LW East Football: 5 Notable Events From Year Griffins Were Champs

FRANKFORT, IL — Among Illinois high school football programs, Lincoln-Way East High School has the distinction of being the only school in the state to make the playoffs in each year of its existence. On Saturday, the Griffins will make their third trip to the title game in the school's 16-year history. They face Wilmette's Loyola Academy at 7 p.m. at Northern Illinois University's Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Although L-W East's most recent championship appearance was in 2012 — a 10-8 loss to Glenbard West in the Class 7A final — the school's most memorable shot at the state crown was in 2005. Not only did the Griffins win the title, they did it in dramatic fashion by defeating Maine South in double-overtime, 30-24. In fact, the contest is considered one of the best in Illinois high school football history.

Twelve years might not seem that long ago for the fans who watched the game, but consider this: Barring skipping grades, seniors at L-W East would only have been in kindergarten when the the team won the Class 8A title Nov. 26, 2005. Since then, U.S. voters have elected two different presidents — including the first African-American president — and the world has seen two popes.

RELATED: L-W East Vs. Loyola Academy: When And How To Watch State Football Title Game

In honor of Saturday's championship game, here's a look at five other notable events from the year the Griffins won the state championship:

1. Feb. 14: YouTube is founded. The video website has been a boon for high school sports fans who not only post game highlights, but also create their own hype videos.

RELATED: Patch Editors Bet Lunch On State Title Game Between L-W East And Loyola Academy

2. April 4: University of Illinois loses to the University of North Carolina in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Sports Illustrated readers would later vote that Illinis squad as the best team not to win a national title.

3. April 5: Jim Holland is elected to his first term as mayor of Frankfort, beating incumbent Ray Rossi by 12 votes. Holland won re-election earlier this year, defeating former trustee Todd Morgan in a landslide. It was the first time Holland faced opposition since being elected in 2005.

RELATED: 3 L-W East Videos To Fire You Up On Gameday

4. Aug. 29: Hurricane Katrina, one of the five deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history, hits the Gulf Coast. The disaster response by local, state and federal agencies came under fire in the wake of the devastation, leading hip-hop artist and Chicago native Kanye West to say, "George Bush doesn't care about black people," during the live telecast of a benefit concert for storm victims.

5. Oct. 26: The Chicago White Sox win the World Series, sweeping the Houston Astros. And as if to come full circle, the Astros would eventually win their own World Series title 12 years later in 2017.

WATCH: Still haven't had your fill of 2015? Before you watch Saturday's game, you can check out L-W East's 2005 victory against Maine South.

The Chicago White Sox celebrate their 2005 World Series win Oct. 26, 2005. (Photo by Amy Sancetta | Associated Press)