Columbia Lions withstand Curlew comeback, win 50-30

It started as a blowout, turned into a dogfight and then the Columbia Lions did their thing.

After exploding for 26 unanswered points in the opening quarter, Columbia watched its commanding advantage nearly disappear against the Curlew Cougars before responding with a second-half surge to secure a 50-30 victory in eight-man football action.

Behind another strong performance from quarterback Dylan Williams, who threw for three touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown, the Lions showcased how many weapons they had. Running back Kaleb Williams ran for 146 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Fagan caught two touchdown passes.

Columbia scored four touchdowns in the first quarter, surrendered 22 consecutive points, then answered with 24 of its own to put the contest out of reach.

Columbia wasted little time establishing its offense. Starting at midfield, Kaleb Williams broke loose for a 12-yard gain before Dylan Williams connected with Hank Herrera for a 38-yard touchdown pass with 11:22 remaining in the first quarter. Columbia immediately recovered an onside kick at the Curlew 43-yard line, giving its offense another opportunity. Dylan Williams found Hank Herrera for 35 yards before connecting with Fagan again, this time for a 5-yard touchdown with 9:33 remaining.

This gave Columbia a 12-0 lead. The Lions continued applying pressure defensively, recovering a Curlew fumble and putting their offense back on the field. Kaleb Williams highlighted the ensuing possession with a 35-yard run before Gregory Baez powered into the end zone from 10 yards out. A successful two-point conversion extended Columbia’s lead to 20-0 with 6:09 left in the opening quarter.

Columbia recovered another onside kick and continued its offensive assault. Kaleb Williams ripped off a 19-yard gain before Baez broke free for a 41-yard touchdown run with 4:37 remaining. By the end of the first quarter, Columbia had built a 26-0 advantage.

Curlew refused to go quietly. The Cougars opened the second quarter with a 1

7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Riley Stotts. A successful conversion cut Columbia’s lead to 26-8 with 11:50 remaining before halftime. After forcing a Lions turnover on downs, Curlew pinned Columbia deep in its own territory. A bad snap resulted in an 8-yard loss and a safety, trimming Columbia’s lead to 26-10.

The Cougars took advantage of the ensuing possession, with Stotts breaking loose for a 25-yard touchdown run with 5:37 remaining in the half. The conversion failed, but Curlew had pulled within 26-16. Columbia threatened again before halftime, but Stotts intercepted a Columbia pass late in the second quarter, ending the threat. Neither team added to the scoreboard before halftime.

After Columbia forced a turnover on downs, Dylan Williams scrambled for 15 yards and connected with Herrera on a 30-yard completion. But the promising Lions possession ended in disaster when Curlew’s Gabriel Pak returned a fumble for a touchdown. The conversion failed, but the Cougars had cut Columbia’s lead to just 26-22 with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter.

Columbia needed an answer. And the Lions found one. Dylan Williams directed the ensuing possession, with Kaleb Williams contributing a gain of approximately seven yards and a Curlew facemask penalty helping move the ball downfield. Williams then found Fagan for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 2:26 remaining in the quarter. The conversion failed, but Columbia had restored a 32-22 advantage.

Then Herrera delivered one of the game’s biggest defensive plays. With Curlew attempting to answer, Herrera intercepted a pass and raced 55 yards for a touchdown, pushing Columbia’s lead to 38-22 with just 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The Lions continued producing big defensive plays in the fourth quarter. Fagan intercepted another Curlew pass, giving Columbia an opportunity to extend its lead. Kaleb Williams capitalized with a 50-yard touchdown run, stretching Columbia’s advantage to 44-22 with approximately eight minutes remaining.

Curlew continued battling, but Columbia’s defense forced another turnover on downs. The Lions then put together one final scoring possession. Dylan Williams contributed an 11-yard run before Kaleb Williams added gains of 13 and eight yards. Dylan Williams eventually broke loose for a 30-yard touchdown run with just 38 seconds remaining, extending Columbia’s lead to 50-22. Curlew added a final touchdown on a 55-yard run by Stotts and converted the two-point attempt to account for the 50-30 final.

Dylan Williams completed 13 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Kaleb Williams led the Lions’ ground attack with approximately 146 rushing yards on nine recorded carries, including his fourth-quarter 50-yard touchdown. Baez made the most of his opportunities, rushing for 54 yards on three recorded carries and scoring twice during Columbia’s first-quarter explosion. Fagan had four receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns.

Fagan led the team on defense with 8 tackles, an interception and a recovered kickoff. Herrera delivered one of the most versatile performances of the contest, recording four receptions for 181 yards, a 50-yard run and a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown. He also recovered two fumbles.

Columbia’s ability to respond after surrendering a 26-point lead demonstrated its offensive explosiveness and ability to create momentum-changing plays on defense. It was a key NE1B win as Columbia moves to 3-3 on the season and keeps pace with a very crowded central pack in the standings. Although Curlew made things interesting, the Lions ultimately had too much firepower down the stretch.