Conference champions once again
Colten McPhee
Parker Greene
Colten McPhee ran for a season-high 340 yards Friday as the Wildcats picked up a win in Whitefish, 40-7. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Drew Morgan
Lane Sapa makes a good gain against the Whitefish defense Friday. Sapa and the Wildcats picked up a 40-7 victory. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Wildcats crush Whitefish for second straight Northwest A
Conference title
By JEREMY WEBER
Hungry Horse News
The Wildcat’s dominance of Northwest A competition continued Friday evening as Columbia Falls picked up a lopsided win over their rival in Whitefish, 40-7.
Led by senior running back Colten McPhee’s 340 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, the Wildcats’ offense picked up 492 total yards on the night, compared to just 145 by the Bulldogs.
Quarterback Drew Morgan added 77 yards on the ground on 11 carries and threw for 42 more. Parker Greene ran for 33.
McPhee also led the Cats in receiving yards with 17 while Lane Sapa had 13 and Greene added 12.
Despite the lopsided final score, there were some tense moments for the Wildcats early in the contest. The Cats lined up to receive the opening kickoff, but let the ball fall to the ground between receivers, where it was recovered by the Bulldogs at the 20-yard line.
A stunned Wildcat defense took the field and allowed a 20-yard touchdown run by Jack Isenbarth on Whitefish’s first offensive play of the game.
It was all Wildcats from there as Columbia Falls answered the early score with 40 straight points.
Other than Whitefish’s opening play, the Wildcat defense had the Bulldogs locked down as Columbia Falls recorded 97 tackles on the evening, led by McPhee’s 17 (six solo). Tanner Gove and Jakob Beich each added 11 tackles and Brad Nieves added 10. Beich and McPhee each had a sack in the win. Morgan and Gove each had interceptions and Greene and Brayden stone both recovered fumbles.
Whitefish continued to lead 7-0 after one quarter, but McPhee reached the end zone to get the Wildcats on the board on the first play of the second frame. Auguste Emond added the extra point to knot the score at 7-7.
Emond gave the Cats the lead with a 27-yard field goal later in the second quarter before a 4-yard run by Morgan and another Emond kick, this one from 28 yards out, put the Cats up 19-7 at the half.
McPhee scored all three second-half touchdowns for the Cats on the ground, from 57, 10 and 7 yards out.
With the win, the Cats secure the Northwest A Conference Championship, home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first-round bye.
The Wildcats will wrap up the regular season on the road in Polson Friday as they take on the winless Pirates at 7 p.m.
Following the Polson game, the Cats will have a bye the following week before opening their playoff run at home November 3.