Columbia Falls wins state title

by Leader staff
| March 10, 2011 11:56 AM

BOZEMAN - Columbia Falls was 13 seconds away from capping a

historic season in fitting fashion when head coach Cary Finberg

called timeout.

BOZEMAN - Columbia Falls was 13 seconds away from capping a historic season in fitting fashion when head coach Cary Finberg called timeout.

Finberg turned to Kaleb Johnson and gave his injured All-State senior the nod. Johnson, who suited up for the first time since injuring his knee two days ago, rose from the bench and limped onto the basketball court to join his

teammates amid a standing ovation from ecstatic Wildcat fans.

The timeout ended and Johnson caught the ball and clutched it to his chest with glassy eyes as time passed. Then the C-Town celebrating really erupted. The Wildcats rode out a huge first half and held off the Dillon Beavers 55-43 on the final night of the season inside Brick Breeden Fieldhouse and won a fourth Class A state championship last Saturday.

Columbia Falls ends its remarkable season 22-1 overall.

Their lone loss? Polson handed it to them on Feb. 5, 59-52 in the Linderman Gymnasium.

"It's kind of a bittersweet thing," Polson head coach Brad Pluff said of Columbia Falls winning the championship.

Polson perhaps gave the Wildcats their biggest problems this season. On Feb. 18, the Pirates were barely edged by Columbia Falls, 34-29. The win gave the Wildcats the regular season championship in Northwestern A.

Then at divisionals, both teams matched up again in an instant classic for the conference championship and No. 1 seed at the state tournament.

Columbia Falls came out thanks to a miracle steal at the end of the game, and won 60-59.

"When you play Columbia Falls, every possession counts," Pluff said after that contest. "That's just going to be the way it is."

The final night of the season came down to two of the state's best programs in recent history. Dillon has won two state titles and Columbia Falls now has four from the last nine state tournaments. The two teams played in the 2009 finale with the Beavers winning 54-50.

"Columbia Falls did what they needed to do," Pluff said.