The first possession for the La Center Wildcats changed a lot, not just for the rest of the game, but maybe even for the team’s postseason outlook.
The Wildcats suffered a 12-7 loss to the Seton Catholic Cougars in a 1A Trico League title showdown. The Wildcats also suffered the loss of starting quarterback and senior leader Nate Rembisz with an arm injury on the first drive for the Cats. After the game, La Center Athletic Director Matt Cooke provided a positive update in that it is believed the injury to Rembisz is a deep bone bruise, not a fracture.
“Nate was a big part of our game plan on offense and defense,” La Center head coach John Lambert said.
The injury wiped out some plays from the play sheet, too, and even some defensive schemes, Lambert added.
Adrian Whited, a sophomore, stepped in at free safety, and junior Jett Johnson stepped in at quarterback. Lambert said those two didn’t receive many reps in preparation for the game.
“You don’t plan for someone to get hurt,” he said. “And so I was really proud of how they stepped up and the kids fought all the way to the end. You know, this isn’t the end of our season. So we’re going to get ready for week 10 and then go from there.”
The Wildcats’ fourth quarter performance was eerily similar to week seven in 2023 at Seton Catholic in the rain. That time, the Wildcats completed quite the comeback for a 14-13 win and to stay undefeated.
In 2025, in the rain at Seton Catholic, the Wildcats were stopped short of the comeback, though. La Center scored and converted the extra point deep in the fourth quarter, coming within five points of the lead. The defense held the Cougars to a three-and-out. The players and Seton faithful got loud as a fourth down corner-of-the-end zone pass for the Wildcats did not connect, turning the ball over and falling short of league title hopes.
For Lambert, the adversity of the final game of the regular season fulfilled the theme of the week.
“Our theme of the week was adversity,” he said. “We faced a lot of it today. We don’t know who we’re going to play until Sunday, and then we’re just going to get after it this week and know what we need to do and get better at what we’re doing.”
Now, looking at week 10, the Wildcats will face a tough opponent. The Wildcats enter week 10 after a 7-2 regular season record. The 8-1 Granite Falls Tigers will visit La Center Community Stadium for a showdown against the Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m.
