Twenty years ago, the Sonora Wildcats fielded the most successful football team the school had ever produced. They were perfect. They finished the 1995 season 13-0, with a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III Championship victory over the three-time defending champions, the Del Oro Golden Eagles.
The dream season didn't have a definitive starter to begin the season. Head coach Gary Smith had a three-way battle for the starting signal caller, and he was unsure if Derik Rickson, Joe Barton, or senior Zack Abernathy would get the job.
With Abernathy the opening night starter against the Hughson Huskies, it was senior running back Josh Parry who stole the show from the first time he touched the ball. Parry scored on an 80 yard run the first Sonora …show more content…
Parry scored on a six yard run and a 24 yard pass reception from Rickson. Sonora won its second straight game to start the season, with a 24-7 win.
In the first Valley Oak League game the 'Cats played, they welcomed the 2-0 Ceres Bulldogs to Dunlavy Field. Sonora racked up 315 total yards, 250 on the ground, in a 26-0 shutout. Mike Zimmerman scored on a 19 yard pass from Abernathy, and Isreal Speer had a 29 yard touchdown run.
In a 47-20 win on the road over West, Parry, Speer, Vann, and Paul Nicoals each rushed for a touchdown. Parry and Reynolds each caught a touchdown pass from Abernathy and Andy Wilson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a Sonora defensive …show more content…
Sonora won 55-13. Speer scored three times and Phillips scored twice. Barton returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.
The second round of the playoffs were no different, as the 'Cats took care of West, 38-8. With the win, Sonora earned a shot playing for a Section Championship.
The Wildcats would have to take on three-time defending champion Del Oro. Sonora fell to Del Oro in the 1992 Section Championship game, 20-12. Two years before that, the 'Cats lost to Folsom 10-7 in the Section Championship game. Smith was 0-2 in the big game.
Del Oro was 12-0, and ranked No. 2 in California. The Golden Eagle's defense only surrendered 90 points all season, and were riding a 23 game winning-streak. The Del Oro game plan was to stop the Vol Player of the Year, Parry, and the Sonora running game, and force Abernathy to beat them through the air.
On December 4, 1995, Sonora took the University of the Pacific field, and beat Del Oro 24-3. Reanolds hauled in a 39 yard pass from Abernathy, which was the longest pass of the game. Phillips returned a Del Oro punt 61 yards for a score, and Abernathy put the game away on a 1 yard quarterback sneak. The 'Cats held the powerful Golden Eagles offense to only three
The dream season didn't have a definitive starter to begin the season. Head coach Gary Smith had a three-way battle for the starting signal caller, and he was unsure if Derik Rickson, Joe Barton, or senior Zack Abernathy would get the job.
With Abernathy the opening night starter against the Hughson Huskies, it was senior running back Josh Parry who stole the show from the first time he touched the ball. Parry scored on an 80 yard run the first Sonora …show more content…
Parry scored on a six yard run and a 24 yard pass reception from Rickson. Sonora won its second straight game to start the season, with a 24-7 win.
In the first Valley Oak League game the 'Cats played, they welcomed the 2-0 Ceres Bulldogs to Dunlavy Field. Sonora racked up 315 total yards, 250 on the ground, in a 26-0 shutout. Mike Zimmerman scored on a 19 yard pass from Abernathy, and Isreal Speer had a 29 yard touchdown run.
In a 47-20 win on the road over West, Parry, Speer, Vann, and Paul Nicoals each rushed for a touchdown. Parry and Reynolds each caught a touchdown pass from Abernathy and Andy Wilson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a Sonora defensive …show more content…
Sonora won 55-13. Speer scored three times and Phillips scored twice. Barton returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.
The second round of the playoffs were no different, as the 'Cats took care of West, 38-8. With the win, Sonora earned a shot playing for a Section Championship.
The Wildcats would have to take on three-time defending champion Del Oro. Sonora fell to Del Oro in the 1992 Section Championship game, 20-12. Two years before that, the 'Cats lost to Folsom 10-7 in the Section Championship game. Smith was 0-2 in the big game.
Del Oro was 12-0, and ranked No. 2 in California. The Golden Eagle's defense only surrendered 90 points all season, and were riding a 23 game winning-streak. The Del Oro game plan was to stop the Vol Player of the Year, Parry, and the Sonora running game, and force Abernathy to beat them through the air.
On December 4, 1995, Sonora took the University of the Pacific field, and beat Del Oro 24-3. Reanolds hauled in a 39 yard pass from Abernathy, which was the longest pass of the game. Phillips returned a Del Oro punt 61 yards for a score, and Abernathy put the game away on a 1 yard quarterback sneak. The 'Cats held the powerful Golden Eagles offense to only three