2010: A sports year in review

The year 2010 was a good one for Wildcat sports. Here’s a look at some of the highlights of the 2010 season:

• In February 215-pound senior wrestler Kelly Houle won the state A championship. Houle pinned Brennan Fisher of Frenchtown in 2:29 to win the crown and set the school fall record at 32 pins. The previous record was held by Caleb Schaeffer who had 31 pins his senior year in 2000.

• In March the boys basketball team went undefeated in conference play and won the Northwest A divisional tournament. But in the first round of the state A playoffs they lost to Laurel 47-43 in double overtime. The Cats would fight back and take third at the tournament. Coach Cary Finberg would notch his 200th victory with a win against Billings Central at the tournament. The Locomotives went on to win the state crown. The girls also won the Northwest A divisional crown, edging Polson by just two points, 48-46. At state the girls went 1-2. Their lone win came against Frenchtown, 46-41.

• In May Patric Jessat set a new school record in track with a time of 50.6 in the 400 meters. Nate Thompson set a school record with a javelin throw of 181-8. The Cats would go on to win the Northwest A divisional track crown and took second at the state A meet. Taylor Martinson won the 100 meters with a time of 11.27.

• In June, Columbia Falls athletes Kelsey DeWit, Mitchell Wassam, Houle, Kyle Howell and Shawn Whitman were all inducted into the high school hall of fame. DeWit was an all-state and all-conference basketball player. Wassam was an all-state football player, Howell all-state basketball, Houle was all-state football and wrestling and Whitman was an all-state cross country and track runner.

• In September the boys varsity soccer season came to an abrupt end after most of the team was suspended for allegedly consuming alcohol on a road trip to play Bozeman-area teams. The team was later able to put together some junior varsity matches with its remaining players.

• In October the girls soccer team lost to Hamilton 3-1 in the first round of the state A playoffs. The Kats ended the season 10-3 overall. Derrick Williams won the Northwest A conference cross country title with a time of 16:16. The Wildcat football team clinched the Northwest A Divisonal title with a 51-0 win against Whitefish, the first title since the mid-1970s.

• In November the football team lost to Miles City in the quarterfinals of the state A playoffs, 34-13. Runningback Nate Thompson shattered the school rushing record, running for 1,668 yards on the season. He was also named to the Shrine team.