Holton Wildcats Football Team

The season might have started off on bumpy road but the Holton Wildcats were battled tested and proved down the stretch they were a team to be reckoned with finishing the season as 4A-Division II State runner-up.

The Wildcats opened the season with a tough one-point loss in overtime to Silver Lake and a touchdown loss on the road to Maize South, but bounced back and won the next two games to get to 2-2 on the season. After a week five tough loss to Nemaha Central the Wildcats finished the regular season with four straight wins including three in District to win the District title and make the playoffs.

The playoffs started for Holton at home against Osawatomie and the Wildcats took down the Trojans in a 35-12 victory and followed that up with a 22-7 road win over Frontenac to make the Sub-State round of the playoffs. In Sub-State it was a rematch of a second round playoff game the previous year against Columbus and the Wildcats avenged that loss scoring a late touchdown to come from behind for the 23-22 win and earn a spot in the 4A-DII State title game.

On to Salina for the State Championship game were Holton took on Holcomb, and Holcomb was able to hold the Wildcats rushing attack in check and it was a 21-0 final in favor of Holcomb, giving Holton a 4A-DII State runner-up finish for the year.

Throughout the season the potent rushing attack of the Wildcats led their offense as the team ran for 4,116 yards on the year, good for a 316.6 yard per game average with 35 of the teams 39 offensive scores coming via the rushing attack. Seven guys had over 100 yards rushing on the season for Holton with five having 598 yards or more on the season, while nine guys had at least one rushing touchdown on the year for an offense that scored 24.8 points per game.

On defense the Wildcats held their opponents to 13.5 points per game on the season, while forcing 34 turnovers, finishing the season with a +25 turnover margin.

The Wildcats wrapped up the season with a 9-4 record and showed a true team spirit sticking with each other and battling all season to grab a State runner-up finish.