Everett sets new school scoring record
Max Everett pokes in a goal against Thompson Falls.
By BRANDON HANSEN
Hungry Horse News
With a 10-0 regular season record, it’s hard not to have confidence in the Columbia Falls soccer team.
The Wildcats are still pitching a perfect game in 2024, just the second time in 18 years Columbia Falls has been undefeated at this point in the season.
Last Saturday’s matchup against Bigfork was a hard-fought battle, but the Wildcats battled their way against North A Conference for a 3-1 win.
“The previous night was senior night, and we expended a lot of energy and emotion playing under the lights,” Columbia Falls coach O’Brien Byrd said. “Physically and mentally, we were pretty tired playing the Saturday game, and Bigfork played a really good game.”
Columbia Falls’ Jackson Scholz broke a 0-0 tie in the 23rd minute, but two minutes later, Bigfork answered back to equalize the game. Still, in the game of soccer, sometimes scoring comes in bunches, and two minutes after that, Bruno Felijo found the back of Bigfork’s net for the 2-1 lead, and that’s how it would stay until halftime.
“We dominated a lot of stats in the game, but for a while, we could not find the back of the net,” Byrd said.
River Wolford scored in the 56th minute to give a little space in Columbia Falls’ victory.
The Wildcats finished with 15 shots on goal. On defense, Rafe Rusche had 11 saves. Corner-kick-wise, Columbia Falls had 11 to Bigfork’s five.
“It’s the lowest-scoring game of the year, but it’s three goals, which in the game of soccer is still plenty of goals,” Byrd said.
The previous night, the Columbia Falls crowd honored its seniors before putting Thompson Falls-Plains away 9-1. Maxwell Everett scored five goals in that game, setting the school season record at 26. His favorite passing mate, River Wolford, also tied the school record for assists at 18.
“Those guys have been simpatico since Day 1 of the season,” Byrd said of Everett and Wolford. “To be honest, River’s service is another level. They’re quite the duo. It was against a young Thompson Falls team, but what a really big night for two young men who put those goals in their sights to start their season.”
Finley Sundberg scored 24 during the Wildcats’ 2022 championship campaign for the previous goals record. Everett also could end up breaking the state record for goals in a season.
Columbia Falls outshot the Blue Hawks 25-6 in the game. Silas Ypma and Jack Harris also scored goals, while Wolford scored two goals.
Columbia Falls led 5-1 and notched four more goals in the second half. Now with few games left in the season, it’s time for the Wildcats to tighten up the screws in preparation for the postseason.
“We’ve let a few goals get scored in games where we have total control,” Byrd said. “It’s a team as a whole thing, where we have a few moments, and we will shore that up.”
Still, the number of goals against Columbia Falls has been tremendously low this year. Columbia Falls will need to keep its eye on the prize. A win over Libby and being at least within three goals of Whitefish in the finale means a conference championship and a No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
“We can’t get ahead of ourselves and have to face each game as they come and just see where it lines up in the last game of the conference against Whitefish,” Byrd said.
Everett scored twice as Columbia Falls defeated Stillwater Christian in boys soccer 5-2 Tuesday.
Silas Ypma put the Wildcats (10-0) on the board first just two minutes into the game off the assist from Isak Soyland.
Otto Anderson and River Wolford added goals in the first half for Columbia Falls to grow the lead to 3-0.
Stillwater Christian got on the board in the 51st minute as Micah Strobel found the back of the net.
Everett’s Brace in the second half sealed the deal for the Wildcats, putting them up 5-1 with 20 minutes left.
Strobel added his second for Stillwater Christian in the 69th minute.
COLUMBIA FALLS 3, BIGFORK 1
Columbia Falls - 2 - 1 - 3
Bigfork - 1 - 0 - 1
SCORING SUMMARY
CF — Jackson Scholz, 23:00
B — Quinn Kerr, 25:00
CF — Bruno Felijo, 27:00
CF — River Wolford, 56:00
GAME STATS
Shots on goal — C-Falls 15, Bigfork 13. Keeper saves — C-Falls (Rafe Rusche) 11, Bigfork (Marion Herring) 10. Corner kicks — C-Falls 11, Bigfork 5. Fouls — C-Falls 9, Bigfork 5.