Cats drop Pirates to advance in playoffs

Battling a driving rain and mud, the Columbia Falls football team hammered home a 9-6 victory over Polson Saturday at home in the first round of the Class A playoffs.

The Cats young defense was stellar, holding Polson to 110 yards in total offense.

“We’ve been saying we’re getting better every week,” said coach Jackson Schweikert. “We totally expected to do this.”

A couple of weeks ago the team shifted its defense, putting Stephen Lyndsey and Logan Kolodejchuck on as defensive ends. Since then, the pair have been living in opponents’ backfields. Both players are normally running backs, but have come up huge in their defensive roles. They kept the pressure on Polson quarterback Tanner Wilson all afternoon. Wilson only had 19 yards passing. The Cats secondary also had a great game, knocking away several passes as Polson attempted a desperate drive late in the fourth quarter.

“We ran downhill and played on their side of the line of scrimmage,” Schweikert said.

Both teams had a tough time in the wet weather. The Wildcats took the lead late in the second quarter by virtue of a Brandon Karberg 29-yard field goal eight minutes into the second quarter.

Polson took the lead in the third quarter when Wilson hit Hudson Smith on an eight-yard pass in the corner of the end zone. The point after was no good, Pirates up 6-3.

But Wyatt Green returned the ensuing kickoff 90-yards to the Pirates’ one-yard line and a play later, Cat quarterback Dakota Bridwell rumbled in to put the Cats back up. Karberg’s point after was no good and Cats were up 9-6.

Green led the Cats rushing with 129 yards on 32 carries. All told, the Cats rushed for 274 yards and passed for 60. Throwing the ball in the mud and rain was virtually impossible. It was true November football weather.

“It was a total team effort,” Schweikert said. “We have great assistant coaches.”

There was a bit of controversy in the game. On a Polson punt, Tristan Steinwand grabbed the ball and ran in the wrong way to the Cats’ own end zone where he was tackled by a Polson player. Polson maintained it should have been a safety, or even a touchdown, as Steinwand lost the handle on the ball as he hit the ground. But after a long discussion, the referees ruled the punt hit a Polson player before Steinwand picked it up, making it a dead ball.

The Cats now travel to Havre this Saturday for the semifinals, where they’ll have to stop the Blue Ponies quarterback Dane Warp. Schweikert expects it will be another close game, but he likes the Wildcats chances.

The extended weather forecast is for a windy day, but highs in the 50s.

Polson 0 0 6 0 — 6

C. Falls 0 3 6 0 — 9

CF — Brandon Karberg 29 field goal

P — Hudson Smith 8 pass from Tanner Wilson (kick failed)

CF — Dakota Bridwell 1 run (kick failed)