Football should be much improved

With a host of returning players, the Columbia Falls football team should be much improved this season.

The Wildcats are coming off a 2-7 season last year, but this year’s squad is playing the way coach Jaxon Schweikert likes his teams: Fast.

In a recent 15-minute drill they got off a whopping 45 plays.

“We’d rather be smaller and faster than big and slow,” Schweikert said.

The team features returning quarterback Mason Peters, a gifted multisport athlete who is just a junior.

At runningback, the Cats have talent in Isaiah Roth and Roddy White.

“We feel like we’ll be better at runningback,” Schweikert said.

The offensive line is much improved, which should help the Cats running game. In the receiving corps, look for Justin Windauer to make his mark at the slot. Defensively, the Cats have also improved, with Cody Schweikert and Lucas Thacker at linebacker and much quicker defensive line including Alec Knapton who is fast and Finn Coleman, who is speedy, too. The

Cats also have solid corners with Jaxon Heinz, Taylor Bryant and Gabe Sanchez all very athletic.

The one problem the Cats have is depth — they need to stay healthy this season, but Schweikert said if they can do that, they’ll be a playoff team.

“We look more like the Columbia Falls teams people are used to seeing,” Schweikert said. The Cats open the season Friday, 7 p.m. at home against Polson.