Wildcats use balance to beat Browning, 28-14
Columbia Falls got right back on track in a defensive aspect, holding Browning to 83 yards of offense in a 28-14 non-conference victory Friday night in Browning.
The Wildcats will have another tough test this week as they host Dillon on Friday at 7 p.m.
Sophomore Kaleb Johnson set the tone for the game early, picking off a Bill Blackman pass and returning it 32 yards for a first-quarter touchdown. Later in the period, it was the offense's turn to shine as Mitchell Wassam connected with Johnson on a 74-yard catch-and-run for another score. Wassam kicked the conversion after both touchdowns.
Browning got on the board midway through the second period when Lyle St. Goddard caught a 24-yard scoring pass from Blackman. The conversion pass failed, and C-Falls led 14-6 at intermission.
The Indians played inspired football against the Cats. A starter on the team was killed in a car crash Monday, and a ceremony was held before the game.
It was important that the Cats get back on the scoreboard in the third period, and they did. On the first possession of the half, Wassam threw a 19-yard touchdown aerial to Chris King. King was playing in place of John Woody, who suffered a bruised hip after carrying the ball just five times.
The Cats faced Browning without three starters — Kyle Howell, Wayde Martinson and Cole Jones, who all sat out with injuries. Howell could miss the game against Dillon.
Browning got within a touchdown on a 46-yard scoring pass from Blackman to Jeff St. Goddard with 5:19 remaining in the game, plus a two-point conversion. Getting the ball back near midfield, the Cats took just two minutes to score — on a 12-yard run by King on a fake screen execution.
"I thought we defended them well," C-Falls head coach Bill Coleman said. "They did have a couple of runs to our edge." But the Indians had no runs of 10 yards or more.
The C-Falls defense sacked Blackman seven times. Kelly Houle had two. Cale Vukonich and Nate Thompson had 1.5 each, and Mike Macijunas had another.
"There wasn't any place for him to scramble to," Coleman said of Blackman due to the pass rush, via the Cats' three-man front.
With sacks deducted from the rushing total, the Indians had just 21 yards on 26 carries.
The Cats held Browning to 83 yards passing.
"We played really well," Coleman said of pass defense. "We got out of position a couple of times and they took advantage of that."
Devyn Rocker came down on his head while trying for an interception and was sidelined, but he's OK for this week's game.
C-Falls had 196 yards in the air and 169 passing for a total of 355. Wassam was 10-for-20 with two interceptions. The Cats had 15 first downs to just four for Browning.
"We moved the ball effectively," Coleman said. "These (Browning) kids are huge. They were big and they could move."
King had 15 carries for 89 yards.
C-Falls had just two penalties for 10 yards.
"We're starting to be better, better than the week before," Coleman said.
Dillon is "effective in what they do," the coach said. The Beavers beat Park before a loss to Laurel last week.
"Dillon is a spread team. They like to throw the ball," Coleman said.
Columbia Falls 14 0 0 14 - 28
Browning 0 6 0 8 - 14
CF - Kaleb Johnson 32 interception return (Wassam kick)
CF - Johnson 74 pass from Wassam (Wassam kick)
Browning - Lyle St. Goddard 24 pass from Bill Blackman (pass failed)
CF - Chris King 19 run (Wassam kick)
Browning - Jeff St. Goddard 46 pass from Blackman (L. St. Goddard pass from Blackman)
CF - King 12 run (Wassam kick)