CHS football falls 20-0 to Fort Vancouver in finale

Smith said his young team understood the 2022 season was a building year, based on the number of returning upperclassmen. Seniors playing their final game were Stefan Marvin, Avery Schalk, Troy Muehlbauer, and Michael Smith.

Coach Smith had said before the game that his Bruins matched up well against Fort (3-6 overall, 2-3 Trico). The Trappers won a varsity football game for the first time since 2019, when they beat Stevenson, 29-27, on Sept. 16.

Smith had also said his team, to have success, would have to establish its running game against Fort. The wet playing conditions – rain-slicked football and soggy natural grass field - hampered players on both sides. Columbia’s first possession ended with a fumble and Fort gave the ball back quickly when Sawyer Muehlbauer stripped the ball from Fort quarterback Kaeleb Cvitkovich and recovered near midfield. On the next play from scrimmage, after a false start penalty, the Bruins fumbled the ball right back.

Fort’s first touchdown came on a 29-yard swing pass play in which a Columbia player lost his football on the wet surface as he was approaching to make a tackle - in what might have been a short gain.

Columbia’s Petey Schlegel, back in the lineup after missing a couple of games, gave Columbia great field position with his 32-yard ensuing kickoff return. But the Bruin drive stalled, as did another one late in the first half after Fort fumbled inside its 35-yard line.

The visitors scored on two TD pass plays from Cvitkovich to Evan Mendez in the second half.