Go, 'Cats, GO!

I've never gone to a school that had a football program.  Southwest has, during different years, had a really great basketball team, usually a pretty good baseball and track team, and for the last couple of years, has gone to nationals, with most of the kids in the different age groups placing either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.  No football, though.

During my freshmen and sophomore years of college, the Fontbonne men's soccer team went to nationals in their division.  The women's softball team was always pretty good.  Both the men's and women's basketball teams have been hit and miss.  They've since added a lacrosse team for both men and women, but I have no idea what they've done.  Still, though, no football. 

At the time, it really didn't matter a whole lot to me that there was no football, as I was just a casual sports fan.  I'd watch the occasional Super Bowl.  If I was over at someone's house and they had the game on, cool. 

Now, though, since I've become a much bigger fan of sports in general, I really wish I had a "home team" to root for.  Enter the Cassville Wildcats.  For those of you who don't know, Cassville was the "Big Town" about 8 miles north of my hometown of Washburn.  It's where we went to go to "The Wal-Mart", we would "cruise the square" on Friday and Saturday nights, making a loop around Sonic and the courthouse, occasionally parking there on the square to talk to our friends, try to meet members of the opposite sex, or try to find someone to buy beer for us - er, um, just make friends with the older generation.  Yeah, that's the ticket. 

Cassville is the closest town to Washburn to have a football program.  Even though they were our arch rivals in basketball, I now live vicariously through them and root for them.  Besides, my sisters all graduated from there, because Ma moved there in '92 after I graduated, and she also was a school counselor there for many years. 

Anyway, the last two years in a row they won the Missouri State Division III Championship, in 2008 against Cardinal Ritter, and in 2009 against Bowling Green.  They hadn't lost a game since August 28, 2009...until today. 

Today they lost the semi-final game of the playoffs against an also-undefeated Richmond team, 23-21.  They had a really great season, and I'm sure this won't be the last the Division III playoffs see the likes of the Cassville Wildcats.  This yellow and black stroke today is for you!  Good job, boys, and congratulations on a great season of football!