Dalton on paper was the most talented team between Regions 25 & 27 that season. Schlabach 1/1 on individual talent this side of I-71 that year, Wenger also obviously very good. K’s trench play and defensive gearing was Canton-worthy. NC’s offense was the most potent and they’re birds of the same Kennedy feather on defense (seams better tho.)
Kennedy’s offense, although it best fit the personnel to work with, wasn’t going to be enough to make it to Canton. Clear skies, blizzard, hailstorm, 50mph gusts, it doesn’t matter. Run-intensive tendencies were going to meet the end of the line against that NC team. I think Dalton would’ve been a FG favorite against the ‘Wave in dry conditions, but they weren’t going to be anymore fortunate than the K in that mess at Marlington.
JFK that year had dudes, and dudes in spades. But they were a few dudes short of being a defensive nightmare. The following year, I do think they would’ve been more potent on offense if the future p5 WR (now getting Catechized down south) didn’t get hurt early on in the season. What that really means in the grand scheme of things… nothing really.