Wildcats fall in OT to Broncs
COLUMBIA FALLS - All game long, it felt like if the Columbia Falls offense could string together four or five solid plays in a row, that would be the spark the Wildcats needed to take control against Hamilton.
That never happened, though, and when the 7-7 game went to overtime, and the 'Cats absolutely had to put together a couple of decent plays to get in the end zone, you felt like you knew how it would end before it even got started.
And you were right.
Columbia Falls failed to score on four plays starting at the 10 yard-line in the Kansas Plan overtime, and the Broncs punched it in on third down from 3 yards out to head back to the Bitterroot with a 13-7 nonconference win.
"It's just inconsistency," C-Falls coach John Thompson said. "As far as offense goes, you've got to be consistent. You've got to be able to do things play after play after play."
And the young Wildcats (1-1) just couldn't do that, sputtering along most of the game save for a handful of impressive plays that teased of the potential that lies beneath.
"There were some things at the start of the second half that worked real well, then they made an adjustment," Thompson said. "Then you need to compensate for that and still continue to make that play because it's still there."
Things started out well enough for the Wildcats, as Scott Palmer ran the opening kickoff 43 yards to the Hamilton 36. Columbia Falls got the ball inside the 15, but failed to convert for a first down on three straight plays despite needing just 2 yards.
After that, it was a whole lot of ineffective play from both teams.
That is, until the Broncs busted out a little bubble screen to the left side of the formation that went for gains of 29, 20 and 23 yards on consecutive plays.
But that drive stalled, ending in a missed field goal, and it looked like the game would be scoreless at the half.
That is, until Columbia Falls quarterback Chase Fairbank lost a fumble at his own 44 with 1:09 to play. Another bubble screen put the ball inside the 30 and a deep pass gave the Broncs first-and-goal at the 3, where Mike Huus made a nice catch in the end zone for the game's first score with 19 seconds left before halftime.
"We gave up too many yards in the first half," Thompson said. "Defensively I thought we played real well.
"In that second half I don't think they really hurt us with that bubble screen. In the first half they had some things going that were pretty good out of that. We made a simple adjustment and kind of shut them down."
The Wildcats put together their only sustained drive on their first possession of the second half, with Josh Peterson scoring on a 9-yard catch-and-run to tie it up.
Neither team really threatened again during regulation, and Huus ended the game with his second touchdown on only his fourth touch of the night.
"It was a real good high school football game," Thompson said. "Hamilton always plays tough, and we're getting to the point where we can play tough. We'll be all right. We'll bounce back.
"Losing carries with it an emptiness, and that emptiness has to be a fire that starts to drive you and makes you not want to feel it again. That's the biggest thing."
The Wildcats travel south to Stevensville next week.
BRONCS 13, WILDCATS 7, OT
Hamilton 0 7 0 0 6 - 13
Columbia Falls 0 0 7 0 0 - 7
Second Quarter
Ham - Mike Huus 2 pass from Justin Bourne (Justin Mildenberger kick), :19.
Third Quarter
CF - Josh Peterson 9 pass from Chase Fairbank (Kevin Boyer kick), 6:50.
Overtime
Ham-Huus 3 run.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Hamilton, Daniel Eccles 29-123, James Wood 3-65, Huus 3-6, Ryan Turley 1-(minus-3), Bourne 10-(minus-40). Columbia Falls, Scott Palmer 15-50, Josh Wilson 7-30, Boyer 1-17, Peterson 6-13, CJ Hanson 2-(minus-4), Fairbank 12-(minus-20).
PASSING-Hamilton, Bourne 9-14-2-120, Team 0-1-0-0. Columbia Falls, Fairbank 5-11-2-38.
RECEIVING-Hamilton, Wood 2-40, Tanner Weigle 2-33, Tyler Gillespie 3-27, Michael Crowley 1-8, Huus 1-2. Columbia Falls, Jared Jimmerson 2-21, Peterson 2-11, Boyer 1-6.