Columbia High’s 2023 early season football gauntlet — which some call a schedule — ends this week, but there likely will be no drop off with the level of play the winless Bruins will face.
Columbia’s three losses — including a Sept. 15, 48-6, defeat to visiting Montesano — have come against Stevenson, Goldendale, and the Bulldogs. Those three teams are a combined 8-1 this season. Next up for Columbia is a 7 p.m. contest Sept. 22 at Elma High (1-2). The Eagles opened the season with a 21-14 win at Centralia, but have lost their subsequent contests, 40-20, to Cascade Christian, and 28-10 to Castle Rock.
Columbia played Montesano to a scoreless first quarter, but the visitors started to wear down the Bruin defense in the second period, building a 21-6 halftime lead. Montesano, with its mobile and physical line, took advantage of direct snaps to 200-pound running back Gabe Bodwell and quarterback Jaxson Wilson. The Bulldogs also enjoyed short fields when the two teams swapped possessions.
The Bulldogs (3-0) are averaging 43 points a game and now have allowed one TD in each of their first three contests. Bodwell broke the scoring drought in the second quarter on a 34-yard run. He scored again on the next Montesano possession, but it took him three attempts to do so. He crossed the goal line on a 58-yard run which was called back because of a holding penalty. On the next play, he rambled 61 yards to the end zone, but Montesano was flagged for a block in the back. Bodwell finally scored a counting touchdown from the 5-yard line.
Bodwell finished with three touchdowns and averaged more than 10 yards a carry.
Columbia senior Petey Schlegel sparked the Bruins on their final possession of the half with a 65-yard kickoff return to the Montesano 20. Humberto Pulido ran behind a good line surge to the 15 and Wongani Schlegel’s extra-effort run inside moved the ball to just outside the Bulldog 10. That’s where Landon Castilla went straight up the middle, which was clogged, forcing him to bounce out to his right where he ran in for the lone Columbia score.
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