Dogs repeat as state soccer champs
Senior striker Sam Donaldson spread his arms wide and looked to the sky as fluffy quarter-sized snow flakes floated around him like confetti. Amid the celebration chaos of silly string and uncorked bottles of cider, Donaldson just smiled, let out a small chuckle and took in the magic of the moment.
Whitefish’s boys soccer team wrapped up a perfect 15-0 season and defended their Class A state title Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Billings Central at Smith Field. The win marked Whitefish’s fifth title since 2002 — the most of any school in Montana history.
The postgame celebration was how this season was scripted to end. Talks of back-to-back titles began as early as last fall — anything less than a state championship for this talent-packed roster was going to fall short of expectations.
“We’ve been looking forward to this since the beginning of last season,” Donaldson said after the game. “Ever single thing we did was a step toward this.”
“Really, there was no other option,” senior Curran Edland said.
“If we didn’t win, it was going to be a disappointment,” senior Sean Janni added.
Disappoint, they didn’t. The Bulldogs’ skill and knowledge of the game was unmatched by any opponent all season. Saturday’s result added to the team’s current streak of 27 consecutive victories dating back to the 2011 season.
Bulldog coach O’Brien Byrd said this roster is the best he’s led in his 10 years at Whitefish.
“They’d get even better if we had a few more games, which is scary.” Byrd said.
Whitefish peaked in the playoffs. A 5-0 win in the quarterfinals against Park High and an 8-0 romp against Frenchtown in the semifinals set up Saturday’s showdown. Billings Central came into the title game with just one loss and looked to be Whitefish’s toughest test of the season.
A few inches of wet snow was plowed from the pitch prior to kickoff and a driving snow fell to start the game.
Whitefish shook off the freezing temperatures to start with a blaze. Just moments after the opening whistle — about 30 seconds — Donaldson found Janni for the first score of the day.
Bang! 1-0 Whitefish.
Central would counter with a goal in the 20th minute from their top scorer Conor Sheehy.
Much of the first half was a back-and-forth battle at midfield as players on both sides tried to find their footing in the slick conditions.
Whitefish was able to score the go-ahead goal in the 28th minute on a play that ranks as a top highlight of the season.
Junior Tommy Murphy gathered a loose ball off a corner kick and hit Nathan Boone with a pass to the northeast corner of the pitch. Boone played a cross in front of the goal box that lured Central’s keeper out of position. Donaldson flicked the pass with his head toward the net and Edland charged to finish with a sliding stab between Central’s defense.
Up 2-1, Byrd was happy with the team’s play at halftime. He told the seniors to finish strong and trust their game plan.
Edland answered the call in the 46th minute with a goal on a free kick from 25 yards out. Donaldson capped the game with a goal in the 70th minute off an assist from Boone. Donaldson finished the year as the state’s leading scorer with 24 goals.
A home crowd edging toward 1,000 erupted at the final whistle and the student section stormed the field with bottles of shaken cider and silly string.
Seniors took turns posing with the state trophy, holding up two fingers to signify the back-to-back championships.
After the game Bulldog senior goalkeeper Thomas Clark reflected on the perfect season and his final game wearing a Bulldog jersey.
“It’s as happy of an ending as it can be,” he said. “You don’t want it to end, but this is the way to end it.”
Byrd talked about each of the senior’s passion for soccer.
“They love the game — they just love the game. This week was all about the love. Love of the seniors, the team and the game. At halftime it was oozing with emotions. Now everybody is hugging everybody.
“They’re like, ‘coach can we practice on Monday?’ They just don’t want it to end, that’s the bottom line. I think it’s awesome. They just love the game.”
Billings Cen. 1 0 — 1
Whitefish 2 2 — 4
Whitefish - Sean Janni (Sam Donaldson), 1:00; Curran Edland (Nathan Boone), 38:00; Edland, free kick, 46:00; Donaldson (Boone), 70:00.
Billings Central - Conor Sheehy, 20:00.
Shots - Billings Central 6, Whitefish 12. Saves - Billings Central 9 (Joey Thompson), Whitefish 7 (Thomas Clark). Corner kicks - Billings Central 3, Whitefish 4. Total fouls - Billings Central 6, Whitefish 7. Yellow cards - Billings Central 2, Whitefish 1.