Dominant year for Bulldog sports teams
By DAVID ERICKSON/Whitefish Pilot
The 2007-08 school year will go down as one of the best on record for Whitefish High School sports. With five state championship teams and two second-place finishes, the Bulldogs were a force to be reckoned with both in-conference and across the state for all three seasons.
Were it not for a heartbreaking 1-2 overtime loss for the depleted girls soccer team in their state championship game, the Whitefish High School teams would have tied the 2005-2006 school year for the most state championships in school history.
What's more, a few more returned serves by the Lady Bulldogs volleyball team in the state championship final would have made it arguably the greatest sports year in school history.
As it was, with state trophies going to the boys soccer team, the girls cross-country team, the girls golf team, the boys track team and the boys tennis team, it was a year to remember for Whitefish High School athletics.
"We are having a great year," activities director Jackie Fuller said. "We have great kids who work hard."
The boys golf team and the boys cross-country teams placed third at state, and the Whitefish speech and debate team placed second overall.
Both the boys and girls basketball teams qualified for the state tournament, as did the football and the softball teams.
Fuller said she doesn't see an end to the dominance of Whitefish athletics anytime soon.
"The younger kids recognize that we are part of a great Bulldog tradition," she said. "They want to carry on that tradition, and that's why we have a lot of success."
The Whitefish athletes competed in arguably the toughest conference in the state. The Northwestern A took the state title for boys and girls in every single spring sport this year — Polson girls in track, Whitefish boys in track, Polson girls in tennis, Whitefish boys in tennis and Libby girls in softball.
One of the more memorable highlights of the year was the challenge game for the Bulldog basketball team in the conference playoffs.
The Whitefish boys had to play the Columbia Falls Wildcats for the chance to go to the state tournament, with the loser going home for the year.
The Wildcats had beaten the Bulldogs twice in the regular season, but Whitefish led the entire game by as little as two points, with the Wildcats tying the game late. Whitefish was able to hold off Columbia Falls, however, for one of the biggest upsets of the year.
The boys soccer team also had a memorable championship game, with the stars aligning to allow Whitefish to host the state title game on their home field.
The Libby Loggers became the first team all year to take a lead on the Whitefish boys, but the Bulldogs were able to rally back to complete their second consecutive undefeated season.