Class A state football semis: Wildcats hope to keep it rolling at Billings Central

The good and bad regarding today’s 1 p.m. Class A semifinal football game on Wendy’s Field at Daylis Stadium in Billings centers on two things — weather and time of possession.

“Good weather favors us, bad weather is a huge advantage to them,” Columbia Falls coach Jackson Schweikert said.

“We need to get the tempo of the game up, running and gunning, that’s big (good) for us,” he said.

“If they slow the clock down, grind the ball, that’s not good (bad) for us. We have to be real efficient offensively, be awesome offensively. We have to just go, try and compete as hard as we can and do the best we can.”

We’ll see how it all plays out after third-ranked and unbeaten Columbia Falls tangles with second-ranked and once-beaten Billings Central.

Columbia Falls has won nine straight. Billings Central (8-1) has won six in a row after falling to top-ranked Dillon 31-14 on Sept. 20.

Both teams had first round byes in the postseason and last weekend posted impressive victories — Billings Central 55, Hamilton 10; Columbia Falls 46, Havre 7.

The one common opponent the two teams have is Hamilton. Columbia Falls won that matchup 30-29 on Sept. 6. The Wildcats did not have Zach Darling, their star 6-foot, 212-pound running back, in that contest.

“He’s kind of the key,” Schweikert said of Darling. “The games we struggled in early, we didn’t have him. It makes everything easier and better when he’s on the field.”

So how important is Darling?

“He turns a 4-yard run into a 15-yard run,” Schweikert said.

“He bails out the offense. It changes how teams have to play you. They have to get DBs (defensive backs) in run support.

“He’s our finisher, too. Get the lead, get the tight ends in and go big and pound the rock with him. Control the clock and don’t give a team a chance to come back on us.”

Darling has the most rushing touchdowns in Northwestern A this season with 13. He averages 105 yards per game, third best in the league, or, 7.14 yards per carry.

He has amassed 842 yards on 118 attempts.

“We feel like if he goes out and gets 145 yards, 150 rushing, no one will stop us,” Schweikert said.

But Columbia Falls is far from one dimensional. They have several more gifted athletes on offense for Billings Central to worry about.

Quarterback Jared Trinastich, 6-4, 217, senior, has completed 169 of 277 passes for, 2,531 yards and 31 touchdowns. He averages 14.98 yards per completion.

Columbia Falls averages 218 yards passing per game.

Columbia Falls had the two top receivers in NW A in Ty Morgan, 5-10, 172, junior, and Alex Presnell, 5-10, 163, senior.

Morgan had 56 receptions for 898 yards and 14 touchdowns. Presnell caught 36 passes for 526 yards and five scores.

Morgan averaged 16.04 yards per catch to 14.61 for Presnell.

Billings Central is led by star running back Holden Ryan. He scored four touchdowns in the playoff win over Hamilton with scoring runs of 46, 47 and 33 yards.

He also had a 64-yard touchdown pass.

“A great running back,” Schweikert said of Holden. “They are good everywhere (offensively).

“They don’t have a sophisticated passing attack. They run the ball and might only threw 10 times a game, but will complete five and three are long touchdown passes. They are big and athletic.”

Defensively, Billings Central has held five teams to two touchdowns or less. The Rams intercepted seven passes by Hamilton.

“Usually when you have two high-powered offenses you can expect a low-scoring game,” Schweikert said.

“I actually think it will be a high-scoring game. A high-scoring game will be to our benefit.”

If Columbia Falls wins, the Wildcats would host the state championship game.

NOTE: According to Columbia Falls sports historian/statistician Terry Werner, Columbia Falls has never won a state football championship. The Wildcats finished second in 1970 and played in the semifinals in 1976. The current team’s 9-0 record is the best in school history.