Bulldogs rally to whip Cats at home
David Erickson / Whitefish Pilot
By DAVID ERICKSON
Whitefish Pilot
The Wildcats had to limp out of the Dawg Pound, tails between their legs, to lick their wounds after Saturday night’s boys basketball game.
It didn’t look good early for the Bulldogs, but they fought back for a memorable comeback victory, 52-47, over Columbia Falls at Whitefish High School, their first regular-season victory over their rivals since the 2006-’07 season.
The ‘Cats jumped out to a 17-6 lead in the first quarter, sending the C-Falls student section, all dressed in black, into a frenzy.
Whitefish found their offensive rhythm by the second quarter, however, outscoring C-Falls 18-7 to tie the game at 24-all going into the half.
In front of a packed, noisy gym, the two teams came out from the locker rooms with a renewed defensive intensity, but it wasn’t pretty to watch. Each team forced the other into turnovers and awkward shots. A total of 15 points dropped in the third frame, with Whitefish having a 9-6 edge.
Finally, in the crucial fourth quarter, Whitefish was able to pull away. The ‘Dogs scored 19 points and the always-rowdy Whitefish student section fired up with chants of “Drive… home … safely!”. This was in response to the Columbia Falls students chanting “Sit down Sea Kittens!”, a reference to PETA’s request that the Bulldogs change their mascot.
Fans stormed the court, and the Whitefish boys celebrated their second conference victory in two nights. They improved to 6-4 overall and have won four in a row after suffering through a four-game losing streak early in the season.
Colt Idol dropped 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
Aaron Tkachyk added 11 points and three assists. Tkachyk made several clutch free throws down the stretch to preserve Whitefish’s lead.
Matt Whitehead had three assists and four points, while Josh Backer had five big points working inside. Connor Silliker dropped seven, and senior David FauntLeRoy had 10. Willie Roche and Marc Hotzfield also got into the action, with two and one points, respectively.
“We came out really flat, but we got it together,” Whitehead said. “We were trying not to rush anything and get panicked. Columbia Falls likes to try to get you to rush your shots. (Head coach Eric Stang) was pleased with how we came back and tied it up (before halftime).”
The previous night in Bigfork, the Bulldogs blew past the Vikings 68-56. Idol tormented his former hometown team with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Whitehead had nine assists and nine points, including a jump shot at the buzzer before half.
The only low point for Whitefish was their poor shooting from the free-throw line, going 8-for-20.
The Bulldogs have now won four in a row, after suffering through a four-game losing streak earlier in the year.
“It feels good,” Whitehead said. “We were kind of down for a little bit there, but after the Libby game we decided we just need to play as a team, not worry about individual stats, and just go out and have fun.”
Whitefish will travel to conference-leading Polson on Saturday night to try to avenge their early-season blowout loss to the Pirates.
Columbia Falls 17 7 6 17 - 47
Whitefish 6 18 9 19 - 52
Columbia Falls - Kyle Howell 2, Josiah Begay 2, Mackey Nolan 14, Austin Robbins 6, Mitchell Wassam 3, Kaleb Johnson 4, Grant Getts 9, Michael Williams 7.
Whitefish - Matt Whitehead 4, Aaron Tkachyk 11, Willie Roche 2, Josh Backer 5, Marc Hotzfield 1, Connor Silliker 7, Colt Idol 12, David FauntLeRoy 10.
Whitefish 15 16 20 17 - 68
Bigfork 14 10 15 17 - 56
WHITEFISH - Matt Whitehead 3 3-8 9, Aaron Tkachyk 2 1-2 6, Willie Roche 2 0-0 6, Josh Backer 3 1-3 7, Marc Hotzfield 2 0-0 5, Connor Silliker 3 1-3 7, Colt Idol 10 2-4 24, David FauntLeRoy 2 0-0 4. Totals 27 8-20 68
BIGFORK - Garrett Pewe 2 0-0 4, Zac Hansen 1 1-2 3, Leo Daigle 1 0-2 3, Brock Boll 11 3-4 25, Jake Milner 0 2-4 2, Scott Taylor 7 5-7 19. Totals 22 11-19 56.
3 point goals - Whitefish 6 (Idol 2, Roche 2, Tkachyk, Hotzfield), Bigfork 1 (Daigle); Total fouls - Whitefish 15, Bigfork 19; Fouled out - None