State A soccer: Belgrade ends dream season for C-Falls
COLUMBIA FALLS — Four different Belgrade Panthers scored and the visitors ended Columbia Falls’ renaissance season in the Class A state soccer semifinals with a 4-2 win Saturday afternoon at Flip Darling Field.
With the win, the Panthers (12-2-0) advance to the state championship match for the third year in a row. They will take on two-time defending state champion Corvallis there, the third straight season those two will square off for the title. The Blue Devils defeated Billings Central 4-3 (OT) in Saturday’s other semifinal.
For Columbia Falls (12-2-1), the loss stopped its nine-match winning streak and left the Wildcats two wins shy of the program’s first state title in more than a decade. Still, it was a fairy tale season for the team and second-year coach O’Brien Byrd as the ’Cats went 8-0 in conference to win the Northern A title and reached the tournament semifinals for the first time since 2007.
“The common theme this year, for our team, has been that we never gave up,” an emotional Byrd said after the match. “Not for one minute. They’re not quitters. You can win and lose but quitters are losers. These kids are winners.”
Belgrade handed Columbia Falls both of its losses this season, the first coming on Sept. 9 (6-3). On Saturday, the Panthers struck first in the 19th minute but the Wildcats roared back to tie the score when Jon Sigurdsson found Logan Stephen along the goal line and the senior chipped the ball into the roof of the net from an awkward angle in the 35th minute.
It was Stephens’ team-leading 18th goal of the season, the third-most in Class A.
The score was tied at halftime but it didn’t take long for the Panthers to pounce after intermission. Jeffrey DeBuse corralled a long through ball in the box and was taken down to draw a penalty kick. DeBuse then stepped to the line and drove home the penalty to give Belgrade the lead for good.
The Panthers struck again in the 64th and 72nd minutes before Sigurdsson cashed in a penalty kick of his own in the 73rd minute to round out the scoring.
The match was played under partly sunny skies, but after weeks of rain field conditions were poor and deteriorated further throughout the match, with players on both sides sliding on the wet turf or wiping out entirely. Belgrade scored its fourth goal when Wildcats keeper Brandon Karberg lost his footing trying to scramble into position for an otherwise routine save.
“It’s a little unfortunate,” Byrd said of the conditions. “I feel sorry for both teams because you coach the team to play in a certain way and when the elements force you outside that comfort zone, it creates other challenges and you get uncharacteristic mistakes. We saw those for both teams.”
Karberg, one of 10 Columbia Falls seniors, was terrific in his final prep match, despite the trying conditions. He made 10 saves, including a handful of rangy stops in the second half that kept the Wildcats within striking distance.
“If it wasn’t for him today,” Byrd said of Karberg, “it wouldn’t have been as close. He was a standout player, definitely one of our MVPs.”
The Wildcats senior class includes Karberg, Stephens, Sigurdsson, co-captain Paxton Fisher, Hunter Peterson, Dawson Chute, Louis Marchand, Miguel Garate, Mason Fetters and Storm Kemppainen.
“My only regret is that I only got to work with them for two years,” Byrd said of the senior class. “I’m going to miss these guys. The impression that they are going to leave on the program, though, it will last a long time because they’re awesome examples.”
Belgrade 1 3 — 4
Columbia Falls 1 1 — 2
BGD — Jordan Schlauch (unassisted), 19:00
CF — Logan Stephens (Jon Sigurdsson), 35:00
BGD — Jeffrey DeBuse (penalty kick), 43:00
BGD — Jared Rockwell (Javan Chisholm), 64:00
BGD — Luke Turner (DeBuse), 72:00
CF — Sigurdsson (penalty kick), 73:00
Shots on goal — Belgrade 15, Columbia Falls 7. Saves — Belgrade 4 (Clay Bost), Columbia Falls 10 (Brandon Karberg). Corner kicks — Belgrade 3, Columbia Falls 2. Fouls — Belgrade 13, Columbia Falls 8. Cards — None.
Bil. Central 1 2 0 0 — 3
Corvallis 3 0 0 1 — 4
C — Cayden Ayers (penalty kick), 4:00
BC — Christian Zygmond (Josh Bundy), 13:00
C — Ayers (Brandon Moore), 22:00
C — Ayers (direct kick), 31:00
BC — Zygmond (Sean Comstock), 57:00
BC — Isaac Meyer (unassisted), 75:00
C — Ayers (direct kick), 95:00
Shots on goal — Central 12, Corvallis 16. Saves — Central 5 (Brandon Hilton), Corvallis 6 (Justin Catanach). Corner kicks — Central 3, Corvallis 8. Fouls — Central 16, Corvallis 11. Yellow card — Emmett Semple (Corvallis). Red card — Semple.
Girls Semifinals
Billings Central 3, Polson 2
POLSON — Annie Seybert scored in the 66th minute to tie the match at 3-all and Billings Central, after no overtime scores, won the penalty shootout.
Janessa Taylor scored at 53 minutes to put Polson (10-3-1) in front 3-2 after a 2-2 halftime score.
Billings Central 2 1 0 0 — 3
Polson 2 1 0 0 — 3
BC — Morgan Ferestad (Zoie Althoff), 2:00
BC — Ferestad (Olivia Hanser), 5:00
P — Ashlee Howell (Tiara Duford), 25:00
P — Duford (JaNessa Taylor ) 33:00
P — Taylor (Duford), 53:00
BC — Annie Seybert (Ferestad), 66:00
Shots on goal — Billings 21, Polson 13; Goalie saves — Billings 6 (Venton Arce), Polson 16 (Jenna Evertz); Corner kicks — Billings 5, Polson 4; Fouls — NA; Cards — Billings, 1 yellow.
Penalty Kick Shootout
BC — Alivia Powers, Althoff, Josie Snyder
P — Howell, Taylor
Scoring, statistics courtesy of John Heglie
At Laurel
Laurel 2, Belgrade 0
Scoring, match statistics not available