Jim Bossert already is sporting a checkered-flag pattern on his partly shaved head, but it’s next year that he thinks Pine Creek will find Victory Lane.

Bossert finished fifth in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke to help lead the Eagles to third Saturday in the Metro League swimming and diving meet at Rampart.

Check out more photos from the meet.

It’s the third straight year Pine Creek has finished behind Lewis-Palmer and Cheyenne Mountain. But the Eagles have a changing of the guard in mind. And it’s all because of Bossert and fellow juniors Justin Holmes, Forrest Gaskill and Luke Greer.

“We’ve got a tight group of juniors that all work hard together,” Bossert said. “We’re kind of like brothers.”

Holmes and Bossert have been competing against each other in club for a long time. Greer and Bossert “have been close since we were little kids, just swimming and church stuff,” Bossert said. Gaskill joined the group two years ago when he moved to Colorado Springs from the Chicago suburb of Naperville.

“It’s funny because we all swim for different clubs,” said Gaskill, who placed second in the 200 individual medley and third in the 500 freestyle. “ … But we all respect each other’s talents. Because we all swim different events and we all are pretty good, we became friends through the sport.”

The friends worked well together Saturday. Holmes, Bossert and Greer spurred a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay. Gaskill and Bossert each swam legs on the second-place 400 free relay.

“It’s nice to just have teammates that you can depend on so well,” said Holmes, who was second in the 100 backstroke and seventh in the 100 fly. “We work hard together, and it just brings us even closer together.”

Pine Creek hopes that camaraderie will carry them past their rivals next year. On Saturday, the Rangers won 10 of 12 events en route to a fifth straight title. Indians senior Patrick Scally kept Lewis-Palmer from the sweep, claiming his fourth consecutive titles in the 200 free and 500 free.

“I feel like next year is gonna be our year,” Bossert said, “because Cheyenne Mountain is losing some seniors and so is Lewis-Palmer.”

Coach Steve Owsley is confident he has a winning team coming back.

“They’re a really special group of guys,” Owsley said. “This year’s kind of like icing on the cake, and next year’s — what do you call it? — the candles.”

There are four burning brightly already.

Pine Creek’s Jim Bossert jumps into the water at the start of the 100-yard butterfly finals at the Colorado Springs Boys Metro League Championships at Rampart High School, Saturday, May 15, 2010. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE