The Montgomery County football team is a step closer to its first district championship in 20 years.

The Wildcats cruised to a 44-7 win over the Hermann Bearcats on Friday in a Class 2, District 2 semifinal game at Jim Blacklock Field to advance to the championship game against the Bowling Green Bobcats. The game will be played at Jim Blacklock Field, but the time and date have yet to be determined.

MCHS will look to win its first district championship since 2005. That year, the program went on to place second in the Class 2 state tournament. The Wildcats have won 11 district titles

The last time the Wildcats played for a district championship was in 2007, when they competed in a winner-take-all district title game against Centralia in which they lost 58-6. During that time, Missouri football district play was in a different format in which three teams played in a round-robin format and the team with the best record advances to the state playoffs. District tournament play was switched to a single-elimination tournament format in 2012.

The Wildcats beat Hermann for the second time this season. MCHS knocked off the Bearcats 26-18 in the season opener for both teams on Aug. 29. In the district contest, the Wildcats scored all of their points in the first half.

Adrian Combs scored two touchdowns and Lafe McCurdy, Wyatt March, Jackson Benney and Colby Ellis each had a touchdown for the Wildcats, who defeated Hermann in back-to-back contests for the first time since 2012-2013.

A 52-yard touchdown run by McCurdy and a two-point conversion by Mac Farrar with 2:23 left in the first quarter gave the Wildcats an 8-0 lead. MCHS scored 36 points in the second quarter and led 44-0 at halftime.

MCHS is the top seed in the seven-district tournament. The Wildcats earned a quarterfinal-round bye.

Fourth-seeded Hermann, which finished its season at 2-9, defeated Cuba 32-20 in a quarterfinal game on Oct. 31 at its home field to advance to the semifinals. Aiden Eikermann scored the Bearcats’ only points with a touchdown in the fourth quarter. 

The Wildcats played in the district semifinals for the third time since the playoff format change in 2012. The last time they played in the district semifinals was in 2020, when they lost to North Callaway 50-49 in overtime in a Class 2, District 5 semifinal at North Callaway. It was also the last time MCHS played a district game in November.

Now, the Wildcats are looking to extend their season by beating a Bowling Green team that has won district titles in each of the last four years. The Bobcats, who are the No. 2 seed, won 54-12 over third-seeded Priory in a semifinal game on Friday. 

MCHS improved to 8-2 with the win over Hermann. The Wildcats also won their seventh straight game. They haven’t lost since Week 3 against North Callaway. 

MCHS held an opponent to single digits for the fourth time this season. The Wildcats’ defense allowed just 17 points a game.