Undefeated Wildcats stop Loggers; Fuller lauds athletes for their efforts

When an undefeated football team meets another that has but a single win in six tries, the conclusion is seldom in question. Someone forgot to tell the Libby Loggers that Friday as a gutsy Logger squad battled the more-accomplished Wildcats before succumbing 44-6 for their sixth loss.

The loss was one that would have had most coaches searching for highlights, but Logger Head Coach Neil Fuller was upbeat after the loss.

“Hey, I can’t tell you how proud I am of our kids,” Fuller said. “That’s a good football team, and we played them tough. I couldn’t be more proud of our effort tonight.”

Fuller lamented the loss of some athletes to what he called “stupid stuff,” citing disciplinary reasons for the absence of key starters.

“We’re not that large (player numbers) to be able to get past losing key players — on both sides of the ball,” Fuller said. “The way our guys stepped up was just great.”

The Wildcats jumped on top of Libby near the three-minute mark as quarterback Jared Trinastich tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Alex Presnell. Presnell also kicked the extra point to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.

The Loggers tried to answer the Wildcats’ score with a sustained drive of their own, but the Wildcats’ defense stiffened, stopping the driving Jared Winslow-led offense on a fourth-and-goal from the seven-yard line.

The Wildcats’ defense stopped the Loggers on another drive, this time within the five-yard line.

Columbia Falls pulled away just before the half as Trinastich hit Presnell to put the Wildcats up by two touchdowns, 14-0. Overall, Trinastich was 13-of-23 attempts for 157 yards and three touchdowns, the lion’s share coming during the third quarter when the Wildcats scored 30 points.

The Loggers’ Nic Robertson picked up Libby’s only score with a nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. A Winslow pass toward Josh Bowers on the two-point conversion try fell incomplete.

Winslow completed five passes on 11 attempts for 41 yards. Robertson was the Loggers’ leading rusher with 85 yards on 19 attempts, followed by Winslow with 33 yards on 27 attempts. Josh Bowers caught three passes for 31 yards, and Isaak Jones caught two passes for 10 yards.

Friday is Senior Night. The Loggers will host Whitefish at 7 p.m.