Colt Idol and Bulldogs ready to roll

By DAVID ERICKSON - Whitefish Pilot

The Whitefish boy's basketball team kicks off their season in the Columbia Falls High School gym this Friday (tomorrow) at 4 p.m. against Anaconda.

The home opener for the Bulldogs will take place Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Stevensville.

The boys are looking for big things this year from junior guard Colt Idol, an All-State selection last year.

The Bulldogs are also looking for big things under new head coach Eric Stang.

After starting last season 0-8, the squad rallied to win the Northwest Class A divisional tournament. Although the conference is expected to offer some tough competition this year, Whitefish looks to carry the momentum from last year's great finish into the start of this year.

The boys will have their hands full with Libby, Columbia Falls and Polson for sure.

Idol said he is optimistic about the upcoming season and the home tournament that kicks things off.

"We're all really excited," he said. "I like (Stang). Our practices have been pretty intense so far, so our conditioning level is pretty good. The only thing we can't practice is a game situation, so we're all just waiting for the season to begin."

The Bulldogs will be returning seven of 10 varsity starters from last year's squad, including three seniors and three juniors. All three juniors this year were sophomore starters last year, including Idol. An extra year of experience may prove to be a boon to the young squad.

"We'll have more people that can score," Idol said. "We'll have a really intense defense. We've been practicing different things, putting in a lot of time, so hopefully it pays off."

Asked if he thinks his team can go beyond last year's accomplishments, Idol doesn't hesitate.

"That's what we're going for," he says. "I think we could. This is the first year we've had three weeks of practice before the first game, so we're just keeping up morale before the first game."