Dogs stun Cats in wild upset

By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot

It was absolute mayhem on the floor of Glacier gym for about 60 seconds after the final buzzer rang as a tidal wave of green-and-gold clad Whitefish students, screaming at the top of their lungs, stormed the court.

A shotgun blast would have gone unnoticed as pandemonium overtook the crowd, and anybody who wasn't jumping wildly up and down and hugging the first person in sight was ducking for cover.

When things finally settled down, the Whitefish boys finally got around to hoisting their trophy.

Hundreds of lucky Bulldog faithful were treated to the game of the year Monday night, and one of the sweetest upset victories a high school athlete or fan will ever be a part of.

The reality of what just happened started to register on the faces of Whitefish High's boys basketball team, going from disbelief to sheer joy: They actually won. The Bulldogs just absolutely shocked the Columbia Falls Wildcats 68-66 in the northwest divisional playoffs challenge game. The victory earns them a spot in the state Class A basketball tournament at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28 (tonight).

The Cats still have no idea who it was that beat them on Monday night. It sure as heck wasn't the same Whitefish team that they easily handled twice in the regular season. This Bulldog team was relaxed, aggressive on defense and absolutely deadly from the field.

Going into the game, the safe money was on the Wildcats, who had posted a 12-6 record and had entered the divisional tournament as the No. 2 seed, having swept the No. 4 seeded 10-8 Whitefish boys.

Head coach Eric Stang said he didn't let any of the hype bother him or his team.

"I told them before the game, just give it everything you've got," he said. "I said, 'Your mom and dad will still love you in the morning, so just go out there and play your hearts out.' And they did."

Indeed they did, as Whitefish took the lead in the second minute and held on to it for the whole game like a bulldog with the last bone.

It was a slow, agonizing demise for Columbia Falls. Despite their frantic, sometimes explosive play, they just could never catch the Whitefish boys.

Junior guard Colt Idol torched the Wildcats for 28 points and his senior teammate Shawn Watterud dropped another 24. The Bulldogs had ice in their veins from the free-throw line, going 22-32. Idol dropped four charity shots in the final minutes, as did junior Aaron Tkachyk, despite the fervor from the crowd.

The two teams exchanged explosive plays the entire second half. Wildcat senior Chase Grilley hit a three-pointer to bring the score to 57-60 with only 1:34 to play, and fans of both sides held their breath. After both senior Jake Smith and junior David FauntLeRoy fouled out for Whitefish, junior Josh Backer came in to keep the fire going for his squad.

Junior guard Matt Whitehead was in the face of the Wildcats all night, and he finished with a game-high nine assists while orchestrating the offense. Backer finished with only three points, but his tenacious defense played a big role. He also had a spectacular running catch to run the clock out. As he caught a full-court launch from Whitehead, Backer caught the ball, somehow landed on his back and ended up dribbling on his knees as the Whitefish bench went wild and the clock ticked to zero. It was a fitting end to a wild game.

"We were relaxed as we could possibly be," Stang said. "We had absolutely nothing to lose."

Idol, Northwestern A's leading scorer, echoed that sentiment.

"We played with reckless abandon," he said. "We knew if we win, we're going to state. If we lose, we're done, so we just played as hard as we could. They (the Wildcats) were holding all the marbles."

The Whitefish boys rallied to a divisional title last year after starting 0-8, and this year followed nearly the same trajectory. Stang said he was never worried about his squad's slow start.

"They all are a great bunch of kids, and it shows how good we are when we play like we are capable of," he said. "It feels good. Phenomenal. I'm just enjoying it game by game."

The Bulldogs will take on Central Class A champions Browning in Billings on Thursday, Feb. 28 (tonight), at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on local ESPN-affiliated radio 1240 AM, known locally as SAM.

Whitefish 12 16 17 23 - 68

Columbia Falls 5 18 18 25 -66

WHITEFISH (13-9) — Aaron Tkachyk 1 4-8 6, Shawn Watterud 7 7-12 24, Josh Backer 1 1-1 3, Colt Idol 9 9-9 28, Jake Smith 3 1-2 7. Totals 21 22-32 63-. 3 pt. Watterud 3, Idol