Dogs bash Browning in homecoming win
Jack Schwaiger makes a cut during the Bulldogs' 37-6 homecoming victory over the Browning Indians. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot)
Devin Beale fights off a Browning defender during Whitefish's 37-6 homecoming win on Friday.
Quarterback Mark Anderson celebrates a Bulldogs touchdown during Friday's 37-6 homecoming win over Browning.
Carver Gilman makes the interception while Josh Dudley looks to block during Friday’s 37-6 homecoming win over Browning. (Daniel McKay photos/Whitefish Pilot)
No late game heroics were needed on Friday, as the Bulldogs celebrated homecoming with a dominant 37-6 win over the Browning Indians.
Whitefish (3-2) got on the board first with a one-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Mark Anderson midway through the first quarter, capping off an 87-yard drive.
The Dogs found the endzone again later in the second quarter, with Jack Schwaiger running in a four-yard touchdown this time.
That drive was spurred off a Carver Gilman interception, the second of two Whitefish picks in the first half.
Browning answered with a nine-yard passing touchdown with seven minutes to go in the first half, but Whitefish wasn’t done yet.
Jack Eisenbarth added in a nine-yard touchdown in the final minute of the half to put Whitefish up 21-6. Eisenbarth finished the game with an impressive 134 yards on 11 carries.
Whitefish opened the second half with a booming 46-yard field goal by Gilman. Gilman was good on five of six PAT kicks as well.
Josh Dudley added a 15-yard touchdown run later in the third.
Anderson added another rushing touchdown, this time from eight yards out, early in the fourth quarter. Anderson finished 9 of 17 passing for 91 yards in addition to his two touchdowns.
Head coach Chad Ross said he was pleased with how his offense handled the blitz-heavy Browning defense.
“I thought they handled the pressure, we moved the ball well on offense,” he said. “Everyone ran well. We did a great job of getting the ball around. I think we had 280 yards on the ground, so that was a big day. And even for receivers, Mark [Anderson] threw the ball to five different guys.”
Ross said he was also happy to see his team contain the explosive Browning offense, be it through takeaways or just shutting down what could have been big plays.
“[Coach Brett] Bollweg put a different coverage in, so we really worked on one-on-one coverage and taking away the deep balls, not letting guys get behind us,” Ross said. “Just like we focused on the run two weeks ago with Corvallis, this week we focused on the pass. That makes a big difference on a team that’s built around big plays.”
Whitefish travels to Ronan Friday.
Ross said Ronan will present a different offensive look than what the Indians showed last week.
“They’re more of a running team. It’s more of a traditional offense, Ronan isn’t running a triple option but they’re going to go with two backs and do more power football, a lot of play action passes, so it’ll be our secondary staying home doing their job and the front seven playing the run, so we’ll have to be just a little more disciplined,” he said.
Whitefish 7 14 10 6 — 37
Browning 0 6 0 0 — 6
W – Mark Anderson 1 run (Carver Gilman kick good)
W – Jack Schwaiger 4 run (Gilman good)
B – CJ Smith 9 pass from Running Crane (pass fail)
W – Jack Eisenbarth 9 run (Gilman good)
W – Gilman 46 field goal
W – Josh Dudley 15 run (Gilman good)
W – Anderson 8 run (kick failed)