Wildcats wallop Corvallis; on to Laurel
Brodey Tkachyk lays down a block as Reggie Sapa looks for more yards against Corvallis.
By CHRIS PETERSON
Hungry Horse News
The Columbia Falls football team just keeps on rolling.
The Wildcats blitzed Corvallis in the first round of the playoffs, 42-16 at home Friday night, its sixth win in a row.
After a quiet first quarter the Wildcats put up 21 points in the first second and never looked back.
Easton Brooks started the scoring after scooping up a pass from quarterback Banyon Johnston and then weaving through the Blue Devils defense for the first TD of the game early in the second.
On Corvallis’s ensuing possession Jory Hill picked off an Adayn Mayn pass and raced into the end zone for the Wildcats’ second TD of the night.
The Blue Devils would answer with a TD of their own, but it was as close as they’d get, as Johnston scampered into the end zone to make it 21-8 at the break. In the second half Brooks had another 19-yard TD reception in the third, set up by a Cooper Ross pick of Mayn.
Sapa had a nice series of runs early in the fourth which set up a half-yard run into the end zone by Johnston. Cats up 35-16 with 8:51 left.
But they weren’t done, as Johnston had a 48-yard run to cap off the night and the scoring for the Cats. Ross was perfect on point after attempts.
The big story of the night was not just the Cats’ defense, which was stellar again, but the running game. Sapa had 35 carries for 170 yards. Johnston had 11 rushes for 88 yards and three TDs and was 15 for 23 passing for 125 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.
All told the Cats put up 391 yards of offense.
Defensively Trip and Cooper Ross led the team in tackles with 11 apiece. Trip had a sack and Cooper had that pick. Daniel Contreras and Jett Pitts had nine tackles apiece and in the secondary Brooks had five tackles and broke up three passes, while Hill also had four tackles, broke up five passes along with the pick six.
Coach Kelly Houle has been impressed with how this largely young team has come together.
“They’re very coachable and they buy into the system,” he said. “We’re very proud of them.”
He said it was also great to see Sapa healthy in the post season after dealing with a nagging injury.
“He’s making Reggie moves and Reggie reads,” Houle noted.
And the o-line just keeps improving.
“The offensive line is improving immensely,” Houle noted.
The Cats travel to Laurel to face the 7-2 Locomotives this Saturday. Laurel likes to run the ball and the Cats will look to stop it and force them into passing.
The Cats will stay flexible on offense. If Laurel gives them the pass, they’ll take it. If they give up the run, they’ll take that, Houle noted.
Laurel has lost to Billings Central and Havre this year. Central is the toughest team in the state, having rolled over its opponents in the regular season to go 9-0.
Laurel’s field is artificial turf, so it should be a fast track. The Cats have never played Laurel in Houle’s 21 years of coaching.
It should be a great game. Game time is 1 p.m.
Corvallis 0 8 8 0 — 16
C-Falls 0 21 7 14 — 42
CF — Brooks 37 pass from Johnston (Ross kick)
CF — Hill 40-yard interception return (Ross kick)
C — Avery 10 pass from Mayn (Avery 2-point pass from Mayn)
CF — Johnston 5 run (Ross kick)
CF — Brooks 19 pass from Johnston (Ross kick)
C — Mayn 30 rush (Hunter Loesch 2-point pass from Mayn)
CF — Johnston 1 run (Ross kick)
CF — Johnston 48 run (Ross kick)