Congratulations, Wildcats
Three games, three victories and one more state title for Columbia Falls.
By ripping through the field at the Class A State Basketball Tournament last weekend, the Wildcats put an exclamation point on a stupendous season.
Columbia Falls finished 22-1 and on top of the Montana basketball world — again.
This year’s Wildcats added more glittering gold hardware for a school that previously claimed boys’ basketball championships in 2003, 2005 and 2006 (plus second- and third-place trophies in 2009 and 2010).
That all adds up to a dynasty on the court for coach Cary Finberg’s Wildcats.
The way the Wildcats roared last weekend in Bozeman was more than impressive: They doubled perennial rival Dillon’s score in the first half of the title game before winning by 12 points, eviscerated defending champion Laurel with a 61-38 semifinal trouncing and opened the state tournament with a 17-point triumph over Belgrade.
And they did most of it without one of their star players, Kaleb Johnson, who blew out his knee in the opener.
That didn’t matter much to Columbia Falls, a team of destiny this season that only stumbled once in a conference loss to Polson.
Johnson, too, got a final star turn in the title game.
In an incredibly emotional moment, Johnson hobbled out onto the court with 13 seconds left in the tournament finale. He caught the final pass and dribbled in place as the clock ticked down on the victory to a standing ovation from ecstatic Wildcat fans.
That was certainly a high point in a tournament and season that had plenty of them.
One observer, after watching the Wildcats win it all, speculated that Columbia Falls was so good it could even be a title contender this week with the big schools in the Class AA state meet.
Columbia Falls’ fourth Montana title is one more reason for the North Valley town to be proud of its dominant basketball tradition.
Congratulations, Wildcats.
OUR NEIGHBORS north of the border have been spending plenty of time and money in the Flathead Valley this winter, and we know the business community is especially appreciative of the economic boost.
Local businesses report that Canadians are buying most everything here, from cars to houses to big-screen TVs. They’re staying more often in the Flathead’s hotels and they’re skiing up a storm. Canadians also are tapping into our top-notch medical facilities for elective surgery.
At a time when our economy is still a little shaky in the wake of the Great Recession, these Canadian visitor dollars can mean all the difference not only for small businesses but also for larger companies looking for ways to make ends meet until the summer tourism season arrives.
It is foresightful that the Whitefish and Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureaus have embarked on a project to help local businesses accommodate Canadians who want to do business here. They say it’s really an exercise in how to be more “Canadian-friendly.”
Surveys were sent out recently to bureau members, asking for input about how they serve Canadian visitors and any barriers that may exist. Initial responses indicate local businesses see Canadian visitors as “very important” to the local economy.
We wholeheartedly agree with that assertion.