It cannot be a storybook ending because there is still too much of this story to be told.
Still, Friday night was special for the Seton Catholic Cougars on the football field.
Especially the seniors.
C’mon. Who could have written this script?
Senior Night.
(Dad’s Night, too.)
Against rival La Center.
Winner to take control of the Trico League.
Oh, and a chance for these Seton Catholic Cougars to prove something to themselves, and to show the rest of Southwest Washington that any reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Three years ago, Seton finished second in the league then made it to the state semifinals.
Two years ago, Seton won a league title and made it to the state championship game.
Last year featured another league title, plus a trip to the quarterfinals.
This season? Seton Catholic started with back-to-back non-league losses. This was a younger team. This was a new team.
Was this the year La Center was going to return to the top?
The Cougars answered with an emphatic no on Friday.
Seton Catholic still rules the Trico.
The Seton Catholic defense held La Center to one score and held on for a 14-7 victory at home on Senior Night.
These Cougars have eight seniors: Ty Rogers, Graham Dumas, Cole Sullivan, Caden Reinebach, Connor Selby, Lincoln Elwell, Angelo Bortolazzo, and Jayden Henderson.
After Friday’s epic win, Clark County Today visited with the five seniors who played all four seasons with the Seton Catholic program.
“It’s a lasting memory,” Dumas said. “You’ll always have Senior Night. You can always go back and say, ‘I won Senior Night.’ You create a legacy, too, for everyone behind you and hope that they can do the same. It’s awesome.”
Dumas scored the first touchdown of this game, scooping up the loose ball after teammate Austin Bock blocked a La Center field goal in the first quarter.
“Don’t get caught,” Dumas said is all he was thinking as he was going the other way for a special teams touchdown.
“It was crazy. It got the crowd going. It was wild,” he said.
These seniors also thought of the leaders who came before them.
“It’s an honor just remembering the guys I played with my freshmen year, just watching them play,” Bortolazzo said. “And then being along for this ride, this journey, and carrying on this legacy with Seton. And once again, beating our rivals, it’s an honor.”
Henderson agreed.
“It feels really good to remember all the seniors before us who laid out that foundation,” Henderson said. “It feels really good to be able to continue that legacy. We did what we had to do.”
Selby was proud to represent the school and the community.
“We truly showed that we’re the best. We’re league champs, basically,” he said. “It’s Dad’s Night for us, too. Everything was riding on this game.”
Seton Catholic home games also showcase a pre-game prayer from the public address announcer — a reminder that this is a private, faith-based school.
The football players understand that mission, too.
“This is all from God. Every part of this, I don’t even know how to describe it. That was such a great experience for me. I’m so grateful for this,” Selby said.
“I’m so happy right now.”
Statistically, La Center had a stronger first half on Friday. Brady Brandenburg scored on a touchdown run late in the second quarter to tie the game, but that was it for the Wildcats. Whenever the Wildcats seemed poised to make a play, the Seton defense made a bigger play.
Both teams had missed opportunities in the third quarter, but Seton put together a scoring drive in the middle of the fourth quarter to take the lead. James Kautz found Reinebach for an 18-yard touchdown pass and a 14-7 lead.
La Center would get the ball two more times in the final six minutes. The Wildcats marched into the red zone in the final two minutes. Once again, the Seton Catholic defense was up to the challenge. Sullivan got the quarterback pressure on fourth down to secure the win.
Officially, Seton Catholic has not won the Trico League title just yet. Still, with a 4-0 league record with two games to play, and a win over La Center, the Cougars are clearly in control.
So, yes, the Cougars celebrated like they won a football title Friday night.
But they also wanted to share a message outside of football, too.
“It’s in our name. We’re Catholic. We’re proud. We’re proud to be Christian Catholics. This has been a journey God has given us,” Bortolazzo said. “Our football team is grounded in faith and making men of Christ.”
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