Bill Barrett, the voice of the Wildcats until 2015, recognized the 20th Anniversary of the 2001 Division 4, Football State Champions during the halftime of the Lima Bath home football game on September 3rd.
After a perfect 10-0 regular season and WBL Championship, the Wildcats earned the top seed in Region 14 and began postseason play by whipping Clear Fork 50-14 in the regional quarterfinals.
The regional semifinal game was a heart-stopper as the Cats posted a thrilling 51-45 victory over Huron in a back-and-forth contest that wasn’t decided until the final moments.
The regional championship game did not feature much in the way of drama as Kenton steamrolled Margaretta 53-12 and earned a spot in the state’s final four.
Standing between Kenton and a shot at the state title was the Coldwater Cavaliers, who had won 11 times in 12 outings after that season-opening loss to the Wildcats. In another exciting contest, the Wildcats pulled away in the second half and knocked out the Cavaliers 49-38 to earn a berth in the state championship game.
The following week, in front of 11,985 fans at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, the Wildcats claimed their first state championship with a 40-13 victory over Licking Valley in the Division IV title game.
