Holton ran its way to the school's third state title and an unbeaten season Saturday against Eudora, winning 21-0 in the 4A State Championship game in Salina.
"I've enjoyed the kids that we've had and the leadership that they've shown," said Holton coach Brooks Barta. "They've just been such a determined football team this year. They've been a joy to coach."
The Wildcats didn't complete a single pass in the game but had 218 yards on the ground. They held the Cardinals to 135 yards.
"Our defense did a great job," Barta said.
Both defenses played tough in the first, keeping it scoreless.
"We knew this was going to be a one-play-at-a-time game, because that's the way they play," Barta said. "Offensively, we just had to be patient and find what was there. We knew at some point we were going to make a special block or somebody was going to slip and they were going to make a mistake and we could take advantage of that."
With 2:16 left in the second the Wildcats' Chase Wilson found the endzone with a 9-yard touchdown scamper to but Holton up 7-0. He finished with 73 yards on five carries.
The Wildcats kept rolling in the third. Senior Jaxon Wright found room up the middle and broke of a thirty six-yard run. In the fourth it was Lance Lassiter who went 35-yards untouched for the touchdown.
For Eudora, it was the first loss of the season for the Cardinals, and the second straight season they lost 21-0 in the 4A title game, last year to Rose Hill.
For Holton, it's the third title, having also won in 2003 and 2005.
