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'A' CHAMPIONSHIP GM PREVIEW
November 16, 2023
DILLON TRYING TO GO UNDEFEATED
'A' CHAMPIONSHIP GM PREVIEW
BUTTE – Saturday’s Class A state championship game between the Dillon Beavers and Columbia Falls Wildcats may cause some déjà vu.
After all, it is a rematch of the 2016 title game, which also took place at Vigilante Stadium in Dillon.
The Beavers – led by Troy Andersen at quarterback – won that matchup 34-17, its most recent of eight state championships.
Columbia Falls won its first and only state title the following season.
Since then, both programs have been craving the chance to once again claim the Class A crown.
“I think it starts with revisiting some of those goals we set at the start of the year. At the top of the board is ‘win a state championship’. There’s only two teams left and all of our goals and everything we want to accomplish is right in front of us,” Dillon head coach Zach McRae said
No team has been able to solve the puzzle that is the 2023 Beavers, as they enter the title game with an unblemished 10-0 record.
After receiving an opening round bye, Dillon outlasted Havre with a game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the quarterfinals.
Last week, the Beavers took out Lewistown – the defending Class A champions – in dominant fashion as they opened up a 26-0 lead before surrendering two touchdowns in the final three minutes.
The Wildcats’ (9-2) road has had a couple of bumps, but they are currently riding a seven-game winning streak into Saturday’s game.
After consecutive losses in September (including a defeat to Dillon), Columbia Falls has found its stride.
It avenged its only other loss in the first round of the playoffs with a 42-0 clobbering of Whitefish.
The Wildcats took down previously undefeated Billings Central (21-16) in the quarterfinals, and Corvallis (19-7) last week to advance to the championship.
The rematch
More relevant to this matchup than the 2016 title game, is the rematch from earlier this season.
Dillon defeated Columbia Falls on Sept. 8, 22-19. It was the second game of the Beavers’ season, and the third for the Wildcats.
From Dillon’s perspective, the game that took place nearly two and a half months ago doesn’t hold much weight.
“It feels like an eternity ago,” McRae said.
“We’ve already learned the lessons from that game and I’m sure they have too. They’re a much better football team than when we saw them there.”
A lot has changed since that early-season battle.
With a combined winning streak of 17 games between the Beavers and Wildcats, both teams appear to be playing their best football of the season at the perfect time.
Quarterback dual
Both teams have leaned heavily on its senior signal-callers to get to this point.
For Columbia Falls, its Montana football commit Cody Schweikert. He has given opposing defenses fits with both his arm and his legs, throwing for 22 touchdowns and adding another 19 on the ground.
They are very dual-threat on offense. And even on their drop backs, a priority of ours is to try to keep him (Schweikert) hemmed in. He makes a lot plays – made a lot in the playoffs – on some of that second reaction stuff,” McRae said.
Schweikert, who also leads the Wildcats in tackles with 10 per game, is aided offensively by wide receiver Jace Hill. The senior has hauled in 10 touchdowns and averages 78.7 receiving yards per game.
Dillon’s third-year starting quarterback Kee Christiansen gives his team a dual-threat option as well
Christiansen has totaled 35 touchdowns through 10 games while also playing safety and punter for the Beavers. In the semifinal win over Lewistown, Christiansen totaled three touchdowns, an interception on defense and a punt that landed inside the one-yard line.
Surrounded by playmakers like running back Kale Konen and wide receivers Max Davis and Cooper Anderson, it makes for potent offensive attack.
Of course, in a state championship game there are great players all over the field, but the quarterbacks on each side just might be the best.
Dominant defense
The Beavers and Wildcats play a similar brand of football, and it starts with defense.
Dillon has surrendered 10.1 points per game, while Columbia Falls has allowed just 9.7 points per game
The Wildcats have five shut outs on the season, and have given up only 23 points in their last four games.
“We feel like all year we’ve actually had the best defense in the state,” said Jaxon Schweikert, Wildcats’ coach and father of Cody, after the semifinal win.
On the other end, the Beavers have held opponents to seven or less points on five occasions this year.
Even with a pair of offenses that are littered with playmakers, points could be tough to come by on Saturday
