Cats 'crunch' Broncs
COLUMBIA FALLS - Not this time.
The Columbia Falls Wildcats lost by 20 points to Hamilton in the second game of the football season, but they weren't about to let the Broncs get the better of them when it came to playoff time.
The Wildcats (7-3) rallied from an 8-0 deficit Saturday afternoon and bested the Broncs (5-4) 15-8 in the first round of the Class A football playoffs at Satterthwaite Memorial Field.
"My head's a-swirl right now. I'm just proud of the way our kids hung in there, answered when they had to and then finished on defense the way they did, especially after what happened in that first game," said Columbia Falls first-year head coach Bill Coleman.
"This is a defensive win. Our defense stepped up in a big way. We gave up 311 yards rushing in that first game, so we made it a point of emphasis that they were not going to run the ball on us ... and they didn't," Coleman said.
"They had some success running the ball, but nothing like they did in that first game.
"I can't tell you how proud I am of these guys," he added.
Compare.
In that September game, Hamilton's Paul Donaldson ran for nearly 200 yards and scored three touchdowns. Quarterback Josh Brenneman ran for one touchdown and threw for another. The Broncs beat Columbia Falls 32-12.
On Saturday, the Broncs had 174 rushing yards.
Donaldson ran 14 times for 64 yards and one touchdown - and was also brought down for a safety. Brenneman was 9 for 27 passing for 70 yards, no touchdowns and threw three interceptions.
"We played fundamental football today. We stuffed their run and put them in a situation where they aren't necessarily comfortable, which is throwing the ball. Our kids executed what we asked them to do - to a 'T'," Coleman said.
"We were ready. Last time, we didn't expect that physical of a game. This time around, we were expecting it and we played just as physical, even more physical," said wide receiver/defensive back Kaleb Johnson.
"Just ground and pound the whole game. Both teams wanted to establish the run. Both teams are going to remember the hits. We all played with our hearts," agreed quarterback/linebacker Mitchell Wassam.
It didn't start out on such a good note for Columbia Falls.
The Broncs struck first, tackling Johnson in the end zone for a safety. They took the ensuing kickoff and drove 51 yards in five plays. Donaldson capped that drive with a 3-yard run and the Broncs, up 8-0, appeared to be ready to roll.
Coleman's thoughts at that point?
"We've been here before. We know how to respond to this. It doesn't rattle us. We know we'll just keep chipping away and doing what we do," he said.
The first inclination that the Wildcats weren't going to roll over was Dustin VonFeldt blocking the extra point try.
The Wildcats bounced right back, driving to the Hamilton one-yard line on their next possession. They didn't get in, though, and a failed field goal attempt gave Hamilton the ball back - on its own one-yard-line.
But Mike Macijunas and Austin Barth tackled Donaldson in the end zone on the first play from scrimmage.
That, according to Wassam and Johnson, is when the tide turned.
"That started it and we never really looked back after that," Johnson said.
"We just went from there," Wassam agreed.
Columbia Falls scored on the drive it got from that kickoff, too. The Wildcats got the ball on the Hamilton 40.
The first play was a 30-yard strike from Wassam to John Woody.
That put the ball at the Hamilton 10, where the drive appeared to stall. Woody was stopped for no gain on his next rush, Wassam led Johnson a hair too far on second down and was incomplete on third down.
The Wildcats talked field goal, but called time and decided to go for it.
"That was huge," Coleman said.
"We had trips action, Kyle (Howell) was the outside coming in. We had protection. We had plenty of time to throw the ball and (Wassam) threw a dart. That was probably the difference in the ballgame," Coleman said.
Wassam's extra point put the Wildcats up, 9-8.
From there, the huge secondary plays piled up.
Johnson intercepted Brenneman's first pass of the second half. Then Matt Triplett intercepted him on the Wildcat 2-yard line with 4:30 left in the game, and Chris King stepped in front of his last gasp effort with 2:02 to go.
In between, the Wildcats added an insurance score early in the fourth quarter.
"Our defensive backs, I wouldn't trade them for anybody at any level in this state. I'm talking about the big guys too, because they are pretty darn good," Coleman said.
"Matt Triplett's interception was huge. That was kind of at crunch time. That's the way our kids have played all year. Our kids have stepped up in crunch time."
Defensively, Von Feldt blocked a punt and an extra point. Mike Macijunas has two tackles for loss.
"What we focused on the last two or three weeks was discipline," Johnson said.
"It's just, we played as team. That's what it came down to, playing as a team. That drive late in the fourth quarter, we had three key interceptions. It's just team. It's all about the team."
"We played together and we believed in each other," Wassam said.
Johnson also thanked the coaching staff.
"They come out here and give us their time. They help us get better and be better human beings, better men. I just want to say thank you to them," he said.
Hamilton 8 0 0 0 - 8
Columbia Falls 0 9 0 6 - 15
First Quarter
H - Hamilton tackled Kaleb Johnson in end zone, 2:55
H - Paul Donaldson 3 run, 1:20 (Kick blocked)
Second Quarter
CF - Mike Macijunas and Austin Barth tackled Paul Donaldson in end zone, 9:25.
CF - Kyle Howell 10 pass from Mitchell Wassam (Wassam kick), 8:00.
Fourth Quarter
CF -Kaleb Johnson 8 pass from Wassam (Kick failed), 10:14.
---
H CF
First downs 13 10
Total Net Yards 244 243
Rushing 37-174 43-133
Passing 70 110
Punt Returns 2-24 2-26
Kickoff Returns 4-94 3-47
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 3
Comp-Att-Int 9-27-3 9-20-0
Punts 4-33.75 6-28.16
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-2
Penalties-Yards 6-42 4-31
Time of possession: 21:39 26:21
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Hamilton, Cody Noffsinger 16-66, Paul Donaldson 14-64, Josh Brenneman 7-44. Columbia Falls, John Woody 29-108, Mitchell Wassam 6-13, Kaleb Johnson 5-6, Chris King 3-6 .
Passing - Hamilton, Josh Brenneman 9-27-3-0-70; Columbia Falls, Mitchell Wassam 9-20-0-2-110.
RECEIVING-Hamilton, Tyler Pigman 3-29, Eddy Anzo 3-18, Beau Maus 2-18, Paul Donaldson 1-5; Columbia Falls, Kaleb Johnson 4-42, Nathan Thompson 1-14, John Woody 1-30, Kyle Howell 1-10, Dustin VonFeldt 1-11, Chris King 1-3.