Whitefish boys basketball hoping to move up conference ladder
Bulldog junior Mason Genovese drives in the lane during a game against Eureka on Friday in Whitefish. (Whitney England/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish moved from the bottom of the Northwest A conference two years ago to the middle of the pack last season. This year, the Bulldogs hope to continue the upward growth in the conference standings against a tough slate of teams.
"I was extremely proud of my team last year," second-year Whitefish head coach Alex Gonzalez said. "They were extremely resilient. The kids had to adjust to a new coach, and that's never easy. I had a great core group of kids; however, they had no experience at the varsity level, which was a huge hurdle."
Whitefish finished 4-5 in conference play in 2022-23, 6-13 overall, and will return seniors Mason Kelch, Mason Genovese, Carson Krack and Dane Hunt for this season's campaign.
Gonzalez says that the coaches have high expectations for the team this season since the players are more familiar with each other and their coaching staff.
"My expectations are for the kids to work hard day in, day out," Gonzalez said. "I believe they know our expectations. Our team's strength this year is that they have played together for many years. We have exceptional leaders, and they are very familiar with each other's style of play."
Along with the seniors, CJ Thew and Carson Gulick, both juniors, look to be leaders on the team this year. Gonzalez said Gulick, a newcomer to the team, is an exceptional athlete at 6 foot 3 inches and that his basketball IQ is very high.
"He has great court vision and makes plays," Gonzalez said. "I am excited for this young man's future."
The Northwest A could be one of the best in the state this year, with defending conference champion Columbia Falls bringing back many players, Browning looks to be loaded with talent and newcomer Bigfork having been historically good.
"I am just excited to see our kids maximize their potential, work hard and do something special," Gonzalez said.
The Bulldogs were set to get the season started at home against Frenchtown Tuesday, Dec. 5 after press time. Then the team will travel to Frenchtown for the Western A Tip-off Tournament Friday and Saturday.