by Thomas Spencer
The Hamilton Broncs football team squared off against Columbia Falls last Friday, defending their perfect record and a favorable position in the postseason class “A” bracket.
In the opening minutes of the first quarter it appeared this game was going to be a close offensive shootout. The Broncs came up with an early score but then gave up a big return that put the Wildcats in the red zone. Schweikert punched in the score for the Wildcats but the Broncs produced a big push on the point after and blocked the kick. Bronc head coach Bryce Carver emphasized that, “every point matters,” an emphasis you could really see on the field with that extra point.
The Broncs and Wildcats traded scores again in the following minutes of the first quarter. It seemed to the crowd that this was going to be a high scoring shootout between two powerful offenses. Then, the tide of the game started to shift toward the Broncs. After a strong defensive stand, the Bronc offense took over the game.
“We just play very fast, our tempo is very fast,” said coach Carver. In the second quarter alone the Bronc offense posted 34 points to the Wildcats’ 0. The second quarter was the turning point of the game. The dynamic duo of Tim Zohner and Tyson Rostad were relentless, accounting for much of that second quarter surge. The offensive machines were complimented by a dominant defensive line led by Derek Saltzman and Andrew Burrows who were an ever-present force in the Wildcat backfield. Those two made it near impossible for the Wildcat offense to move the ball downfield.
The Broncs will enjoy a first round bye this week and watch as their opponent is decided for the second round of the playoffs.