Listening to the Kellogg Wildcats boys basketball game at the state tournament on KWAL this afternoon, plus listening to songs from the "Queen's Greatest Hits" CD on the way to the theater this evening transported me back in time to the year 1981, my senior year, when the Kellogg Wildcats made it to the state championship game.
Our theme song that year should have been "We Are The Champions".
Instead, the opposing team's pep band played, "Another One Bites the Dust".
But it was a fun ride with this team. I started watching most of these guys our freshman year, when they played at Kellogg Junior High School. I played in the pep band, and so I was always at the games. If our freshman team wasn't undefeated that year, I know we were pretty close.
I think by our freshman year, Shawn Lannen and Don Teller were both at least 6 feet tall, which was a great help. Danny Marek was a great shooter, too. He was the last of a string of Marek boys that were great basketball players at KHS.
And, as these guys progressed through high school, the teams made it to state every year. This run has started when PKR was a senior, and his team made it to state in 1978. I remember what a big deal this was. I was a freshman that year at KJHS, and they piped the game over the loud speakers in the school, and we listened to the game during class, because it was such a big deal.
The Wildcats would make it to state the next three years while I was at KHS. State tourament trips were always fun. I think my sophomore year we were in Boise, then my junior year we were in Nampa. Our senior year, they decided to move the tournament up north, and, if I'm not mistaken, and we played in the Post Falls High School gym.
(If any of my information is incorrect, please feel free to correct this. I know Laurie and Lee would know some better details, if you read this post.)
The Wildcats made it through the tourament, and to the state championship game, the first time since the Wildcats were state champions in the 1960's I believe.
We were playing Madison High School.
It was down to the wire. With just seconds remaining, I believe the game was tied, and Madison shot the ball and won the game.
We were so close. It was heartbreaking.
I still remember how awful I thought it was for the other band to play "Another One Bites the Dust".
Winning second place was a great honor.
But our theme song should have been "We Are The Champions".
