Anyone who thinks that the only time to watch high school football is on Friday nights didn’t happen to stop by the Brainerd football field on Wednesday afternoon. Cheered on by a small but devoted crowd, the Wildcats flag football team secured itself a berth in the 2013 State Final Four.

It hasn’t been an easy road for the Cats, who nearly had their hopes for a state title quashed with a tough loss to Lake Forest last month.

“It’s an emotional ride to say the least,” commented senior Jeff Barton. “Going down to Lake Forest is always tough, and that’s probably the biggest obstacle we’ve had.”

The Cats were able to right the ship quickly; they won all of their remaining games to set up a showdown against St. Ignatius on Wednesday for a chance to head to state. In a game that featured several lead changes and even more near-heart attacks, the Cats came out on top due to a key interception by junior corner Derek Feiereisel on the Cats’ own 2-yard line.

“It feels great,” Feiereisel said with a smile. “I saw the play coming and just tried to knock it down. Thankfully I got the pick.”

No one on the field was more excited than Johnny Vernasco, the team captain who was sidelined with an ankle injury. He’s trying to make his presence felt even though he hasn’t been able to boast his diverse wide receiver skill set. After the dramatic finish on Wednesday, Vernasco perched himself on top of the bleachers and gave Feiereisel the coveted game MVP award.

“One fun thing we do is give a game ball after every game…I think that adds a lot of fun to the game,” Vernasco said.

Feiereisel accepted the ball proudly…then took it back to the equipment bag so they could use it for the next game.

The next game will prove to be one of the toughest challenges of the year; St. Rita, their opponent, is a perennial powerhouse. The state semifinals are held at Halas Hall, the Chicago Bears’ headquarters in Lake Forest, on Saturday October 26th at 10:00 AM.

“It will be an honor to use the same bathroom stall as Matt Forte,” Barton commented.

Head Coach Dan Gooris should have his team ready to play come tomorrow. His veteran leadership has earned the admiration of this year’s team.

“He’s more of a lead-by-example kind of guy,” Vernasco shared. “His knowledge of the game of football is unparalleled.”

Junior Jimmy Govern knows that it will take more than just knowledge to take down St. Rita. He explains that the team has employed some unique methods to achieve maximum results.

“We’re on a strict gluten-free diet until game day,” he joked.

The Cats will take any edge they can get, and they’ll need it tomorrow when they take one step closer to the State Championship at Soldier Field.