Dogs truck past Butte Central in first round
Receiver Jed Nagler found an opening, quarterback Luke May lobbed a perfectly timed pass over the middle, and with a single play Whitefish was off and running to its first Class A football playoff win at home in a decade.
The Bulldogs (8-2, 3-1) were trailing Butte Central by five early in the second quarter when Nagler hauled in an 84-yard touchdown pass and high-stepped his way untouched into the south end zone at Memorial Field. The score put Whitefish in front for good as the Dogs used a dominate first half to thump the Maroons 43-12 on a wet and sloppy afternoon in Whitefish.
“We needed a big play,” Whitefish coach Chad Ross said. “They over adjusted and left it wide open. It was a big momentum changer for us.”
Whitefish tacked on two more scores in the second quarter to take a 28-12 lead into halftime.
Logan Harwood recovered a Butte fumble at the 30-yard line, which led to May punching in a score from 10 yards out on a quarterback keeper.
Sean Foley added a 4-yard touchdown run on a nice pitch from May to finish the half.
Fullback Calub Thilmony put his head down and pounded out a 22-yard touchdown run to continue the rout in the third quarter.
“Calub was just trucking people,” Ross said.
Chris Park capped the scoring in the fourth with a 12-yard touchdown scamper. Park tallied 68 yards rushing on five carries.
May was 12 of 19 passing for 265 yards. He also rushed 10 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Thilmony finished with 85 yards on 15 carries. Foley had five catches for 88 yards.
While the offense was firing on all cylinders, Whitefish’s defensive secondary silenced Butte’s potent passing attack. Walter Holliday, Foley, Thilmony and Jack Streibich each pulled down interceptions to stop Butte scoring drives.
“It was all teamwork,” defensive back Holliday said. “The front guys put pressure on the quarterback and it’s our job to pick it.”
Foley said their time in the film room paid off.
“We knew their formations and routes, and what they were going to throw at us,” he said. “We knew exactly what we needed to do.”
Whitefish has 27 picks this season, fourth most in state history and four shy of the state record of 31.
Streibich shined on the rainy day, hauling in a pair of stellar tippy-toe sideline catches for key first downs. He also caught a two-point conversion pass from Foley after a muffed snap on an extra-point attempt in the third quarter.
The win capped a perfect season at home for the Dogs.
“We came out and played harder than they did and that was the difference,” senior Gage Smith said after the win. “We finished hard, too.”
“We owe a lot to the fans. They come out here and support us all the time. It’s nice to go undefeated at home.”
Ross said his team’s confidence was obvious from the first whistle.
“They have a strong belief in each other and the coaches,” Ross said. “It’s incredible to see.”
Butte Central 6 6 0 0 — 12
Whitefish 7 21 8 7 — 43
First Quarter
Whitefish — Luke May 4 run (Nathan Boone kick), 7:13
Butte Central — Wyatt Kingston 18 run (run failed), 4:08
Second Quarter
Butte Central — Kale Guldseth 24 pass from Danny Peoples (run failed), 10:07
Whitefish — Jed Nagler 84 pass from May (Boone kick), 9:08
Whitefish — May 10 run (Boone kick), 5:30
Whitefish — Sean Foley 4 run (Boone kick), :20
Third Quarter
Whitefish — Calub Thilmony 22 run (Jack Streibich pass from Foley), 2:54
Fourth Quarter
Whitefish — Chris Park 12 run (Boone kick), 3:03
Fumble recoveries for Whitefish — Brady Harwood and Michael Voisin
Interceptions for Whitefish — Walter Holliday, Sean Foley, Calub Thilmony, Jack Streibich