Columbia Falls upends Libby
COLUMBIA FALLS — The Columbia Falls Wildcats clinched a postseason berth with a 55-31 win over the Libby Loggers in their regular season football finale Friday.
Securing a playoff spot was extra special for Columbia Falls senior defensive lineman Dylan Watkins, who is dedicating his season to his deceased father.
“This means everything,” Watkins said. “My dad passed away at the beginning of football season, so I’m doing it for him.”
Watkins and the Columbia Falls defensive line sacked Libby quarterback Jared Winslow nine times and held the Loggers to 45 rushing yards.
Offensively, Columbia Falls posted its highest point total of the season and rumbled for 178 yards on the ground. Junior running back Zach Darling led the charge with 88 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries.
“We finally put it together,” Darling said. “We had a lot of passion to win for our seniors.”
The Wildcats went 0-4 against conference opponents a year ago, but with new head coach Jaxon Schweikert and the helm, Columbia Falls improved to 2-2 in Northwestern A and 4-4 overall.
Schweikert said his team had a poor week of practice prior to last week’s 42-6 loss to Frenchtown, but with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Wildcats made huge strides in their preparation for Libby (0-4, 3-6).
“We had our best practices of the year this week,” Schweikert said. “They had a strong desire to go to the playoffs and they wanted to fight for it.”
Columbia Falls got off to a dream start, scoring nine points in the first minute and a half on a safety and a 4-yard touchdown run by Darling.
Libby’s Patrick Valentine drilled a 52-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but the Columbia Falls offense kept rolling. Darling finished the Wildcats’ next two drives with short touchdown runs and junior quarterback Jared Trinastich found senior wide receiver Colin King in the end zone at the end of the second quarter to give Columbia Falls a 31-3 lead at the half.
The Wildcats opened the third quarter with a 72-yard drive capped on a 1-yard run by Darling. Libby answered with a 71-yard touchdown drive that included a fourth down conversion, but a failed onside kick was returned by Columbia Falls’ Austin Cahoon to the Libby 2-yard line. Trinastich found Alex Presnell in the end zone one play later to put Columbia Falls ahead 45-11.
After light intermittent showers dampened the field the first three quarters, the rain picked up in the fourth, but it didn’t seem to bother Winslow, who threw three long touchdown passes to three different receivers, but the Loggers didn’t have enough time to mount a full comeback.
Ty Morgan put an exclamation point on Columbia Falls’ win with a 40-yard touchdown run with 1:32 remaining.
Trinastich finished 15 of 32 for 227 yards while Winslow threw for 403 yards for the Loggers.
Columbia Falls opens the postseason on the road with a game against Anaconda (5-3), the second seed from Southwestern A.
Libby 0 3 8 20 — 31
Columbia Falls 9 22 14 10 — 55
First quarter
C - Safety, 11:49
C - Zach Darling 4 run (Alex Presnell kick), 10:48
Second quarter
L - Patrick Valentine 52 field goal, 11:08
C - Darling 3 run (Darling pass from Jared Trinastich), 7:43
C - Darling 1 run (Presnell kick), 2:03
C - Colin King 24 pass from Trinastich, 0:00
Third quarter
C - Darling 1 run (Presnell kick), 9:05
L - Barak Lapka 17 pass from Jared Winslow (Winslow run), 3:52
C - Presnell 2 pass from Trinastich (Presnell kick), 3:08
Fourth quarter
L - Danny Leggins 21 pass from Winslow (conversion failed), 10:08
C - Presnell 32 field goal, 8:58
L - DJ Maefau 55 pass from Winslow (conversion failed), 5:01
L - Will Reichel 25 pass from Winslow (Winslow run), 2:40
C - Ty Morgan 40 run (Presnell kick), 1:32