Cats drop Sidney, face Belgrade in semifinals

The Columbia Falls football team overcame a 12-point deficit to drop Sidney 35-20 Saturday in the quarterfinals of the state A playoffs on the road.

Senior quarterback Dakota Bridwell broke the all-class mark for touchdown passes in a season with 42. The previous record of 41 was set by Brady McChesney of Glacier in 2013, according to the Montana High School Association record books.

Including the playoffs, Bridwell has thrown for 3,299 yards with a 62 percent completion rating and just six interceptions.

Against Sidney he was 24 of 36 for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one pick, but that was on a batted ball.

Coach Jaxon Schweikert said the team was still pretty confident they could get the win even after being down 12 points.

He said it was just a couple of defensive mistakes that put them in a hole. The defense settled down after that and had some impressive stops, including killing a Sidney drive at the Cats’ 10-yard line in the second half.

Schweikert said despite the team putting up nearly 500 yards of offense on the Eagles, he didn’t think they were really 100 percent. The long bus drive may have had something to do with it. There and back, the Cats were on the bus for 26 hours.

Schweikert gave kudos to the offensive line.

“The o-line was excellent,” he said. The Cats threw the ball for 336 yards and rushed for 155 against the Eagles, which, going into it, were the top-ranked defense in the state.

Wyatt Green led the rushing attack with 14 rushes for 87 yards. Bridwell rushed for 48. Braxton Reiten added to his touchdown total, with two touchdown receptions. That brings his season total to 19.

They now face Belgrade away Saturday at 1 p.m. Belgrade lost its starting quarterback to a broken collarbone in its 38-35 win over Hamilton.

Schweikert said the Panthers are run oriented and good at it. It should be a tough game. If the Cats win, they’d host the state championship game the following week against the winner of the Dillon-Billings Central semifinal.

The last time the Cats hosted a championship was in 1970.

C. Falls 0 14 14 7 — 35

Sidney 12 0 0 8 — 20

S — Trace Jones 35 pass from Dawson McGlothlin (kick failed)

S — Alec Lovegren 48 pass from McGlothlin (pass failed)

CF — Braxton Reiten 22 pass from Dakota Bridwell (Brandon Karberg kick)

CF — Trey Gates 5 pass from Wyatt Green (Karberg kick)

CF — Bridwell 2 run (Karberg kick)

CF — Green 6 run (Karberg kick)

S — Michael McGinnis 15 pass from McGlothlin (Lovegren run)

CF — Reiten 7 pass from Bridwell (Karberg kick)