Here’s a game-by-game summary of the Oak Harbor Wildcats’ football season which culminated Dec. 2 with the state 4A championship.

Oak Harbor 28,

Marysville-Pilchuck 10

The Wildcats’ march to the state title began Sept. 1 with a home game against Marysville-Pilchuck.

Coach Dave Ward knew he had a number of experienced players returning to the roster, but also knew it was important to get off on the right foot in the first game of the season — particularly when playing against a league opponent.

The game broke down to a tale of two halves.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half and then had to overcome some mistakes in the second 24 minutes of action to beat the Tomahawks 28-10.

Chris Valencia rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Marshall Lobbestael passed for 80 yards and another TD.

Oak Harbor 42,

Arlington 13

The following week was the first road game and the Wildcats had little trouble in routing Arlington 42-13.

Oak Harbor dominated every aspect of the game, building a 42-0 lead before the Eagles were able to score twice late in the contest.

Oak Harbor 47,

Meadowdale 7

In the Sept. 15 matchup against Meadowdale, Lobbestael showed why he is one of the top quarterbacks in the state by throwing for 226 yards and six touchdowns in the 49-7 shellacking of the Mavericks.

Rodrick Rumble caught three scoring passes, with Tony Thulin, Brendon Kays and Jeff Lamont catching one apiece. Thulin also scored on a 34-yard run on the Wildcats’ first play.

Oak Harbor 34,

Snohomish 14

The Sept. 22 showdown at Memorial Stadium against Snohomish erased any doubts who was the top cat in the WesCo North.

Coming off his best passing night ever the previous week against Meadowdale, Lobbestael threw five touchdown passes and 245 total yards as the Wildcats hammered the previously unbeaten Panthers 34-14.

Rumble made three more TD catches to increase his season total to seven and Valencia rushed for 107 yards.

The only downside to the game was when Will Hunter injured his knee in the second quarter. The senior tackle was sidelined for two games with the injury.

Oak Harbor 42,

Everett 14

Sporting a 3-0 league record and 4-0 overall mark, Everett was Oak Harbor’s next victim on Sept. 29 as the Wildcats defeated the Seagulls 42-14 on their home turf.

Valencia rushed for three touchdowns and Lobbestael passed for 223 yards and two more scores.

Oak Harbor 49,

Stanwood 21

Now ranked fourth in the state, Oak Harbor delighted the homecoming crowd at Memorial Stadium with as 49-21 blowout of Stanwood Oct. 6.

Valencia scored three times and Lobbestael passed for 238 yards to up his season total to 1,117.

Oak Harbor built a 49-0 lead before Ward turned the game over to his reserve players late in the third quarter.

Lake Stevens 24,

Oak Harbor 21

The only hiccup during the season came Oct. 13 against Lake Stevens.

Playing on the Vikings’ home field, Oak Harbor committed several costly first-half turnovers and Lake Stevens laid a 24-21 loss on the Wildcats.

Ward said the team was not blocking and not executing and those factors, combined with the turnovers, is what cost the Wildcats the game and kept them from a perfect season record.

Oak Harbor 35,

Monroe 27

Rebounding Oct. 20 in the final football game at Memorial Stadium, Lobbestael threw three TD passes and Thulin returned the second half kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown as the Wildcats defeated Monroe 35-27.

Lobbestael passed for 287 yards and his three touchdown passes upped his season total to 24. Valencia carried the ball 11 times for 86 yards.

Oak Harbor 14,

Cascade 12

On Oct. 27, Oak Harbor traveled to Everett to play Cascade for the WesCo North championship. A win would give the Wildcats the championship, while a loss would have dropped the team into third place.

The Wildcats scored all of their points in the first quarter and that was enough to get the job done.

After Cascade fumbled the opening kickoff, Lobbestal hit Thulin on a 16-yard scoring pass and Mike Johnston’s kick made the score 7-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, Johnston slipped and executed a perfect onside kick which Michael Bressler recovered at the Bearcats’ 40-yard line.

Michael Bell caught a 41-yard pass on a third-and-17 situation and Valencia pounded the ball in

the end zone from 5 yards out for a 14-0 lead.

Cascade scored midway through the first quarter and added another TD early in the second period, but both point-after tries failed and Oak Harbor clung to a 14-12 lead.

For the remainder of the game, Oak Harbor’s defensive unit kept the Bearcats from scoring and the Wildcats clinched the WesCo North with a 14-12 victory to end the regular season with a 7-1 record in league games and 8-1 overall.

Then came the state playoffs.

Oak Harbor 55,

Kentwood 7

In the opening round against Kentwood, Valencia scored four touchdowns and Will Hunter attained every defensive lineman’s dream by returning an intercepted pass for a score as the Wildcats rolled to an easy 55-7 victory over the Conquerers.

Valencia had 131 yards on 21 carries as parts of Oak Harbor’s 321 yards in rushing offense.

Oak Harbor 43,

Mariner 42 (2 OT)

Up against Mariner in the second round, the game went into double overtime before Lobbestael hit Rumble with a pass for a 2-point conversion to give the Wildcats a 43-42 victory in one of the most exciting games of the season.

The game was tied 28-28 at the end of regulation and Valencia gave Oak Harbor a 35-28 advantage on a 1-yard run in the first overtime period.

Mariner came right back to tie the score and then went ahead 42-35 to open the second overtime frame, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

Thulin scored on a 10-yard run to make the count 42-41 and then came the first of three successful 2-point conversions.

When a pass from Johnny Encinas to Lamont was complete and everyone thought the game was over, but Mariner was offside prior to the snap.

Then, after the Wildcats were penalized five yards, Encinas connected with Bennett Richter for the second 2-point conversion, but Oak Harbor had an ineligible player down field.

Now with the ball at the 11-yard line the Wildcats had to score or the season was over.

It was then Lobbestael hit a leaping Rumble in the right side of the end zone and the junior swingback held on to the football

for a heart-stopping 43-42 win.

Oak Harbor 26,

Skyview 22

After two games at Oak Harbor’s “home away from home” in Mount Vernon, the Wildcats had to travel to Snohomish to host the quarterfinal against undefeated Skyview and the game was another nail-biter.

Oak Harbor overcame a few bad breaks and with 38 seconds left in the game, Thulin scored on a 4-yard run to give the Wildcats a 26-24 victory.

The game was a wild one start to finish.

Skyview took a 15-12 lead with 6:22 left in the game, but a 13-yard Lobbestael run put the Wildcats ahead.

A 63-yard Skyview drive put the Storm back on top 22-29 with 3:01 remaining and the game appeared to be over after Lobbestael threw an interception with 1:40 showing on the clock. But Skyview was penalized for a personal foul, Oak Harbor retained possession of the football and Thulin eventually

scored the game-winning touch-

down.

Oak Harbor 14,

Gonzaga Prep 10

To be the best you have to de-

feat the best, and that’s exactly

what the Wildcats did Nov. 25 in

the state semifinals.

Gonzaga Prep entered the game as the number-one ranked Class 4A team in the state and held a 10-0 lead at the 9:40 mark of the second quarter. But that was the last points the Bullpups would put on the board.

A Lobbestael to Thulin pass with 4:53 remaining in the second quarter made the score 10-7 and an 8-yard strike to Lamont with 10:23 left in the game put Oak Harbor in front to stay.

Once again, the Wildcats’ defense really stepped things up and held the Bullpups’ option-style offense in check, giving up less than 175 total yards.

Oak Harbor 21,

Bothell 14

What more can be said?

A huge crowd of loyal supporters in the Tacoma Done witnessed the Wildcats’ dream come true

winning the state title in a 21-14 victory over Bothell to bring the championship trophy to Oak Harbor for the first time in history.

Touchdown passes from Lobbestael to Lamont and Thulin, combined with a 21-yard TD run

by Valencia, along with three suc-

cessful Johnston point-after kicks accounted for the Wildcats’ scoring, while the defense recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass to thwart scoring drives.

It was a heck of a season for players and fans alike.

For the year, Lobbestael threw for 2,776 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Valencia had a total of 1,131 rushing yards and scored 96 points.

Rumble caught 46 passes for 762 yards and led the team in scoring with 104 points.

Thulin caught 26 passes for 553 yards and rushed for an additional 355 yards while scoring 94 points, and Lamont caught 38 passes for 518 yards.

On defense, Joe Raymond led the team in tackles with 101, including 98 of the solo variety.

Jake Rouser had 87 tackles, Matt Davison had 75 and Valencia had 71.

Brendan Kays and Lamont led

the team in interceptions with three apiece and Rouser recover-

ered five fumbles.

The 2006 football season for players and fans was one not soon to be forgotten for Oak Harbor fans.