The Columbus Wildcats were defeated by Maquoketa Valley 57-21 in the first round of the Class A playoffs Friday and concluded their 2023 football season. After the two teams traded scores in the first quarter, Maquoketa Valley added another two touchdowns to build a 28-14 lead at halftime, then seized complete control by pushing the advantage to 49-21 in the third quarter.

Columbus running back Kaden Amigon had another big game, rushing for 262 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries, but the Wildcats gained just 46 yards otherwise. Fellow senior Russell Coil also had a huge night with 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack, but the ‘Cats yielded an eye-popping 618 yards to Maquoketa Valley.

The season ends for Columbus with a record of 6-3. In addition to Amigon and Coil, the Wildcats will saying goodbye to seniors Cael Phillips, Cole Storm, Leo Lara and Luis Cruz.