With each victory this season, Warrenton has set itself apart as one of most distinguished teams in school history. Last Wednesday, the Warriors snapped a 12-year postseason drought, earning their first playoff win since 1998. Following Monday's triumph over Jennings, they find themselves among the field of just eight remaining teams in Class 3. The Warriors will host Ladue in a quarterfinal playoff at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. For coach Ken Moore, this is a product of three years of work coming to fruition. This year's senior class has the unique accomplishment of having earned three straight playoff berths. But the Warriors are no longer complacent with simply making an appearance in the postseason. A winning record does not suffice. "We had a lot to step up to after finishing last year at 6-4," admits junior Austin Black. "All this summer, we kept on saying, 'We're not going to be a 6-4 team again.' " A school that isn't necessarily beaming with football tradition now has the chance to establish itself on the gridiron map. It certainly stands out among a list of seven other remaining schools — particularly, three powerhouses. On the opposite side of the bracket are Webb City and Kearney, which have combined for seven of the last 10 Class 4 titles. Before moving up, Harrisonville practically had a monopoly on Class 3. Until this point in the season, all Warrenton had in common with those skills was its turf field. A school that lost 27 games in a row between 2003 and 2006 has been hard-pressed to earn its critics mistakes. Now they are simply hoping to achieve that one game at a time. Getting to the point has been a combination of factors, according to Moore. The playoff schedule has been more generous than in the previous two seasons, when the Warriors faced eventual runners-up Helias in the opening round. Then there is the evidence that this team has become more equipped for winning big games after being dealt close defeats early in the regular season. The Warriors dropped three games in a four-game stretch. Moore wishes he could have at least two of those losses back, feeling like the Warriors let winnable games slip from their grasps. The other defeat came at Union, which is still standing strong at 11-1 in the bottom of the Class 4 bracket. Much of the Warriors' success has centered around the dual threat ability of senior quarterback Scotty Lathrop. He will be starting his 34th straight game, after being unexpectedly thrust into the starting role during the second game of his sophomore season. For a while, Lathrop was merely running for his life out there. Now he is shaking and baking his way around defenders to the tune of nearly 1,600 rushing yards this season. During Monday's comeback victory over a super-speedy Jennings, his quickness between the tackles and on defense was pivotal. Lathrop says its so humbling knowing his class is largely responsible for the resurgence of Warrenton football. “We love to be the kids to make the transformation of this program,” Lathrop said. “It's a big win for us. We know we should play a little better. We want to keep this rolling and keep this tradition going at Warrenton.” And Moore says what makes this team special is that a different unsung hero usually rises to the challenge each week. Against Jennings, Lathrop was quick to throw that title at junior Jason Bunge. He was responsible for 81 yards on five receptions, including a drive that he kept alive with three catches. Bunge isn't accustomed to being the gamechanger, especially on stages of this magnitude. Black has been in that heroic role, as has junior receiver Nick Todd. Then there's offensive line, which has progressed substantially throughout the season. But the key ingredient to this playoff run has been the defense rising to the challenge, according to Moore. It will face another tough challenge Saturday against probably the fasest opponent to date.