Cats maul Ronan, look to Libby
Hungry Horse News
If only every game was this easy.
Kevin Boyer caught three touchdowns and Michael Hader threw for 147 yards Friday night as Columbia Falls rumbled past Ronan 34-7 in the Northwestern A Conference opener for the Wildcats (2-2 overall, 1-0 conference).
Hader completed six of his 13 pass attempts, with passes of 19, 34 and 47 yards going for scores to Boyer, who finished with five receptions for 121 yards and the three scores.
The game started out quickly, as Columbia Falls went up 8-0 following a 19-yard pass from Hader to Boyer and a successful two-point conversion in the first quarter.
Ronan followed with a 3-yard Tyler Espinoza run to pull the score to 8-7.
Scott Palmer scored from 9 yards out before halftime to put the Cats up 14-7, and that's when Hader and Boyer took over.
Touchdown passes of 34 and 47 yards from Hader to Boyer in the third put the Cats up 28-7 and put the game safely out of reach.
Scott Palmer finished up the scoring in the fourth with a 13-yard touchdown run.
By then, the Cats were able to leave Ronan feeling good about their offensive performance.
The 147 yards through the air was notable, but the ground game was just as punishing for the Cats, as freshman Josh Wilson carried 27 times for 159 yards and Palmer had the two touchdown runs.
Head coach John Thompson was pleased with the win and said that he can see the Wildcats improving on a weekly basis.
"You're supposed to get better each week," he said. "That was just an example of that. I think we've been doing a pretty good job of working out some bugs."
The defense held fast again, and Thompson said that the Cats have done a great job executing the game plan the past few weeks.
"Our defense had another real solid game," he said. "Our front three really dominated up front. Our coverage kids also did a nice job, I don't think they even attempted a pass in the second half. We did a nice job of game planning and execution."
Columbia Falls hosts Libby on Friday night for Homecoming, and Thompson said that starting conference play with the win against Ronan was important.
"Football is not like any other sport," he said. "You get one shot. Every conference game is extremely important. Football is an exception to any rule, because there's not a divisional tournament here. You've got to make the most of your one opportunity."
Heading into the showdown with Libby, Thompson said the team remains positive, despite some pre-season predictions that had Libby taking the conference crown.
"We're optimistic, we've played some pretty good football as of late," he said. "(Libby is) a very good, very talented football team and we've got our work cut out for us."
The Freshman Cats lost to Flathead Black 26-12 Tuesday night.
Wildcats 34, Chiefs 7
Columbia Falls 8 6 14 6 - 34
Ronan 7 0 0 0 - 7
CF - Kevin Boyer 19 pass from Michael Hader (Steve McNulty pass from Hader)
R - Tyler Espinoza 3 run (Alan Skogen kick)
CF - Scott Palmer 9 run (Boyer kick)
CF - Boyer 34 pass from Hader (Boyer kick)
CF - Boyer 47 pass from Hader (pass failed)
CF - Palmer 13 run (Boyer kick)