Dogs ready for Senior Night showdown
Forrest Kobelt tries to reel in the ball during Friday’s loss to Columbia Falls. (Chris Peterson photos/Hungry Horse News)
The Bulldogs are looking to put a blowout loss to Columbia Falls behind them heading into the final game of the season against Libby Friday night.
Whitefish (1-6, 1-3) fell to the Wildcats (5-1, 4-0) 56-7 last Friday.
Columbia Falls tallied four touchdowns in the opening quarter, including an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown to start the game by Colten McPhee. McPhee scored two more rushing touchdowns in the first quarter and added an 80-yard run in the second.
The Bulldogs got on the board in the second quarter with a 6-yard pass from Chad Queen to Mark Anderson, but the offense couldn’t get anything going afterwards.
Whitefish was only able to get 95 yards of offense against the Wildcats defense, with 45 on the ground and 50 in the air.
Columbia Falls, in comparison, racked up 403 yards of total offense, with 377 of that coming from their running backs.
“They’re a really good football team. They’re well coached, they’ve got a good system and when they come out ready to go like that you’re in trouble,” head coach Chad Ross said.
This week Whitefish will close up the season against conference opponent Libby (1-7, 0-4). That game will also honor this year’s seniors, Forrest Kobelt, Aalec Pace, Alex Barker and Luke Schwaiger.
“More than anything, I’m proud of how the seniors have fought,” Ross said. “They’ve just done a really good job of working with the young kids and realizing that while it’s not the season they wanted, they can still give their all to the program and help us improve in other ways.”
The Loggers fell last Friday to Ronan — Whitefish’s lone win this year — 12-8 in a defensive battle.
Libby features a freshman quarterback, Tanner Wood, making just his second start in the final matchup of the season.
“They’re young. It’s going to be a Polson, Ronan-type of game,” Ross said. “Two young teams playing, it’ll be a great game.”
That game will begin at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field on Friday.
Whitefish 0 7 0 0 — 7
Columbia Falls 28 7 7 14 — 56
CF — Colten McPhee 80 kickoff return (Auguste Emond kick)
CF —McPhee 8 run (Emond kick)
CF — McPhee 4 run (Emond kick)
CF — Logan Kolodejchuk 10 run (Emond kick)
CF — McPhee 80 run (Emond kick)
W — Mark Anderson 6 pass from Chad Queen (Carver Gilman kick)
CF — Ben Windauer 14 pass from Austin Green (Emond kick)
CF — Green 22 run (Emond kick)
CF — Parker Greene 41 run (Emond kick)