Class A Playoffs: Rematch Central

Playoff football is upon us — yes Jim Mora, we are talking about the Playoffs.

Columbia Falls welcomes Corvallis Friday for a rematch of the 2023 semifinals, where the Wildcats defeated the Blue Devils 19-7. 

A lot has changed for the Wildcats since that matchup though: most notably, Kelly Houle taking over the coaching reins following the retirement of Jaxon Schweikert. 

After dropping two of their first three — to the top two seeds in Western A — the Wildcats rattled off five straight wins to lock up the No. 3 seed in the west. 

“We talk about confidence and courage and commitment to the brotherhood,” Houle said. “The kids are believing in each other and the culture of our team is great right now.” 

Just down the road, Whitefish hosts Bigfork in the 4-5 matchup, a rematch from October 4 when the Bulldogs came out on top 42-22. 

Corvallis at Columbia Falls

Jaxon wasn’t the only Schweikert that left the Wildcats program following last season’s run to the state championship game. Cody also left after graduating — he is now a part of Bobby Hauck’s Grizzlies squad in Missoula. That opened the door for Banyan Johnston to take over the starting role as a sophomore. 

With plenty of targets out wide and in the backfield, Johnston has fit right into the Houle’s system. 

“His maturity throughout the year has been outstanding,” Houle said. “(Quarterbacks coach) Austin Green does a great job with Banyan.” 

Johnston has tossed 14 touchdowns this season — five each to junior Easton Brooks and senior Cooper Ross — and rushed for five more. Ross and Brooks are guys who Houle says will catch anything in their vicinity on offense or defense. The two have combined for seven interceptions this season as well (Brooks with four, Ross with three). 

Corvallis (5-3 overall, 3-2 in Western A games) brings in a largely unchanged roster from last season’s semifinal showdown. The offense is spearheaded by dual threat quarterback Aydan Mayn, who is averaging 174 yards per game through the air and 63 more on the ground. 

Mayn has thrown for 18 touchdowns — and ran for five more this season — with Hunter Loesch catching seven of them. 

Gideon Boswell is the leading receiver for the Blue Devils with 95 yards per contest and three scores. 

Defensively, Corvallis lines up with a four-man front, which Houle believes benefits the Wildcats after facing similar fronts. 

“They have big physical dudes out there,” Houle said. “We have experience to go against their front since we have played versions of four-fronts since Whitefish,” 

Houle says his squad are ready for the “second season.” 

“It doesn’t matter what seed we are, we just like to make the second season,” Houle said. 

Bigfork at Whitefish

In the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Vikings, Whitefish scored 28 straight points from the second through the fourth quarters to take control and win 42-22. 

Bulldogs coach Brett Bollweg knows his team will have to give it their all again if they want to advance to the quarterfinals. 

“It’s always a challenge to beat a team twice,” Bollweg said. “They do a lot of good things, with their offense having so many wrinkles.” 

The Vikings (5-3, 4-2) are led by quarterback Cole Schmit, who tossed 18 touchdowns in the regular season — seven each to juniors Tamret and Austin Savik. 

On the ground, Treker Hickey added seven scores for the Vikings, who started off 4-0 before dropping games to Frenchtown, Whitefish and Columbia Falls late in the season. 

“I’m excited about the opportunity to play, more than anything else,” Bollweg said. “It’s exciting to have a game in the playoffs and to host makes it ever better. The guys are excited to get another chance to go play on our field.”  

Whitefish (6-2, 3-1) will look to Carson Gulick to lead the way offensively; the quarterback has accounted for 23 touchdowns this season — 16 passing and seven on the ground. 

CJ Thew will also play a factor; the senior has 11 receiving touchdowns this season and added a pair rushing.  

In the backfield Riley Zetooney gets the reps, the senior is averaging just under 69 yards per game and has found paydirt five times. 

Bigfork coach Hunter Johnson says his squad is happy to make the playoffs but feels like the scoreboard from Oct. 4 doesn’t show the who story. 

“Once you make the playoffs anything can happen,” Johnson said. 

To get the win, Johnson says his squad needs to stay more disciplined and take care of the football. 

On top of redemption, his team is looking to make a statement and show that the Vikings belong at the top of Class A. 

“This is our second year in Class A and we have made the playoffs both years, but we don’t want to just be happy with making the playoffs,” Johnson said.