Whitefish gridders trampled by Broncs

By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot

The outsized Whitefish football team got bulldozed by the Frenchtown Broncs, 35-7, in the first round of the Class A football playoffs on Saturday.

The loss ended the season for the Bulldogs, but there were positive aspects for the team to build on for next year, according to head coach Patrick Dryden.

"Our quarterback, Alex Elespuru, played his best game of the year," Dryden said. "So our passing game ended on an up note."

Elespuru, a junior, passed for 246 yards, completing 17-of-27 attempts. He was picked off once by the stingy Bronc defense.

"We knew going into the game that we were in for a challenge," Dryden said. "But to say we got overpowered at the line of scrimmage would be an understatement. We got manhandled."

The Frenchtown ground game was unstoppable on Saturday, as they racked up 171 yards. Bronc quarterback David Velasquez also threw for 113 yards against the Bulldogs.

Frenchtown ripped off 362 yards of total offense against Whitefish, a problem that was exacerbated by three Bulldog fumbles that turned into points for the Broncs.

"You can't turn the ball over, especially in the playoffs," Dryden said. "That definitely hurt us a lot. Every turnover turned into six points for them."

Whitefish ended its season at 3-7, although all their victories came against conference opponents.

Dryden said that although he feels bad for his seniors who graduate, he saw some bright points.

"The last pass that Byron Whitcomb caught in his high school career went for a touchdown, so that was a nice way to go out," Dryden said of his star all-purpose running back phenomenon.

Whitcomb consistently ranked in the top-10 in offensive categories for the conference, and he led in punt return averages throughout the season.

The Bulldogs could not find a way to run on the big Bronc defense, however, managing a measly 14 yards on 22 carries.

"They won the game at the line of scrimmage," Dryden said. "We just could not run on them. They flat-out out hit us, and unfortunately we were intimidated."

Dryden said junior linebacker Dustin Beck had a sensational game.

"He was all over the place. All our linebackers will be coming back next year, so that's going to be good for us," he said.

Dryden said he needs to find more defensive linemen for next year, as his son Dylan will be the only returning starter.

Senior receiver Tyler Mason had a nice game, catching five passes for 48 yards.

"I think a lot of people are disappointed that we didn't play better," Dryden said. "But I always say that everybody except one team is going to be disappointed in the playoffs."

Whitefish 0 0 0 7 — 7

Frenchtown 14 7 7 7 — 35

F- David Velasquez 1 run (Robert Kreyenhagen kick)

F- Josh Anderson 44 pass from Velasquez (Kreyenhagen kick)

F- Shae Burklund 2 run

F- Cody Kirk 5 run (Kreyenhagen kick)

F-Velasquez 2 run (Kreyenhagen kick)

W- Byron Whitcomb 10 pass from Alex Elespuru (Brad Nielsen kick)

Individual Leaders

Rushing - Whitefish (22-14) Jake Smith 2-11, Jesse Strunk 3-11, Matt Starr 6-9, Byron Whitcomb 1-2, Alex Elespuru 10-(-19).

Passing - Whitefish , Elespuru 17-27-2-246, Kyle Yogodzinski 0-1-0-0.

Receiving - Whitefish: Whitcomb 6-89, Matt Whitehead 4-72, Tyler Mason 5-48, Seth Wiley 1-9, Starr 1-3