Streaking Blue Ponies feel ready for showdown with Columbia Falls

The Havre High football team has been waiting for a chance like this. The chance to host a playoff game in which the winner will head to the state semifinals. It’s been four years, but the wait is finally over.

Of course, the Blue Ponies did have to wait a week longer than the majority of teams in the Class A football playoffs after earning the first-round bye that accompanied Havre’s first Central A title since 2011.

But after being off last week, the Ponies (7-2) are geared up to take on Columbia Falls (5-3), the second-place team from the Northwest A, which defeated Polson 9-6 last week in the opening round of the playoffs to earn a ticket into Saturday’s showdown at Blue Pony Stadium. The tilt between the Ponies and Wildcats will determine one of Class A’s four semifinalists and will kick off at 1 p.m.

“I feel good going into this game,” HHS head coach Mark Samson said. “I thought that we got a lot done in three days last week and being around these kids this week, I think they are ready to go, I really do.”

The Ponies will be in search of their first playoff victory since a 21-20 win over Miles City in the first round in 2013. The next week, Havre lost 46-7 to Columbia Falls in the quarterfinals in the last meeting between the two schools.

That game will have no bearing on Saturday’s contest, however, and about the only thing similar about the 2015 Ponies and the 2013 version is that Dane Warp is the quarterback.

Warp, Havre’s All-State signal caller is no stranger to the postseason. He has led the Ponies there in each of his four seasons as the starter and the game against Columbia Falls will represent his fifth playoff start.

Warp’s senior campaign was another successful one as he completed 68 percent of his passes, while throwing for 1,990 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also threw just eight interceptions and scored three rushing touchdowns.

“I think that Dane has played really well,” Samson said. “His numbers might not be as good as they were in past years, but we also had games where he didn’t have to throw the ball very much.”

Nate Rismon only played in one game a season ago due to injury, but as the Wildcats prepare for Havre’s big-play offense, they probably have no bigger concern then how to cover Rismon. The senior wide out has been unstoppable all season long and finished the year with 895 yards receiving and a team-high 43 receptions. He also finished the season with 14 total touchdowns.

Yet, Rismon is just one part of Havre’s dynamic receiving duo. The second half of it is junior Parker Filius, who caught 38 passes for 491 yards and six touchdowns. Filius also averaged 4.7 yards per carry running the football this season and scored four rushing touchdowns.

If there has been a weakness for the Pony offense this season it’s been the running game. But even that has come along for the Ponies, and thanks to 200 combined rushing yards between running back Jazz Schroeder and fullback Jase Stokes, HHS tallied 327 rushing yards in the regular-season finale against Polson.

“We have been a very good football team from the second to the fourth quarter,” Samson said. “But hopefully we can start fast in this game and get a couple scores early.”

If one thing is true about both teams coming into Saturday is that they like throwing the football. The Ponies averaged 221 passing yards per game compared to 217 a game for the Wildcats. One big difference about the Columbia Falls offense that it likes to go up-tempo as much as possible.

“They are going to spread us out and run the hurry up,” Samson said. “So we really need to communicate well if we are going to be able to handle that.”

The Wildcats’ offense, much like the Ponies, is centered on the quarterback and Columbia Falls has a pretty good one in Dakota Bridwell, who threw for more than 1,500 yards in the regular season to go along with 17 touchdowns. He did however, toss 12 interceptions, which is something the Havre defense will look to exploit.

Yet, even though the Wildcats run the no huddle, they still run the football. In fact, the Wildcats boast two runners with over 400 yards rushing this season in Stephen Linsdey and Austin Green. Both backs also averaged close to six yards a carry. Columbia Falls also has a slew of receivers with at least 20 receptions, meaning there is no shortage of offensive weapons.

“They (Wildcats) are a solid football team,” Samson said. “They have some athletic kids and they have some good skill guys.”

Unfortunately for Columbia Falls, the Wildcats will be looking at a much-improved Havre defense that has allowed just 14 points per game during its six-game winning streak. Led by Stokes and Filius at the linebacker positon, the Ponies have done a much better job of stopping the run, an effort that has also been aided by defensive linemen Travis Adams, Tyler Schaub and Chris Gabrielsen.

Havre is strong in the secondary with Rismon manning one corner spot and Ivar Aageson at the other. Senior Logan Pleninger has had a good season at safety along with junior safety Nate Korb, who is tied for the team lead with Rismon in interceptions with two.

“We just need to play good football for four quarters,” Samson said. “That is still something that we have struggled with. If we can do that and take care of the football, we have a good chance.”

The Ponies and Wildcats will square off at Blue Pony Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to the state semifinals where they will travel to either Dillon or Billings Central Nov. 14.

Havre Blue Ponies (7-2) vs Columbia Falls Wildcats (5-3)

Saturday at 1 p.m.

at Blue Pony Stadium

Radio: 610 KOJM AM