The Northwestern A conference sent three of its four teams to the Class A state football playoffs last season, including the eventual state champion in Whitefish.

With lots of turnover from the champs, the conference could be wide open this season and has the makings of another tough run into the state playoffs.

Columbia Falls brings back nearly its entire team from last year, Polson starts a pair of NCAA Division I commits and Whitefish is still supremely talented with a lot of new faces.

Columbia Falls Wildcats

Head coach: Jackson Schweikert (fifth season)

2015 record: 5-4 overall, 2-1 in conference. Lost to Havre in state quarterfinals 47-13, beat Polson 9-6 in the first round of the playoffs.

Key Losses: RB/DL Stephen Lindsay; C Blake Arneson; WR Tyler Murphy.

Key Returners: QB Dakota Bridwell; WR/ILB Trevor Hoerner; OT/DT Zach Baker, OG Zak Karlin.

The skinny: Columbia Falls enters this season in a similar position to Whitefish last year, bringing back possibly the deepest and most experienced team in the state to a squad that made its way to the second round of the playoffs last year.

The Wildcats return 13 all-conference players, including third-year quarterback Dakota Bridwell to a system that encourages speed at every position. Back among those players are four all-conference offensive linemen, six players who earned accolades on the defensive side of the ball and University of Montana commit Trevor Hoerner at receiver and linebacker.

Their season starts tonight against Corvallis, and we could get an early indication of just how explosive the Wildcats will be this season.

Coach Schweikert’s take: “I feel like it’s the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here.

“The experience (is a strength). We have good depth at some key positions.

“We have eight receivers that we feel really good about, we’re four deep at running back and with a veteran quarterback and a veteran O-line that’s big and agile.

“I personally feel we’re one of the most talented teams in the state ... If they play with emotion and great effort they’re going to be difficult to beat.”

Polson Pirates

Head coach: Scott Wilson (16th season)

2015 record: 3-6 overall, 1-2 in conference. Lost to Columbia Falls in the first round 9-6.

Key Losses: C/DL Nick Marquardt; WR/DB Hudson Smith; WR/DB Jacob Harrod.

Key Returners: WR/ILB Matthew Rensvold; QB/S Tanner Wilson; OL/DL Kabe Forman-Webster.

The skinny: Polson returns an experienced quarterback and a lot of talent on both sides of the ball.

Tanner Wilson is back for his second year at quarterback and joins fellow Montana commit Matthew Rensvold on what could be a potent offense.

With a few new starters on each side of the ball, the Pirates are looking toward a small senior class to lead the way while its young team gets its bearings.

Coach Wilson’s take: “We have a good core of seniors that have a lot of experience. A lot of those kids have started for us since they were sophomores. We have a lot of good experience coming back. We have a lot of room for improvement but I’m pleased with where we’re at in practice.”

“One of the keys will how our first-time starters react to the varsity level.

“Second we have to stay healthy. It’s something that has bit us the last two years and we’re hoping for some good fortune on that side of it.”

“We don’t have a ton of (seniors) but we have 11 of them and it’s a good core. They’ve got to provide that leadership and keep encouraging (our younger kids) and keep pushing to make everybody better.”

Whitefish Bulldogs

Head coach: Chad Ross (seventh season)

2015 record: 11-1 overall, 3-0 in conference. Beat Dillon 17-13 in the Class A state championship game, beat Miles City 31-14 in the semifinals, beat Sidney 24-0 in the quarterfinals.

Key Losses: QB Luke May; RB/LB Chris Park; WR/LB Jed Nagler; S/RB Brian FauntLeRoy; OL/DL Chaffin Ross.

Key Returners: OL/LB Travis Catina, WR/DB Tyler Cote, QB Derek Kastella, OL/DL Patrick McGeady.

The skinny: Outside of wearing the same uniforms the defending state champs won’t look remarkably similar to the team that won it all last year.

That being said, the players that are coming back aren’t as green as those uniforms would have you believe.

Because the team was so dominant through the regular season in 2015, senior quarterback Derek Kastella and the new crop of Bulldogs played a large amount of varsity minutes in the second halves of blowout wins.

That, along with the most talented offensive and defensive lines in recent memory, should keep Whitefish among the best teams in the state again.

Coach Ross’ take: “If you look at our team compared to any other year than last year, I’d say we’re going to be very competitive.

“(Kastella) is a great quarterback. He’s not the athlete Luke was, but he reads (defenses), he knows the game. I’m excited to see how good he can play.

“We have 14 guys that I think that can step up and do things, they just haven’t had the opportunities because the guys in front of them were so good.

“It’s a different mix of guys but they’re all very capable. They all had different roles last year but they had significant roles. Now they have really significant roles. It should be good football.”