Class A football playoffs: C-Falls sinks Sidney

by The Daily Inter Lake
| November 5, 2016 10:30 PM

SIDNEY — Columbia Falls battled back after giving up two big scoring plays to upend Sidney 35-20 in quarterfinal action of the Class A football playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

Sidney (8-2) jumped in front 12-0 in the opening on 35- and 48-yard touchdown passes by quarterback Dawson McGlothlin to Trace Jones and Alec Lovegren.

Columbia Falls (9-1) battled back with Daktoa Bridwell hitting his favorite target, Braxton Reiten, for a 22-yard touchdown pass.

Wyatt Green then passed 5 yards to Trey Gates for another score. Brandon Karberg was perfect on both PAT kicks and the Wildcats were in front 14-12 at intermission.

Columbia Falls scored twice in the third quarter on a 2-yard run by Bridwell and Green’s 6-yard burst.

Both teams scored in the fourth quarter, Columbia Falls on a 7-yard pass from Bridwell to Reiten.

Bridwell has 42 touchdowns passes on the season with 19 going to Reiten.

Columbia Falls advances to semifinal play on Saturday at Belgrade, a 38-35 quarterfinal winner over Hamilton.

The Columbia Falls/Belgrade winner will host the state championship game Nov. 18-19.

Belgrade advanced on the foot of freshman kicker John Mears. He booted a 29-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining to give the Panthers the edge.

Mears kicked for the sophomore team, but was put on the varsity squad when kicker Spencer Gordon suffered an injury in practice.

Mears was perfect on all four of his PAT kicks.

Belgrade also lost starting quarterback Zack Spady in the first half. He broke his right collar bone, but the left-hander stayed in to throw a touchdown pass to Trey Mounts. Jemal Williams finished out the game for Spady, a senior.

Columbia Falls 0 14 14 7 — 35

Sidney 12 0 0 8 — 20

S — Trace Jones 35 pass from Dawson McGlothlin (kick failed)

S — Alec Lovegren 48 pass from McGlothlin (pass failed)

CF — Braxton Reiten 22 pass from Dakota Bridwell (Brandon Karberg kick)

CF — Trey Gates 5 pass from Wyatt Green (Karberg kick)

CF — Bridwell 2 run (Karberg kick)

CF — Green 6 run (Karberg kick)

S — Michael McGinnis 15 pass from McGlothlin (Lovegren run)

CF — Reiten 7 pass from Bridwell (Karberg kick)

Billings Central 35,

Polson 34

POLSON — A mixed extra point allowed Billings Central to avoid overtime and slip by Polson in quarterfinal action.

Senior quarterback Tanner Wilson scored on an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter to get Polson within one, but the PAT kick failed.

The Rams (8-2) scored on big plays — long touchdown runs of 52 and 41 yards by Evan Barthel, 71 yards by Ben Voss and 53 yards by Duncan Kraft. Kraft’s was in the fourth quarter, putting Billings Central on top 35-28.

Billings Central rolled up 403 yards rushing on 32 attempts.

Barthel finished with 103 yards on seven carries and Voss totaled 96 on seven attempts.

Braden Huppert rushed for 100 yards for the Rams on just five totes.

Polson was held to 276 yards on the ground on 41 attempts. Wilson also had touchdown runs of 6 and 15 yards. He totaled 188 yards on 24 carries and passed for 195 yards, completing 11 of 25 attempts.

Wilson hit Haden Smith on a 7-yard touchdown pass and Cadis Chowning on a 4 yarder.

Polson (7-2) scored 22 points in the second quarter for a 22-21 lead at the half.

Billings Central 7 14 7 7 — 35

Polson 0 22 6 6 — 34

BC — Evan Barthel 52 run (Josh Kraft kick)

P — Tanner Wilson 6 run (Matthew Rensvold run)

P — Wilson 15 run (Colton Cote run)

BC — Noah Smelser 2 run (Kraft kick)

P — Haden Smith 7 pass from Wilson (pass failed)

BC — Ben Voss 71 run (Kraft kick)

BC — Barthel 41 run (Kraft kick)

P — Cadis Chowning 4 pass from Wilson (run failed)

BC — Duncan Kraft 53 run (J. Kraft kick)

P — Wilson 8 run (kick failed)

Other Quarterfinal Games Saturday

At Belgrade

Hamilton 14 0 0 21 — 35

Belgrade 7 14 14 3 — 38

B — Trey Mounts 84 interception return (John Mears kick)

H — Manny Rivera 5 run (Bridger Bauder kick)

H — Rivera 9 run (Bauder kick)

B — Jemal Williams 12 pass from Zack Spady (Mounts run)

B — Mounts 16 pass from Spady (Mears kick)

B — Wiliams 4 run (Mears kick)

B — Williams 2 run (Mears kick),

H – Ty Chouinard 12 pass from Carson Rostad (Bauder kick)

H — Camron Rothie 16 pass from Rostad (Bauder kick)

H — Rivera 4 run (Rothie pass from Rostad)

B — Mears 29 FG

At Dillon

Laurel — 7

Dillon — 22

Quarter scores, scoring summary NA