Bulldogs top Cats in mud battle
Beneath the thick layers of mud there
were only bright-white smiles on Whitefish’s sideline.
The Bulldogs erupted as the final
seconds ticked off the clock at Columbia Falls. They could finally
celebrate their first win in the past five seasons over the rival
Wildcats.
“It feels great to get the win over our
rival,” Whitefish senior Gage Vasquez said after the game. “We’re
still alive and this win gives us new hope.”
Friday’s 14-6 victory puts Whitefish in
good position to make their first postseason appearance since
2008.
On a field that was more mud than
grass, Whitefish won the battle in the trenches. With their potent
passing game gaining little traction in the pouring rain, they
turned to the running game and handed the ball to their senior
captain Maxl Smith. Led by an offensive line finally at full
strength, the 215-pounder hammered his way into the end zone.
Smith posted runs of 15,16 and 17 yards
in a second-quarter scoring drive that he capped off with a tough
5-yard touchdown run up the middle. He finished with 99 yards on 15
carries
“Maxl had a great game,” Whitefish
senior Chris Forrest said. “He really stepped it up for us
tonight.”
Forrest put his mark on the game in the
third quarter when he hooked up with Logan Harwood on a 35-yard
touchdown pass. The big play proved to be all the Dogs needed on
offense as the defense held strong to the final whistle.
Columbia Falls failed to score on three
trips to the red zone.
“We played a great defensive game,”
Whitefish coach Chad Ross said. “Guys were making open field,
game-saving tackles.”
He commended Jacob Forrest, Wolf Zinke,
Smith and Dakota Beatty for their defensive effort.
“Hopefully this game is a good stepping
stone for us,” Ross said. “Everyone’s playing together and that’s a
great feeling. Winning is a habit and we are expecting to win now.
You can feel it in the locker room.”
Whitefish 0 6 8 0 - 14
Columbia Falls 0 0 0 6 - 6
Whitefish - Maximilian Smith 5 run
(kick failed)
Whitefish - Logan Harwood 35 pass from
Chrisopher Forrest (Shane Marcial)
Columbia Falls - Austin Barth 1 run
(run failed)