Kelly Houle knew what last name to look out for before turning on Hardin’s film.  

In the late ‘90s, Houle coached against the Bulldogs’ quarterback Cale Nedens’ dad Chris in wrestling. Now he’s watching Cale slip out of the hands of tacklers and wondering how many Wildcats it’ll take to contain him.  

Nedens is the reigning Class A wrestling champion at 150 pounds; he brings the Bulldogs (8-2) to Columbia Falls (7-1) for a quarterfinal matchup at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Wildcats earned a first-round bye with their second straight Northwest A title. Hardin beat Lewistown 22-14 on the road for its first playoff win in 14 years.  

Houle and his staff charted 61 runs in 70 plays in Hardin’s victory over Lewistown. By Houle’s count, Nedens carried the ball 42 times for about 300 yards.  

“They just found something they liked,” Houle said. “They kept doing it and doing it, and they were successful.” 

Houle likened Hardin’s attack to a Wildcat offense. Nedens takes the snap and looks for a crease, and a play that seems bottled up can turn into a long run. He can throw it, too. In a 30-22 win over Dawson County, Nedens passed for 111 yards to go with 245 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. 

“He has a tendency to get in there, bounce around, all of a sudden he squeaks out the other side,” said Houle.  

Staying in their gaps will be a priority for linebacker Trip Ross and the Wildcats. When Columbia Falls has the ball, Ross gives Hardin a runner to worry about, too. 

Ross ran 11 times for 114 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown, in a 42-0 win over Libby to close the regular season. He also caught one of Banyan Johnston’s four touchdown passes. Johnston threw for 212 yards and ran for a score, and Jory Hill caught five passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. 

Houle sees room for Hill and the other slot receivers between Hardin’s linebackers and safeties. He also wants to use Johnston’s legs more in the playoffs, giving the Wildcats another option alongside Ross. 

“We’re just going to take advantage of the green grass that they give us,” he said.. 

Columbia Falls spent most of its bye week cleaning up its own play. Houle liked what he saw enough to give the Wildcats an unofficial record through five sessions. 

“We’re like 5-0 in practice,” he said. 

Friday’s winner will face the winner of Frenchtown at Sidney in the semifinals. Frenchtown handed Columbia Falls its only loss, 28-13 on Sept. 4. 

Whitefish at East Helena 

Brett Bollweg watched the East Helena Vigilantes’ quarterback run and their receivers stretch the field. He recognized a few things from his own sideline. 

“It feels a little bit like us,” said Bollweg.  

The Bulldogs (9-1) visit East Helena (7-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took their only loss by three points this season against Columbia Falls. 

The winner of Friday’s matchup will face either Billings Central or Hamilton in the Class A semifinals. 

The Vigilantes ran for 419 yards in their 34-14 win over Lewistown to clinch the Central A title. Running back Leo Longcake carried the ball 36 times for 215 yards, and quarterback Bearek Shuman ran for three touchdowns, including a 60-yard score. Bollweg also singled out receivers Conor Carpenter and Parker Taylor for what they can do downfield. 

“They run the ball well,” Bollweg said. “They’re good up front.” 

Whitefish leaned on its own front in last week’s 36-12 win over Dillon, running for 248 yards and finishing with 449 yards of offense. Luke Dalen completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown and ran 15 times for 108 yards and three scores. Vance Schwaiger added 104 yards on 19 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown. Keenan Curtiss caught three passes for 56 yards, including the screen that put Whitefish ahead for good. 

“Up front is where we won the game tonight,” said Bollweg after the Dillon win. 

This week, Bollweg sees an East Helena defense whose linebackers play downhill. He said Whitefish can use some of that aggression to its advantage with plays already in the book. 

Dillon led 12-7 early in the second quarter before Whitefish scored the final 29 points.  

If Friday’s game is close late, Bollweg likes how his team has handled those moments this season. He pointed to tight games against Hamilton and Columbia Falls and the way the Bulldogs responded when they fell behind Dillon last week. 

“There was never a moment where our guys panicked,” Bollweg said. “There was never a moment where our guys flinched.” 

Reporter Luke Schmit can be reached at 406-758-4441 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.