Dogs dash Cats playoff hopes

Hungry Horse News

The Columbia Falls football team needed to take out the Whitefish Bulldogs to make the playoffs, but the Dogs had plans of their own, dropping the Cats 27-7.

That means that even if the Cats win this Friday's game against Libby, they won't be able to edge their way into the playoffs because Polson beat Ronan last Friday. Even if Polson loses their next game against Eureka, Polson will still get the spot because the Pirates beat the Cats earlier in the season.

Friday's game drew an enormous crowd.

In the first half of the game, it felt as the game could go either way; the score remained 14-7 at the half with the Dogs leading the Cats.

It was in the second half the Dogs took the lead when the Cats turned over the ball four times. The Cats went into the red zone several times without scoring.

The first, and probably most devastating turnover, was when quarter back Michael Hader was hit from behind as he went to pass. The ball shot into the air and when it came down, it landed in a Bulldog defender's hands. He ran to the Cats 6-yard line. Whitefish scored to make it 21-7.

After that play, the Cats momentum trickled away.

Whitefish scored again in the fourth but missed the extra point, making it 27-7.

There were some bright spots.

Josh Wilson rushed for 171 yards against Whitefish, pulling his season total over 1,000 yards. He leads the Northwest A conference with 160 carries and 1,055 rushing yards. Wilson also sat out one entire game and had a hamstring injury earlier in the season. He has scored nine touchdowns this season

Hader completed seven of 17 passes for 50 yards and had three interceptions. He was 7- for-10 in the first half. He completed three passes to Jared Jimmerson and three to Mackey Nolan. Nolan also had an interception in the fourth quarter.

The Cats play Friday night in Libby at 7 p.m. to wrap up their season.