Written by: Lucas Gebhart
Columbia is coming off its best seasons since 2018, but the Wildcats are looking to repeat that success without one league’s best players.
Jared Payne, whom Columbia lost to graduation, did it all for the Wildcats. Payne seemingly never came off the field and took home an all-state safety honor and was named the league's best quarterback at the end of the season. He helped lead Columbia to a 2-0 start and the Wildcats closed the year with wins over Ridgevue and Caldwell.
Despite losing its best player, Columbia head coach Charlie Dotson, now in his third season, says his offense will still be physical in the running game and will keep its air raid attack.
“We are becoming a team and have a ton of opportunities at multiple positions.” he said. “We need to stay healthy and stay together.”
Columbia opens the year with a road trip to Nevada before playing Caldwell on September 7 at Albertsons Stadium.