Wildcat district title denied in OT thriller

COLUMBUS JUNCTION — The Columbus High School football team has put together one of its best seasons as a program in 2022 and its winningest since 1997.

The Wildcats entered the year expecting to play for a district title and after going a cool 7-0 through their first seven games, the Wildcats got a shot on Friday night against No. 10 (Class A) Alburnett.

Columbus had a chance up until the final whistle, but in the end, it was the Pirates who completed the late overtime comeback to steal the Class A District 5 title, 32-31.

Things were looking good for the Wildcats late in the Friday night battle.

Late in the fourth quarter, Columbus clung on to a 19-17 after the Wildcats Jeff Hoback was able to bust up the gut for a nine-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper.

Alburnett got the ball back and the Columbus defense stood strong.

After two big defense play which, included a two yard tackle for a loss and a huge sack by Riley Kaalberg, the Wildcats had the Pirates at 4th and 19.

Columbus was able to force an incompletion on the next play to force a turnover and get the ball back in Alburnett territory.

After a pair of Kaden Amigon rushes and at 1st and 10 at the Pirate 41, senior Triston Miller broke a pair of tackles and got free on the right edge for a 41-yard touchdown score to put the Wildcats up 25-17 with 1 minute and 26 seconds on the clock.

Columbus elected to go for two on the score, in which Alburnett was able to stop, keeping it at a one score game.

After the Wildcat kickoff, the Pirates started at their own 29-yard line. On the first play, Alburnett quarterback Mason Neighbor scampered for a big gain, putting the Pirates in Wildcat territory at the 48-yard line.

Four plays later and after a couple of incompletions, the Wildcats had the Pirates at 3rd and 10 at the 24.

Alburnett was able to answer.

Neighbor dropped back and lofted the ball to the back corner of the end zone and put it right into Braydon Osborn’s hands for the 24-yard touchdown, the two’s second of the game.

“Our focus was certainly the passing game,” Columbus head coach David Lekwa said. “That’s one of the best quarterbacks around. He showed it tonight. I felt that our pass coverage was good. They made plays. We had guys right in position and it may have just been a perfect pass or guys climbing the latter. I though our defense played well.”

Still holding a 25-23 advantage, the Wildcats had to halt the two-point try by the Pirates, but Neighbor was able to connect with Payton Baker to complete the two-point conversion and force overtime.

In the extra period, Amigon took the first play in from 10-yards out to put the Wildcats up 31-25, but the extra point was no good and the Pirates capitalized.

After an incompletion to start their overtime drive, Neighbor hit Carson Klostermann for the score. Alburnett was able to hit the extra point to take the district title.

“I’m super proud,” Lekwa said. “The entire coaching staff is super proud. That’s one of the best games that this field has seen in I don’t know how long. It’s an instant classic.”

The game was a tight one through in and out.

In the first five drives of the game, there were five straight punts. Both teams went scoreless through the first quarter.

It wasn’t until Amigon broke free for a 25-yard touchdown with 10:19 to go in the second that the scoring drought was broken.

Alburnett was able to make it 7-3 on a 35-yard field goal by Sam Severson on its next drive.

After a punt by the Wildcats, the Pirates took their first lead of the game on a five play drive capped off by a 32-yard one handed touchdown from Neighbor to Osborn.

The Pirates led at the half, 10-7.

On the first play of the third, the Wildcats scored on a three-yard Amigon rush. After a missed extra point, the Wildcats led 13-10.

Both teams would trade the ball once more and Alburnett would hold the ball heading into the fourth.

Neighbor would add another touchdown pass to his total with a 20-yard strike to Baker to make it a 17-13 game.

A drive later, Hoback’s run would give the Wildcats back the lead with 6:37 to go.

Despite the loss, Columbus showed a lot of fight.

“I thought the boys played hard,” Lekwa said. “That’s a very good Alburnett team. It boils down to just a couple plays here or there. They made a couple more plays than we did. It’s not the result they wanted, but I’m happy with the way we played.”

On the ground, Amigon finished with 232 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. Miller had 74 yards and a score on the ground. Trenton Hoback carried the ball three times for 52 yards. Jeff Hoback had 24 yards.

Columbus threw just two passes in the game.

The Wildcats defense showed a lot of promise. Trenton Hoback led with 10 total tackles. Kaalberg followed with nine. Russell Coil and Cole Storm had seven a piece.

Columbus gave up 225 yards through the air and just 110 yards on the ground.

“We’re going to take the weekend and make sure everyone is healthy,” Lekwa said. “We will look at some film on us and we will figure out who we’re going to play. We’ll treat next week just like this week. It’s going to be business as usually, but the stakes are higher.”

Columbus (7-1) will open its postseason play against Maquoketa Valley (5-3) on Friday at home.