The Columbia Wildcats took their fair share of blows early in Friday night's Round-1 playoff matchup against Greene County, trailing on two separate occasions in the first half. Seasoned with big-game experience, however, the Wildcats remained calm, cool and collected as they regained the momentum and pulled away down the stretch for a 49-21 victory.
The scoreboard operator was put to work early and often in this one, beginning on the very first play of regulation. Greene County senior running back KJ Miller burst through a hole in the defensive front and raced 65 yards to the end zone, giving the visitors a 7-0 advantage only seconds into the contest. Head coach Chip Bilderback said he and his players knew Miller would be capable of making impact plays if given the opportunity, but he was pleased with the way his defense responded to the early adversity. From then until the end of the contest, Miller was allowed only 56 additional yards.
"This time of year, every team that you face has one or even multiple guys who will make you pay if you give them a crease, and that's what happened in the first quarter," Bilderback said. "But I thought once our defense settled into the game, we did a lot better, and I think our physicality kind of wore on them over the course of the game."
The Wildcats' offense then found itself facing a familiar struggle. After working its way down field into the red zone for a chance to respond with a score of its own, the unit stalled and was forced into a turnover on downs. Even then, the Wildcats remained unfazed. Bilderback said he was proud of his players' willingness to put what could've been a demoralizing moment behind them and keep battling, which paid off with a whopping seven touchdowns through the Wildcats' final nine offensive drives.
"Offensively, I felt like they never really stopped us," he said. "We stopped ourselves with a couple costly mistakes on that first drive, but eventually it seemed like we found our rhythm and just kept rolling."
After forcing Greene County to punt on the ensuing possession, the Wildcats' ground game began firing on all cylinders. Columbia's offense worked its way down field in eight plays and capped off the drive with a six-yard touchdown run by senior Jalon Anderson. The point-after attempt sailed wide left, however, leaving the visitors with a 7-6 lead entering the second quarter of action.
After yet another defensive stop, the Wildcats' offense went right back to work. A 44-yard run by Amarion Fortenberry flipped the field just moments before Anderson strolled into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, this time from five yards out. The Wildcats' two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, however, leaving them with a 12-7 advantage.
Greene County responded with a long scoring drive of its own, ending with a 7-yard scramble into the end zone by sophomore quarterback Coby King to lift the visitors back into a 14-12 lead. But Columbia answered with another score just before halftime. A 52-yard punt return by Jeremiah Foxworth paved the way for a 3-yard touchdown run by Fortenberry, putting the Wildcats back in front 18-14 at the halfway point of the contest.
Bilderback believes the Wildcats' consistency in the ground game, as well as their ability to create sparks on special teams, has been a significant factor in helping them reach this point of the postseason and should continue working to their advantage as they move forward.
"Our running back group has done a fantastic job this year. I think each one of them brings a different element to the offense, whether it's Amarion, Jalon or Miguel (Cook)," Bilderback said. "Of course, I think a lot of the unsung credit for our success in that department has to go to the O-line as well. Those guys have consistently improved from week to week throughout the season, and it's making a huge difference, and I'm just really glad they're all Wildcats.
"Also, hat's off to Jeremiah for making an incredible play for us on that punt return. He's made plays like that on multiple occasions this season, and it's really hard to beat a team that gets that kind of spark from their special teams unit."
The Wildcats' early rushing success opened up more opportunities in the passing game, which sophomore quarterback Collin Haney exploited right out of the gate in the third quarter. Haney connected with sophomore AJ Lewis for a 52-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the second half, which opened the floodgates for an on pouring of success for the Wildcats' offense throughout the rest of the evening.
Cook joined the touchdown party two drives later, reaching the end zone on an 8-yard carry to extend the lead. He punched the ball across the goal line again for a two-point conversion, putting the Wildcats ahead 32-14. Greene County responded with a 12-yard touchdown pass by King late in the third quarter, slicing into the lead one last time with what ultimately became its last touchdown of the 2022 season.
Columbia tacked on two more scores in the fourth quarter for good measure, one on a 6-yard run by Fortenberry and another on a 1-yard run by freshman Mac McDaniel. When the dust settled and the final horn sounded, the Wildcats walked away with a 49-21 victory to cement their spot in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.
Bilderback said the Wildcats' response to adversity in their first postseason contest excites him about the squad's potential moving forward, and he still believes their best football lies ahead as they begin preparations for a round-2 rematch with the Mendenhall Tigers (10-1), who Columbia beat 21-16 to begin the season. They have not lost since.
"We're really proud of the growth we've seen from our players week to week, not just in their execution but in their preparation for each game," Bilderback said. "I think our team is starting to peak at the right time, and I think our kids are going to be ready to roll on Friday."
