Cats break Broncs in conference win
<p>Senior Connor Bowman rumbles into the end zone for his first ever touchdown against Frenchtown.</p>
The Columbia Falls football team humbled Frenchtown for homecoming Oct. 11, pummeling the Broncs 41-0.
Senior wide receiver Ty Morgan led the offensive onslaught, with two touchdown receptions and an 82-yard punt return to lead the Wildcats. Morgan also nabbed an interception on defense to kill a Bronc drive.
The Cats started scoring late in the first quarter when running back Stephen Lyndsey ran in from nine yards out to make it 6-0. The point-after attempt was wide.
Morgan then picked off Frenchtown on the Cats’ 43-yard line.
A few plays later, Ike Schweikert rumbled in from one yard out for another score. Schweikert blasted in for the two-point conversion making it 14-0.
With 14 seconds left in the half, sophomore quarterback Dakota Bridwell found Morgan in the end zone on a 25-yard strike. The point-after kick by Trevor Hoerner was good, and the Cats were up 21-0 at the break.
Morgan then had an 82-yard punt return in the third quarter, and Hoerner knocked in the point-after to make it 28-0 at the 9:12 mark.
Bridwell followed up by hitting Morgan with a 17-yard pass at the 2:26 mark in the third quarter. The point-after was good, and the Cats were up 35-0.
In the fourth, senior Connor Bowman scored his first career touchdown with 5:40 left to make it 41-0. The point-after attempt was wide. The mercy clock was rolling, and the game ended in a shutout for the Cats.
The Cats had 476 yards total offense — 343 in the air and 133 on the ground. Bridwell had a great night, going 23 of 30 with one interception. The defense held the Broncs to 156 total yards and just five yards passing.
“I thought the offensive and defensive lines and the linebackers did a great job,” coach Jackson Schweikert said. “Our kids were really focused.”
The offensive line did a great job opening up big holes, he said, and the defensive line and linebackers did a good job stifling the Frenchtown running game. The passing was spot-on as well.
Schweikert noted that if teams double up on Morgan, receivers like Trevor Houston and Justice McManus get left open.
“We have quality receivers throughout,” Schweikert said.
The coach also credited his assistants for having the team ready to play after the bye week.
The Wildcats play at home against Libby this Friday for senior night. Game time is 7 p.m.
Columbia Falls is now 5-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Libby is 2-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
Frenchtown 0 0 0 0 – 0
Col. Falls 6 15 14 6 – 41
C – Stephen Lindsey 9 run (kick failed)
C – Ike Schweikert 1 run (Schweikert run)
C – Ty Morgan 25 pass from Dakota Bridwell (Trevor Hoerner kick)
C – Morgan 82 punt return (Hoerner kick)
C – Morgan 17 pass from Bridwell (Hoerner kick)
C – Connor Bowman 7 run (kick failed)