Dominant 'Cats

Fitting that a defense that had allowed only 15 points in four playoff games got the ball rolling for Wilmington (13-1) in Friday's Class 2A championship game against Maroa-Forsyth (11-3) in Normal.
Defensive back Billy Moore intercepted a pass at the Wilmington 25 and five plays later, he broke away for a 43-yard touchdown run and an early 7-0 lead.
The 'Cats would score on every first half possession and roll to a 42-6 win for their fourth championship in school history.
"Still trying to get the emotions around this, but the kids set the goal way back in the winter and we talked about those expectations," said head coach Jeff Reents.
"It was great to be on this journey and go from point A to point B and to get better and better. Our kids did a great job of being resilient."
Moore's 45-yard run set up the second 'Cats score, a 20-yard run by Hunter Kaitschuck on the first play of the second quarter.
A 10-yard punt gave Wilmington great field position at the Trojan 31 on their third drive. It took only three plays for the potent 'Cats to take advantage.
This time it was Ryan Schraeger's turn. His 26-yard scamper made it 21-0 with 8:42 left in the second.
The quick strike Wildcat offense took a page out of their past seasons with an 11-play drive that took 6:02 off the clock. Ryan Kettman powered in for a two-yard score.
Maroa-Forsyth then lined up to punt and the snap went over the punter's head. Cooper Holman was first on the scene and forced the ball forward where Will Wilson recovered in the endzone for a 35-0 half-time advantage.
The 'Cats had 267 rushing yards in the first half and converted all three of their third down attempts.
Kettman fumbled on the opening play of the third quarter, but the Trojans ended up turning the ball over on downs.
The senior all-stater atoned right away, breaking free for a 61-yard touchdown on the next play and ensured a running clock the rest of the way, something Wilmington accomplished in all five playoff games.
Maroa-Forsyth finally broke through at the 8:24 mark of the fourth with a 57-yard touchdown pass, one of only three touchdowns the 'Cats surrendered in the postseason.
All that was left was running out the final 8:24 and the celebration could begin for the purple and white.
"We understand that not everyone gets this opportunity and for us to be up here is very special. Coming off the Coal City game and going into the playoffs we turned it up a notch," said Reents.
"Our kids really played at a high level and the biggest thing was can we maintain that level of play and we were able to do that with the experience we had coming back."
Kettman led the charge with 11 carries for 137 yards and Moore recorded 105 yards on only six rushes.
Kaitschuck added six rushes for 41 yards, Schraeger had 40 yards and Travis Van Duyne (23), Jay Nevels (22) and Nate Cupples (20) contributed to the effort along with Dane Van Duyne's 10 yards for a total of 396 yards on 43 carries for a 9.2 average.
Wilmington rushed for 2,145 yards as a team in five playoff games and recorded 6,058 rushing yards on the season for an average of 432.7 yards per game, a testament to their superb offensive line which included Declan Moran, Zach Ohlund, Jack Cutter, Logan Van Duyne, Evan Kuypers and Wilson.
"We are confident with each other and trust each other. We’ve been running the same thing for 14 years. You catch on. It's pretty easy now," said Ohlund during the press conference afterwards.
It seems like Wilmington kids start learning the double-wing offense almost as soon as they learn to walk.
Trojan coach Josh Jostes remarked that it's the best o-line he's seen in his 26 years.
Defensively, Brysen Meents recorded eight tackles and Moran had seven along with a sack. Nevels added four and Moore and Kettman both tallied three. Fynn Bryant, Dane Van Duyne, Kaitschuck (sack), Dierks Geiss and Colin Van Duyne all made two. Also in on a stop were Travis Van Duyne, Cupples and Ohlund.
Football in Wilmington is something special and there's nothing like it.
"As we took the field, it didn’t take long for us to hear our fans and see all the purple in the stands. That support has been outstanding," said Reents.