(Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of articles revisiting the best local sports teams from each Big 30 school. Teams chosen range from undefeated regular seasons, to district titles, to success at the state level. Today: the 2007 Kane football team.)

Long before the Kane Wolves had taken their first snap of the 2007 season, something special was building.

Coming off of a 3-7 season the year before, Kane’s players dedicated themselves in the offseason in order to improve.

“I think in the preseason stuff — the 7-on-7s — we were seeing things. We knew we were fast and had a lot of speed that year and a lot of good seniors,” then-head coach Jason Barner said. “We saw it in the weight room and those 7-on-7s, the commitment.”

THE RESULT was success unparalleled in Kane’s program history to that point, as the Wolves rolled to a perfect regular season record of 9-0, winning each game by at least two scores. It marked Kane’s first undefeated regular season since 1962.

The key for Kane that season was a stingy defense that allowed just 8.5 points per game, forced 53 turnovers and posted three shutouts. It also boasted a balanced offense that saw quarterback Zach Anderson throw for 2,413 yards and 24 touchdowns while lead rusher Dustin Moran ran for 1,252 yards and 24 scores of his own.

“The other teams couldn’t just prepare for the pass or just the rush. They had to prepare for everything,” Moran said. “We were just perfectly balanced.”

Barner noted of his defense, “It was incredible. We had speed and kids on defense that were like coaches on the field… They knew what we wanted to do coverage-wise, and with stunts and blitzes, which made it easy to implement and do different things.”

The leader of that unit was junior Ross Nicholson, an eventual Big 30 All-Star who led the team in sacks (14.5), tackles (146) and fumble recoveries (4). D.J. Horton led the Wolves secondary with seven picks that season.

THAT SUCCESS was just the beginning, though. After posting an undefeated regular season, Kane faced unbeaten Cameron County in the Allegheny Mountain League championship game, which the Wolves won 21-13 inside a packed Paul R. Miller Stadium at Kane. The win set Kane’s record for longest winning streak, which only grew further as the postseason went on.

“That game had so much hype, it was incredible,” Barner said, adding, “That was one for the history books. People went six or seven deep at the field.”

Added Moran, “I still remember being out on the field and looking around, and I’ve never seen that many people at a football game in District 9. It was like I was in an NFL stadium. At the time I didn’t realize how big it was.”

The game certainly lived up to that billing, too. After Cameron County took an early 7-0 lead, Kane scored a pair of touchdowns on passes from quarterback Zach Anderson to take a 14-7 lead.

The Red Raiders responded and drew to within 14-13, before Kane’s D.J. Horton returned a punt 66 yards to the Cameron County nine to set up a touchdown run by Moran with just over eight minutes to go to put an exclamation point on the win.

“I was happy when it was over,” Barner joked of the in-game pressure. “There was a lot of buildup for that, and it was super excited for the coaches and kids.”

AS IT turns out, the two teams were on a collision course to meet again in the District 9 championship game a few weeks later. Kane thumped Curwensville 32-0 in the first round of the D9 playoffs and then toppled Coudersport 26-6 in the semifinals, while Cameron County posted shutouts against Keystone (28-0) and Redbank Valley (34-0) to set up the rematch.

“It’s hard to beat anybody twice, and there was a lot of hype,” Barner noted. “We were ready for each other, and it was a punch and counterpunch kind of game.”

Indeed, just as it was in Round 1, the teams got into a defensive struggle, with Kane taking a 14-6 victory over its rivals from Emporium.

Kane grabbed a 6-0 lead in the third quarter on a touchdown pass by Anderson, but the play that sealed the deal for the Wolves was a score by Kane’s defense.

With 4:53 to go and Kane clinging to that six-point lead, Moran intercepted a Red Raider pass and returned it for a touchdown to put Kane up 14-0, a lead that proved to be insurmountable on the night.

Moran was only on the field because of an injury to one of Kane’s usual starters at linebacker. Nonetheless, he made what was perhaps the biggest play of Kane’s season to that point.

“I didn’t really know plays or calls. (Coaches) just said I was locked on tight ends,” Moran recalled. “The tight end started blocking, so I looked over to the main (receiver for Cameron County), and I saw him coming across so I dropped back. The next thing I remember was we were celebrating in the end zone.”

A late Cameron County touchdown wasn’t enough for the Red Raiders to mount a comeback, and Kane went on to win 14-6 for its first ever District 9 title.

“Winning that title was surreal,” Barner said. “It was a huge weight lifted off our backs. The kids put so much time in, and it was great for our community and everybody involved. It was a huge win for the program.”

Added Moran, “It was probably one of the biggest highlights of my life. Everyone will remember that.”

THAT DEFENSE proved to be vital moving forward, too, as the Wolves knocked off Mercyhurst Prep 12-7 in the PIAA quarterfinals to reach the state semis before running into state runner-up Serra Catholic. Serra toppled the Wolves 48-21 to end their season at 14-1.

“(Reaching the semifinals) doesn’t happen very often. It got real for us when we were looking at possibly making room reservations in Hershey the following week,” Barner said. “It was uncharted waters for a D9 team.”

Kane had drawn to within 21-14 of SC before the Eagles returned the ensuing kickoff after Kane’s score for a touchdown.

“It broke our back,” Barner said. “Our kids fought, but (Serra Catholic was) fast and big. And there was lots and lots of snow that week. I’m not sure we got outside (for practice) that week at all because of the snow we had.”

Still, the legacy of that Wolves team is something Barner remembers fondly.

“It was awesome to get to that point. To end the season at 14-1, those kids and memories we have together from that year are incredible. I know I’ve taken them with me for the rest of my life,” he said.