The Bulldogs have had goals contributed over the course of the season by 12 different players
The Whitefish Bulldogs boys soccer team will return to the Class A title game this weekend when they travel to Billings, and attempt to defeat Billings Central Rams in the championship match for the second year in a row.
Last year’s title game, a 1-0 win for Whitefish, secured a perfect record for the 2023 Bulldogs and brought the school’s boys soccer program to 10 total state championships.
This year, it’s Billings Central seeking to preserve a perfect record entering the title game, with the Rams sitting at 14-0, including a 2-1 win over Whitefish in the second week of their season.
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Billings Central defeated Columbia Falls in a semifinal match last weekend by a score of 1-0. The Rams have let up just 8 goals on the season, and have scored 60 total.
Eric Sawtelle, the first-year head coach for Whitefish, says that his team is expecting a challenging match out of the Central Rams but that he anticipates his players will give it everything they have. Sawtelle is telling his team not only to focus on their fundamentals and tactics, but to enjoy the moment and be fully present both mentally and physically.
“They are a well-drilled, talented team that will play quite physically,” Sawtelle said of the Rams. “We know that if we show up and play to our ability, we will be an extraordinarily challenging opponent.”
The Whitefish boys are 11-2-1 on the season, with their last loss coming around mid-September when they fell to local rivals the Columbia Falls Wildcats. Since then, they have collectively outscored their opponents 43-8 across eight matches. On the season, Whitefish has outscored opponents 67-22. Last weekend’s playoff semifinal match against Stevensville, a 4-3 win, was the first time Whitefish let up more than a single goal since their loss to Columbia Falls.
Two of those Stevensville goals came from David Beames, the all-time single season scoring record holder for Montana boys soccer, who put in his 36th and 37th goals on the year, according to the Bitterroot Star.
The game included roughly 10 minutes of extra time. Whitefish entered the final minutes of the match down 3-2, with both of their goals to that point coming from junior midfielder Kyler Jonson. Henry Barbieri, a junior forward for the Bulldogs, tied the game on a through ball from senior captain Griffin Gunlikson. Barbieri split two defenders and managed to beat the goalkeeper to bring the match to 3-3.
The game-winning goal came from the foot of junior center defender Rowan Perkins. Sawtelle estimated the “incredible” shot came from about 40 yards away from goal.
“It was just one of those moments where he got the ball with space and let it go. It was an approximately 40-yard rocket into the upper corner. The trajectory was incredible. It kept slowly rising throughout its time in the air.”
The Bulldogs have had goals contributed over the course of the season by 12 different players, and Sawtelle said that he sees them as having a solid defensive foundation and has observed his team continue to grow, adapt and evolve over the course of the season. The team is led by senior captains Preston McPherson (forward), Logan Bingham (midfielder), Griffin Gunlikson (midfielder) and Justis Arterbury (defender).
“Our identity is our collective energy, creativity and drive,” Sawtelle said. “We have a special group of boys that work tirelessly for each other and are able to impose a creative style of play.”
The Whitefish boys soccer team will travel on Friday and plans to reach Billings in time to get in a practice. The Class A boys soccer championship match is scheduled for noon, Saturday at Amend Park in Billings.
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