When I looked at my watch, the time was 10:02pm on September 9, 2011. Life is circular - and history has a strange knack of repeating itself. On Monday, November 7, the Bears will play for the right to earn an astounding fourth consecutive trip to the IAHSAA Class 1A State Semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. There are only four other schools in the state of Iowa the past three seasons who have the same opportunity in 2011 (Solon, Armstrong-Ringstead, Lenox, and North Tama). As of November 4 at 8:00 pm, only two of the five schools remain eligible for a semifinal berth. Armstrong-Ringstead - the darling of 8-man football (3 time defending champs).,,,, ...and this little team named West Branch. It all started a bit rocky for the Bears, A last second dramatic victory in game one over rival West Liberty. Then, traveling to Class A top ranked Lisbon, and losing 18-8. Although, in West Branch's defense - of the defense - Lisbon did not score another point after the first quarter. Then, the Bears travelled north of Cedar Rapids to a town named Alburnett to face the hometown Pirates. 21 points unanswered by the home team, and a 28-7 halftime lead seemed a bit insurmountable. But, the Bears stormed back to lead 35-34 with 6:43 remaining in the game. However, the Pirates would plunder the comeback effort by scoring with 4:02 to play and convert the 2-point attempt to make the score 42-35. Which proved to be the final score. At 10:02 pm, I was as confused as anybody. How could Alburnett, a team the Bears defeated 50-0 a year before, improve that much? Hard work. Weight lifting. And a little motivation via Bear head coach Butch Pedersen. Pirate head coach Chris Evers was interviewed on the WMT-600AM's Eastern Iowa Scoreboard show that night. I was riding in the school van with the team's equipment and uniforms, along with 1. "This is a big win for us." Evers said. "They (West Branch) are one of the better teams each year. And for us to beat them is a testament to how much our kids worked in the offseason." But, Evers did not end there. "After last year's game (the aforementioned 50-0 rain-lightning filled debacle), Butch talked to me on the field." "The way to get better is to work hard in the offseason. Make sure your kids are in the weight room. Living in the weight room" is what he told me, Coach Evers related to Andy Peterson. "We have to keep working, though." Well, the Pirates won 9 games in a row to complete their first undefeated season in history. The team would reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time ever. It would win a second playoff game to reach the quarterfinals for the first time ever. Alburnett running back Mitchell Harger leads the entire state of Iowa - not just Class 1A - in rushing with 2,580 yards. He has also scored 38 touchdowns. Harger amassed 282 yards on just 22 carries and scored 4 touchdowns against West Branch in week three. That was then. West Branch rolled off six consecutive victories to claim the runner-up spot in District 6. It would win its opening round game against Starmont and Vinnie Otdoerfer (Class 1A's second leading rusher), 42-7. The little engine that could, aka Otdoerfer, only gained 83 yards on 24 bone bruising carries. After driving 2.5 hours to arrive in Jackson Junction, the Bears would come from behind with a 4th quarter 80 yard drive and last minute defensive stand to defeat Turkey Valley 27-20. The Trojans head coach, Mark Scott, actually student taught with Pedersen during the 1981-82 school year. Since their week three clash, Alburnett has defeated its opponents by an average of 45-12. Until their second round game on Monday, the Pirates had not seen a team with 19 points since the West Branch game. West Branch, in its eight games since September 9th, has defeated its opponents by an average of 44-10. The Bears defeated Turkey Valley, who defeated Wapsie Valley, who had only lost that one game before Monday night against Alburnett. The circle of life - do you see it yet? When you ask Coach Pedersen, or any member of the staff or any player, what they really wanted in the playoffs, their answer would be an overarching consensus: "To get a shot at Alburnett again. And to get that on our home field." For one night, the stars are actually going to align. West Branch has made BIG strides since the 42-35 defeat at the hand of the Pirates. Defensive changes. Offensive diversity. Player confidence. Everything you would hope could happen in a positive manner, has happened. The team is at full strength and health. Which, for a small school, is vital for a long playoff run. Many people had written off the Bears after week 3. Many of those same people are back on the bandwagon for game 12. If this Bears team were to win on Monday, it would give a senior football class four consecutive 10 win varsity seasons. Only two other classes have accomplished the same: 1993 and 1994. The class of 1993 was the last team to win a state championship in West Branch. No team in Alburnett has ever played a semifinal game. West Branch has played in 8 semifinals (1989-92, 2003, 2008-2010). Coach Evers and his staff run a good program in Alburnett. It is very senior laden. So this may be a one-trick pony. But you never know. Coach Pedersen and his staff lose 14-16 starters every year, but know how to turn graduation into tradition into success. When my watch says 7:00pm Monday, all the dreams will become reality. The reality will become dream again 48:00 later. Let's just hope that history doesn't repeat itself in West Branch.... Especially not at 10:02pm.