Took 3 months to find it in me to write anything of substance about losing my mother, but the holidays felt like the right time to do it. Of course, she was on top of things and did her Christmas shopping over the summer this year.

.@WilmingtonFB had five touchdown drives of two plays or less as the Wildcats controlled Tri-Valley in Saturday's IHSA Class 2A quarterfinal, sending Wilmington to its third straight state semifinal. @MSchweizerTDJS' story: https://t.co/y1NToGWS1M

Our recap from Wilmington

Travis Van Duyne’s 6-yard TD run makes it 49-7 Wildcats a minute into the fourth

Kix Yaklich gets the Vikings on the board with a 12-yard TD run. 42-7 Wilmington with 8:46 in the third

Kaitschuk takes the first play of the second half 60 yards to the crib and we’ll start running the clock. 42-0 Wildcats seconds into the third

Kettman breaks a 69-yarder as time expires. 35-0 Wilmington at the half

A 47-yard touchdown from Hunter Kaitschuck makes it 28-0 Wildcats with 4:11 in the half. Accidentally stopped my video halfway through, enjoy this ending

Kettman again, this time a 24-yarder. Wilmington leads 21-0 with 2:26 in the first

Here’s that video that decided not to post after all

Now a 1-play drive as Billy Moore keeps it for a 77-yard score that makes it 14-0 Wilmington five minutes in

While my intro video was still posting, Ryan Kettman just took the second Wilmington play 56 yards to the house. 7-0 Wildcats with 9:02 in the first

Bill and I are five minutes from hitting the 105.5, 106.5 and 1320 airwaves, as well as https://t.co/XIYHa5olhQ. We’re in Wilmington to watch the Wildcats take on Tri-Valley in the Class 2A quarters. As always, I’m also here for @TDJsports

Even better kid than he is a football player. And he’s one of the best football players you’ll see

Sophie Duis puts it away for a 25-11 second set win that has Cissna Park back at state for the third year in a row

A WSS block goes out of bounds and the Timberwolves take the first set 25-22

The Cissna Park starters

An absolutely stunning Heyworth High School campus is the scene for the third straight Class 1A Super-Sectional to feature Cissna Park and Windsor-Stewardson/Strasburg, the last two of which have gone the way of the Timberwolves. We’re set to start at 6

Forgot I was having video trouble and didn’t get that video posted out, but Providence did hold on by that 35-25 final to defeat the Kays and advance to next weekend’s quarterfinal against Washington.

Brayden McKay powers in from 12 yards out to put the Celtics back up by two scores. They lead 35-25 with 4:14 remaining

Cedric Terrell III is unbelievable. His 52-yard pick six cuts the Providence lead to 28-25 after Terrell converted for 2 here.