Wildcat Fever is running high at Oak Harbor High School, especially after the football team’s thrilling 26-22 victory over Skyview Saturday night.

That quarterfinal victory earned the Wildcats their first-ever trip to the state semi-finals. They face a daunting task when they play top-ranked Gonzaga Prep Saturday afternoon at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane.

Enthusiastic students spent their Monday morning decorating walls throughout the high school and preparing for a rally today, Wednesday, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Starlette Casey, ASB advisor, said students started calling her around midnight after the football team won, eager to start making preparations.

“The kids are beyond excited,” Casey said as students were painting banners in Parker Hall.

For the seniors, the football team’s semifinal playoff appearance is a chance to show school spirit and to mark their final year of high school.

“It’s a great way to end our senior year,” said senior Janelle Jordan.

Students are looking for ways to make the several-hundred-mile trip to Spokane.

“It’s our number-one priority,” said junior Kelsey Lambert. She’s planning to take the day off from work to make the trek across the state.

Today’s pep assembly features skits and, hopefully, comments from Mayor Patty Cohen.

Football fans will have some options to make the trip.

School officials are busy setting up rooter buses, which are available on a per-person basis. As of the News-Times’ holiday deadline Monday afternoon, details and rates hadn’t been announced yet.

Bob Smithson, school district athletic director, said the football team will leave Friday morning so they can arrive in Spokane in time for a Friday afternoon practice at the stadium. Game time Saturday is 1 p.m. and the team will return to Oak Harbor that afternoon.

Wildcat fans hoping to see the game televised on Wildcat TV are out of luck. Teacher Chris Douthitt said the students who have filmed five games this season won’t be able to film Saturday’s game. It turns out there are too many factors working against them even though students want to film the game.

“The will of the students is that we do go,” Douthitt said. However, it would take too much time, the adults involved with Wildcat TV have personal commitments and the trip would take too much of the program’s budget for it to be possible.

He is making tentative plans to film the finals in the Tacoma Dome should the Wildcats get past the Bullpups on Saturday.