Mistakes sink C-Falls in Class A football final with Dillon
COLUMBIA FALLS — Dillon’s Troy Anderson had four touchdowns, including one on defense, as the Beavers bested Columbia Falls 34-17 in the Class A state football championship game on Saturday.
The Wildcats were playing in their first football championship since 1970, but they committed six turnovers while the Beavers had two as a steady snow fell at Satterthwaite Field.
The game started out in the Wildcats’ favor as Wyatt Green ran a screen pass into the end zone from the 27-yard line at the 9:19 mark in the first quarter. Brandon Karberg knocked in the extra point and Cats took the lead, 7-0.
The Cats stalled an ensuing Dillon drive and got the ball back deep in their own territory. Anderson picked off a Dakota Bridwell pass at the 27-yard line and ran it back for the pick-six with 5:51 in the first.
The Beavers went for two, but the attempt was no good.
The Cats drove down to the Dillon 13, but couldn’t convert a first down, so on fourth-and-eight Brandon Karberg kicked a 23-yard field goal to make it 10-6 Cats with 1:30 left in the first.
In the second quarter, Dillon took its first lead on an 8-yard run by Anderson. The point-after was good and Dillon was up 13-10 at the 8:46 mark.
The Cats started their next drive on their own 45 and a few plays later Bridwell found Trevor Hoerner in the back of the end zone. Karberg’s point-after was good and the Cats retook the lead 17-13 with 7:45 to go in the half.
But then things began to unravel for Columbia Falls.
Dillon scored on its next drive as Anderson ran it in from 6 yards out. The point-after was good and the Beavers were up 20-17 with 5:43 to play in the half.
On the next possession, Bridwell collided with one of his players and fumbled the ball on the Cats’ 48. Dillon recovered and a little more than a minute later, Anderson found Brent Tezak in the end zone on a 25-yard pass. The point-after was good and Dillon went up 27-17.
On the next possession, the Cats drive stalled and they had to punt. The Beavers answered with another scoring drive, a 15-yard touchdown run by Anderson to go up 34-17. The Cats had three turnovers in the first half, including a muffed punt.
In the second half, neither team could score. Bridwell had three interceptions, including one in the end zone that killed a Wildcats’ scoring chance.
Anderson finished the game 7 of 12 for 112 yards passing. He was picked off once by Wildcat Colton McPhee in the second half.
Bridwell was 18 of 45 for 245 yards.
Wildcat coach Jackson Schweikert had praise for his squad.
“They’re some of the best kids I’ve ever coached,” he said.
He also commended Dillon.
“They just outplayed us,” he said.
The Cats finished the season 10-2 overall.
“They’re just great kids. They bought in 100 percent. We have a saying, ‘where we go one, we go all,’” Schweikert said.
Columbia Falls 10 7 0 0 — 17
Dillon 6 28 0 0 — 34
CF — Wyatt Green (27-yard pass from Bridwell. Karberg kick)
D —Troy Anderson (Interception, 2-point failed)
CF — Karberg (25-yard kick)
D — Anderson (8-yard run)
CF — Trevor Hoerner (20-yard pass from Bridwell)
D — Anderson (6-yard run)
D — Brent Tezak (Anderson 25-yard pass)
D —Anderson (15-yard run)