same season recaps, cards, honors slides and scoreboards as the other tabs.
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Maryland swimming
Stone Ridge, Bethesda: Katie Ledecky, an Olympic champion at 15, still swimming for her high school.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Colorado tennis
Cherry Creek boys tennis: 316 straight dual-meet wins, the national record.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · California golf
Western High, Anaheim: Tiger Woods under coach Don Crosby, 1990–94.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · New Jersey field hockey
Eastern Regional, Voorhees: coach Danyle Heilig's Vikings, 21 straight NJ Group 4 titles.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Kentucky cheer
Greenup County High School cheer: 17 UCA national titles and three world titles.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Pennsylvania rowing
St. Joseph's Prep crew: 16 wins in the boys senior eight at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, including four straight.
6 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Short real-story samples for swimming, tennis, golf, field hockey, cheer and rowing. Every sport gets the full Banner Years treatment.
Concept samples Fictional program, the Westbrook Valley Wolves girls, with invented players. Every piece below is a design sample.
Wolves Win It All in Double OT
Castellano header in the 103rd minute brings home the state title
1996 in the books
Wolves
22-1-2
All-Region
1996 · Girls Soccer · First Team
Double overtime · 103rd minute…
Goal!!!
Wolves are state champs!
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Minnesota hockey
Warroad, 1969: Henry Boucha and the state final against Edina, still one of the most talked-about games in tournament history.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Minnesota girls hockey
Apple Valley, 1995: the first girls' hockey state champion in the first state to sanction the sport.
6 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Fictional program, the Iron Lake Icemen, with invented players. Every piece below is a design sample.
Icemen Skate Off With the Title
Overtime winner caps a 25-2-1 season for Iron Lake
1982 in the books
Icemen
25-2-1
All-Section
1982 · Ice Hockey · First Team
Sectional Final · Beat Granite Falls
Win the boards!
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Pennsylvania wrestling
Jefferson-Morgan, 1989–92: Cary Kolat, called by many the best wrestler in WPIAL history.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Iowa wrestling
Waterloo West, 1964–66: Dan Gable under coach Bob Siddens, before the legend.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Sample · Real story Heartland story · New Jersey wrestling
Paulsboro, 1983–2007: 25 straight Group 1 titles, a New Jersey record, built in a Gloucester County school of about 480 students.
6 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Fictional program, the Copper Flats Miners, with invented wrestlers. Every piece below is a design sample.
Miners Crown Three State Champs
Esparza finishes 38-0 as Copper Flats takes the team title
1991 in the books
Miners
18-1
All-State
1991 · Wrestling · State Placers
State Duals Lineup
Pin to win!
Heartland stories · real programs, real seasons
Sample · Real story Heartland story · Illinois cross country
York High School, Elmhurst: Joe Newton's cross country program, 28 Illinois state titles.
5 slides · real school, real season, our words and illustrations. Facts from public records; no school logos or newspaper photos used. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the school.
Concept samples Fictional program, the Brightwater Bluejays girls, with invented athletes. Cross country uses the same looks. Every piece below is a design sample.
Bluejays Sweep the Relays
Abernathy anchors the 4x400 to a meet record as Brightwater wins the county
1978 in the books
Bluejays
1st
All-County
1978 · Girls Track & Field
Girls 4x400 Relay
4:02.6
County final · anchor leg…
Break the tape!
Meet record!
Signature formats
Era-style trading cards with the athlete's number, stats and big moments. They work as a senior-night keepsake, a recruiting post or a full team set for the banquet.
Honor the legends three ways: shadow-box jersey frames, retro action-figure packs and illustrated cards. Ready for hall-of-fame nights and inductee presentations.
Legendary plays retold as original comic panels, drawn from the facts: the score, the date, the stat line. Every one is our own artwork, written in our own words.
Authentic to your school and your town.
Your colors, your mascot, your field, your town's pizza joint. We rebuild the real places, so it looks like home. Cinematic backdrops like a pregame locker room, a Friday-night stadium, a drive-in screen or a 1980s den set the era before the first stat appears.
Before & after
On the left, the real Yorktown varsity lacrosse team photo from 1983. On the right, the same program the Banner Years way: Yorktown's triple-overtime state semifinal, rebuilt as a cartoon in green and white with the stadium and scoreboard of the night. Drag the handle to compare.
Both images are samples from the Hudson Valley Lax series. Team photo from the "Yorktown Lacrosse: 1965-2015" documentary. The cartoon is our original artwork of a different Yorktown season (1980).
A full season told slide by slide: scoreboards, standings, honors and the games people still talk about. Built for Instagram and Facebook, with motion versions for reels.
Real places, Banner Years style Sample
From the local field to the big stage, we turn the real places into Banner Years art: the bleachers, the press box, the scoreboard, the skyline behind the end zone. Drag each handle to see the real place next to the Banner Years version.
Samples. Stadium photos are used under their Creative Commons licenses; illustrations are our own. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any venue, team or university.
Movie of the Year crawls Sample
We match each season to the biggest movie of its year, then build the poster and the opening crawl from the real newspaper story.
How it works · Yorktown, 1980
A poster and an opening crawl, built from the real newspaper story. In 1980 it was the year of the space-saga sequel, so Yorktown's run became The Huskers Strike Back, starring Tim Nelson. Here's the poster, and next to it the opening crawl from the promo video we made, rolling just like it does on screen.
Episode 1980
The Yorktown Cornhuskers have built an empire. Unbeaten in Section 1, they crushed Mamaroneck 18-5 for the crown.
Their quest led them to Hofstra to face the mighty WARD MELVILLE PATRIOTS, the No. 1 team in the state and ruler of Long Island.
After three overtimes, the Huskers prevailed 10-9, becoming the first Section 1 team ever to reach the state final....
The Hudson Valley Lax saga continues....
2. The opening crawlWord for word from our 1980 promo video
Each one is matched to the big movie of that season's year.
Sample. Parody titles and our own text; facts from Hudson Valley Lax season research and the newspapers of the day. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any studio.
For booster clubs
Most programs run Banner Years through the booster club, so it costs the department nothing. Packages can pay for themselves three ways.
We design limited-run posters of your title teams, legends and big nights. Your merch table or online store sells them, and the club keeps the margin.
A weekly “This Week in [Mascot] History” post or video, each one presented by a local business. Sponsor fees can cover the package and then some.
Hall-of-fame, anniversary and senior nights get a scoreboard tribute video, inductee posters and commemorative prints families can buy.
Sponsor spotlight
The pizza place, the BBQ joint and the corner bar already back your program. A “presented by” credit on a history series gives them something fans actually look at every week. That turns a sponsor ask into a sponsor yes.
#TBT · Hudson Valley Lax
Throwback
Thursday
presented by
Sal'sBrick Oven Pizza
Post-game slices since 1977
Texas high school football
Texas football runs on tradition: state titles, district rivalries, legendary coaches and stadiums that hold a whole town. We build history packages for programs that want those eras on the scoreboard, in the stands and all over social.
How we do it
The clipping is where it starts. We pull the original coverage of your biggest games, then rebuild the night visually with our own design, stat callouts and captions in your colors: the headline, the score, the names, the photo. One look and you're back in the bleachers.
Before
AfterArchive source shown for illustration. Original newspaper content © respective publishers.
Selected client work
Hudson Valley Lax, a Banner Years client, runs a daily season-recap series covering Westchester and Rockland lacrosse history. Here's one complete package: the 1983 season, when Yorktown went 23-0 and reached the state final.
Sample work for portfolio purposes. Original newspaper content © respective publishers.
How it works
Send one photo and a favorite stat or moment. We'll make you a free sample slide, no obligation.
We pull the newspaper coverage of your season. Your program, alumni and families add the shoebox: team photos, game programs, home video and Hudl clips that never made the paper. We handle the research and the story.
Choose styles from the Style Kit: movie posters, scoreboards, jersey frames, cards, cartoons, chalkboards and more.
You review and request changes, then get ready-to-post files, stadium-ready video and optional prints and frames.
Packages
Every package includes picks from the Style Kit menu and is quoted to your program, your eras and your date. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll send a quote.
For families & athletes
Request a quote
Booster favorite
For boosters, ADs & alumni
Request a quote
For teams & programs
Request a quote
For honorees & fundraisers
Request a quote
Our premium tier covers decades of history in one package: a tribute video for the scoreboard, inductee movie posters to present on the field, commemorative prints and a sponsor-ready social carousel.
FAQ
Two places. First, the hometown newspaper archive: the game stories, box scores, photos and All-County lists that covered your program when it happened. Second, your community: team and family photos, game programs, booster records, home video and Hudl film. Original newspaper content is credited to its publisher.
Most programs run it through the booster club, so it costs the athletic department nothing. Many clubs cover it with a presenting sponsor plus poster or print sales.
Yes. Limited-run posters and framed prints are built for booster merch tables and online stores, and your club keeps the margin. We quote print runs per order so you know your margin up front.
We use school logos and marks only with the school's permission. We get releases for featured athletes and parent or guardian consent for minors, and we follow your district's media policy.
Every sport, every era. If the paper wrote about it, we can bring it back. That means football, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, hockey, wrestling, track and field, cross country, volleyball, swimming and diving, tennis, golf, field hockey, cheer and dance, rowing and water polo, for boys' and girls' programs alike. Texas high school football is our home base, but if your sport made the sports page, we can rebuild it.
We can time delivery to your date, whether it's senior night, a playoff run, the banquet or a hall-of-fame night. Tell us your date when you request a quote and we'll confirm the timeline.
Yes. Send one photo and a favorite stat or story, and we'll make you a sample slide. No obligation.
Get started
Tell us about your program and the season people still talk about. We'll go find it in the archive, tell you how we'd build it and send back a free sample slide.
Email: sales@banneryearsports.com
Prefer email? Write to us directly with your school, sport and the era you want to bring back.