League championship for Cats’ spoiled with 20-18 loss

by William Belson

Last Saturday your mighty Wildcats went up to Battle Creek St. Phillip to decide who would be the glorious league champion. The game was a battle all the way to the end leaving both teams exhausted. The Big Blue varsity fell short, losing to the Fighting Tigers, 20-18.

The ‘Cats started off receiving the ball and had a strong first quarter, drawing early blood on a third down thanks to QB Garet Lee scampering in for six. The extra point kick failed, however, proving costly throughout the game.

The Wildcat defense started off strong and kept the Tigers in check thanks to an interception by senior Zac Vanlerberg. The offense started off yet another strong series as Lee threw a vital touchdown pass to junior Seth Weber, who was wide open on third down, making the score at the end of the first quarter 12-0.

The Tigers battled their way down the field in the second quarter, proving that they were a worthy opponent and wouldn’t go down with out a fight. After the ‘Cats got the ball back they punted after a few plays due to the Tigers vengeful defense. St. Phillip fought down the field again to score before the end of the half to make the score 14-12 due to the ‘Cats inability to get the extra point and two point conversion in the first quarter.

The ‘Cats came out on to the field ready to kick some serious butt by scoring on their first series drive in the third quarter, thanks to a tough run by senior RB Chase Weber; the two point conversion was no good. The Fighting Tigers would get the ball yet again and score on a long pass to make the score 20-18. The ‘Cats still had a chance on offense but were stopped short and had to punt. The varsity defense stopped the St. Phillip offense once again to in the final minutes to make a last ditch effort to score but that effort was foiled. This loss was the biggest lost that the team could endure but the varsity learned that beyond a doubt, “losing stinks,” according to Coach Burger.

Next week your Wildcats face the undefeated Reading Rangers, the last game in the regular season. The ‘Cats are looking for a victory to get the taste out of their mouth from their unfortunate loss last Saturday. This game could also be the deciding factor for the rest of their season. “It would help us keep our heads up; it will also help us for the playoffs,” according to senior Clark Pelham.