Columbia Falls home for title game against Hamilton
COLUMBIA FALLS — The best in the west are vying for the Class A state title.
Columbia Falls will host Hamilton today at 1 p.m. at Satterthwaite Field for the state football championship, the second meeting between the schools this season. The Wildcats beat Hamilton in the Bitterroot 23-20 on Sept. 1.
It is the second straight season the Wildcats will be hosting the title game, falling 34-17 to Dillon last year. A win would be the first state football championship in school history.
“Tired of waiting,” senior Logan Kolodejchuk said.
Columbia Falls is one of the top running teams in the state, led by junior tailback Colton McPhee and senior quarterback Austin Green. Both average more than 8 yards per carry and with power back Logan Kolodejchuk, have been able to wear out teams all season.
The Wildcats are averaging 265 yards rushing a game, adding to their always effective passing game. Top pass catchers Ben Windauer and Drew Morgan are each averaging more than 14 yards per catch with a combined 10 touchdowns.
Hamilton, playing in its first state title game since 2000, is seemingly built to win big the next few years under sophomore quarterback Carson Rostad. The 6-foot-1 signal caller has thrown for a state-best 2,850 yards and 37 touchdowns this season, including 155 yards and a pair of scores against the Wildcats earlier this season.
Broncs senior back Bridger Bauer is averaging 134 yards rushing a game and top wideout Ty Chouinard leads the class with 1,262 receiving yards this season.
That potent offense will vie with the state’s best defense, a Wildcats unit that has allowed just 101 yards a game this postseason, most coming on the first few drives of the game, with Columbia Falls giving up an average of only 19 yards after halftime.
“It’ll be a good, interesting matchup,” Columbia Falls coach Jackson Schweikert said.
“It was a pretty even game the first time. It really comes down to who’s healthiest and who’s playing good that day.”
Kolodejchuk, a senior who plays on both sides of the ball, missed the title game last season after breaking his leg early in the playoffs. He and a hungry group of Wildcats lead an attack that hasn’t given up more than 8 points since Sept. 8, winning their games by an average of more than 40 points in that stretch.
“You can’t really describe it,” Kolodejchuk said.
“Last year, sitting there watching everybody play from the sideline, it was awful. It’s hard to explain. I’ve got a fire inside me and want to go.
“It’s something. You get this excited feeling, a little nervous, a little excited. It’s a fire inside, fueled by last year.
“We had three goals to start the season. Our first goal was to beat Whitefish, our second goal was to win the conference, third was to win the title. We’ll hopefully conquer that third goal.”
The championship game will be broadcast on 103.9/106.7 FM The Monster and online at monster1039.com beginning with pregame at 12:45 p.m.