With the reclassification mandated by the Alabama High School Athletic Association a year ago, some West Limestone football fans were a little leery of how the Wildcats would respond to making the jump to Class 4A in 2010.

No so for members of David Arnsparger’s team.

It was a year they looked forward to. A year they felt could create a buzz among the Salem community. And they did just that.

The year began with a hot 5-0 start, with sound wins over Clements, Ardmore, East Lawrence and Wilson before a double-overtime win over Elkmont. The following two weeks, they suffered back-to-back region losses, including a one-point overtime loss to Central-Florence. However, the Wildcats bounced back, reeling off three straight wins to finish the year strong before their first playoff appearance in over a decade the following week.

The history-making season has earned a spot on The News Courier’s list of Top Sports Stories for 2010.

“It was definitely an exciting year for us,” Arnsparger said after being named the 2010 Limestone County Coach of the Year. “We knew it had the potential to be special. We had a good group of players and a senior class that took the school to a place it hadn’t been in a while. And when you look back on it, this team was able to accomplish so many things.”

The Wildcats 8-3 finish was the best season for the program since 1988.