Defends teammates

In last week's article "Drug forum attracts crowd," Evan Harris was quoted saying he didn't play high school soccer in 2007 because of "widespread drug and alcohol abuse" on the 2006 state championship team. As the captain of that team, I feel that I must defend my teammates and myself against such hearsay.

In 2006, our team was the undefeated state champion. That feat had only been accomplished once before in Class A soccer. The team produced four all-state players, and several athletes from that team are going on to play college soccer.

The team repeated as undefeated champions in 2007 and have established themselves as a Montana soccer powerhouse. If all but five players on the 2006 team were abusing drugs and alcohol, there is no way we would have been able to do what we did. The team was made up of a bunch of friends who enjoyed working together to accomplish their goal.

Evan came onto the squad during the last three weeks of the season so we could fill our roster for the playoffs. No loyal team member would ever say such things about his fellow teammates. Furthermore, when any player had a concern, they dealt with it internally instead of in front of 200 people.

It is unfortunate that Evan felt "abandoned by Bulldog soccer," but he never came to me or anyone else with his problems. Now, two years later, he has given a bad name to himself, and more importantly, the Whitefish High School soccer program.

In the opinion piece, Evan's father said that Whitefish High School soccer's drug policy is "a joke." In reality, coach O'Brien Byrd's drug policy is much more strict than the district's. At the beginning of each season, he informed us that if we were caught using drugs or alcohol, we would be kicked off the team immediately, with no chance for reinstatement.

In the same situation, the district's policy would have only suspended a player for two weeks. Each player on our team knew the risks associated with illegal activity and knew that if they got caught they would be letting down the entire team.

I know that drug use among students is currently a big issue in Whitefish. It has divided our town and alarmed many parents. From a former student's standpoint, it also seems like the district is being very untrustworthy of a student body that has produced a plethora of state championships in the past two years.

I understand people's concern for the health and well being of teenagers, but there is no reason for them to rub the name of my teammates and me through the mud on their quest for strict drug testing. What we accomplished in 2006 was the result of hard work and determination, and it should not be devalued in any way.

Shane Dowaliby

Montana State University