Boys soccer: Dogs crush Park High
Whitefish used a flurry of goals and an impermeable defense to knock out a rugged Park High team 5-0 Saturday in the quarter-final round of the state Class A boys soccer playoffs. The Bulldogs hit the net four times in a 17 minute stretch as they demoralized the Rangers early in the match.
“The best game of the year,” Whitefish coach O’Brien Byrd said. “It was the most focused I’ve ever seen these boys. They were all business — it was time to clock in.”
The defending state champs remain undefeated this season at 13-0-0. The Bulldogs current 25-game win streak dates back to last season.
Junior Nathan Boone tallied first on a perfect strike from dead-center at the top of the penalty box to give Whitefish a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute.
Sam Donaldson added another 10 minutes later. The state’s leading scorer charged from mid-field, beat a slide tackle, then maneuvered around the Rangers’ keeper to hit the open goal from the left side of the pitch. It was his 22nd of the season.
Speedsters Donaldson and Iaian Cameron owned the front line with the support of the midfield. The duo up top is a combination that Byrd says is almost impossible to defend.
“Iaian is pure speed,” Byrd said. “You can’t coach that. With Sam on the right and Iaian on the left, it’s lethal.”
Curran Edland scored on a blast from the middle of the box in the 26th minute to make it 3-0.
Boone tallied his second of the game after a corner kicked pin-balled in front of the goal. Boone gathered the loose ball and buried in it the net.
Whitefish’s defense led the way in the second half as the Rangers came out with a spirited effort. Jon Dittman, Addison Clark, Michael Reimer and Connor Gray, and goalkeeper Thomas Clark earned the shutout.
“The back five, they don’t get a lot of press,” Byrd said. “But Saturday they played the best game of their careers. They didn’t lose focus and they had to make some big tackles.”
Park was limited to only four shots on goal.
Edland picked up his second goal in the 62nd minute to cap the scoring. The senior now has 19 on the season.
Whitefish moves on to the semi-finals where they will host Frenchtown on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Smith Fields. Frenshtown topped Belgrade 7-2 in the quarter-finals.
“Frenchtown is very good and scores a lot of goals,” Byrd said. “It will be a battle of the offenses.”
“We’re going to focus on our strengths and make Frenchtown adjust to our tactics.”
Whitefish reports no injuries.
On the other side of the playoff bracket, Billings Central faces Stevensville in the semi-finals.
Livingston 0 0 – 0
Whitefish 4 1 – 5
W – Nathan Boone (Iaian Cameron), 13:00
W – Sam Donaldson (Boone), 23:00
W – Curran Edland (Cameron), 26:00
W - Boone (Edland), 30:00
W - Edland (Cameron), 62:00
Shots – Livingston 4, Whitefish 21. Saves – Livingston 5 (Quint Bishop), Whitefish 4 (Thomas Clark). Corner kicks – Livingston 1, Whitefish 6. Total fouls – Livingston 11, Whitefish 13. Yellow cards – none. Red cards – none.