The last time the Warrenton football program won a conference title, this year’s 12 seniors were still in diapers and the most recent leading rusher wasn’t even born yet.

Mustering up the confidence to achieve something never before modeled for them, the Warriors dispatched Orchard Farm 53-27 last Friday to claim the school’s first-ever Gateway Athletic Conference North title and first conference title since winning the Eastern Missouri Conference in 2001.

“It’s an amazing feeling, especially because we’ve talked about this for years, and to accomplish this with my best friends is awesome,” said senior quarterback Brenden Smith. “We worked so hard this summer, and it was great to see it pay off.”

While the players have no recollection of that accomplishment, Head Coach Steve McDowell has been around long enough to have witnessed the rise and fall of the program. Now in his 26th year, the head coach acknowledges this group of players is one of the best over the past three decades, ranking up there with the 2001 team that finished the season 8-2.

“I feel we’re the best team in the conference,” said McDowell. 

Some may argue that, with the Warriors having lost 34-28 at St. Charles West in Week 5. The setback put Warrenton’s title hopes in jeopardy until Orchard Farm beat St. Charles West the very next week. With all three teams finishing conference play 3-1, it resulted in a three-way tie for first.

“This is a huge accomplishment for us,” said McDowell. “It’s a goal we’d set at the beginning of the season. And while we’d like to have it outright, this is still very important for this program as we head into the playoffs.”

With a win over Fort Zumwalt East Friday, the Warriors will finish the regular season 8-1 and claim the No. 1 seed in Class 4 District 7. They have the opportunity to finish with the best record in school history, matching the one-loss team from 1995 led by Smith’s father, Matt.

“To be a part of what this team has accomplished is the greatest feeling in the world,” said senior receiver Brandon Molinari. “We have waited our whole lives for the chance to accomplish something big, and I think our chance is finally here.”

Molinari eludes to a playoff run, something that this group of seniors remembers watching in 2010. But they had never witnessed a previous Warrenton team win a conference title, and Orchard Farm had dealt the Warriors a bitter 26-17 defeat last season.

“We knew they were a beatable team,” said Caleb Strauss. “We went from trying to convince ourselves we could win to being completely confident that we could through our hard work. I thought that showed in all aspects of the game on Friday, with everybody performing their jobs so well.”

Despite the success of the 2010 team, which reached the state championship game, this year’s group has the chance to distinguish itself. The 2010 program was unable to claim the GAC title, losing two conference games. They finished 11-4, and with a win this Friday, the 2017 team will stand to lose no more than two contests as it heads into the postseason.

“This is all very rewarding for us after we’ve put  in so much hard work through all these years,” said senior Johnny Wiltsch, who has played with most of his senior teammates since little league.

The Warriors may have once been content with the thought of a two-loss season, but as their win total has increased, so have their expectations.  McDowell says this team’s selfless approach has the potential to carry it a long way.

“They play for each other,” said McDowell of his seniors, “and that’s the biggest thing that’s really helped us this season is that leadership they’ve given.”