Bulldogs fall short in title match

The comeback kids from Whitefish finally met their match – and it happened to be a familiar foe.

The top ranked Billings Central Rams outplayed a never-say-die Whitefish team in the Class A boys soccer championship game on Oct. 31, scoring a 5-1 win in soggy conditions at Smith Fields.

It was Central's first state title in the program's 13-year history and the second consecutive year they have topped Whitefish in the playoffs.

"On Saturday, Billings was the better team," Bulldog coach O'Brien Byrd said. "They stretched our defense and it is obvious that they have been playing together for a long time."

Byrd said a few opening shot attempts by Whitefish could have dramatically shifted the game's momentum, but the ball didn't bounce their way.

"The final score doesn't tell the entire story," he said.

After two rounds of playoff soccer in which Whitefish fell behind in the first half, the Bulldogs buried themselves again early against Billings.

Central played aggressive out of the gate and pushed most of their numbers up the field.

Whitefish's defense countered with relentless off-side traps, but Central's prowess eventually broke through.

"They attacked us in waves," Byrd said. "They threw everybody forward at once. It's a risky game plan, but it paid off for them."

The Rams opened the game's scoring in the sixth minute when Kevin Klee scored to the right side of the goal. Central quickly followed with another goal at the 13-minute mark when Cory Miller hit the net on a one-timer.

Billings buried the dagger six minutes before halftime when Connor McDonnell slipped a shot past the charging Whitefish goalkeeper, Alex Whitaker.

"It was a shocking performance in first half," Byrd said. "We were reeling going into halftime down 3-0. We dug ourselves a big hole."

Whitefish came out of the break fired up and managed to play the aggressor for the final 40 minutes of the match.

Whitefish senior Travis Adams finally found the net for the Bulldogs in the 69th minute off an assist from Matt Danczyk to cut into Billings' lead.

But Central countered one minute later with their fifth and final score.

"We fought them with everything we had in the second half," Byrd said. "We came off the field with pride."

Billings hit 10 shots on goal, while Whitefish had three.

The Bulldogs finished the season 10-4-1.

Despite the title game's outcome, Byrd said he is proud of how the Bulldogs have exceeded expectations all season.

Coming off a 2008 season in which the Bulldogs extended a 43-game win streak before falling in the Class A semi-finals to Billings, this year was tagged as a rebuilding year for the boys squad.

"We accomplished some amazing things," he said. "At the beginning of year, it looked as if we may not even make the playoffs. Just to make state, and then the finals, that's a huge accomplishment. Through the tears (after the championship game), I know that inside, there was satisfaction."

Whitefish has been playing must-win games since an early October conference loss at Polson forced the 'Dogs to win consecutive games against rival Columbia Falls and the defending champs from Libby, just to get into the playoffs.

"We never gave up," Byrd said. "Our backs have been against the wall since Polson. That locker-room talk (after the Polson game) is something we will always remember. It was a heart-to heart where a lot of those young men, and myself, learned a lot about why we play this game.

"We came from that and put our foot down. We decided we really wanted this and sure enough, we clawed our way to the top."

The do-or-die situations didn't stop for the Bulldogs after making the playoffs. Whitefish tallied consecutive come-from-behind wins against Livingston and Corvallis to reach Saturday's final.

"They've got to have some character and discipline to overcome those scenarios," Byrd said.

Byrd pointed to his seniors for leading the team through the ups and downs of the season.

"The senior group this year was great," he said. "The underclassmen were really lucky to have them. They took care of them like brothers. They have been terrific leaders."

Byrd also commended the seniors' parents for supporting the team throughout the past four soccer seasons.

"It has been a pleasure coaching these seniors," he said. "We got a couple of state championships in there, too."

The senior class includes Alex Whitaker, Tanner Hosek, Joel Bacher, Devon Sellwood, Cristian Saavedra, Travis Adams, John Joern, Matt Danczyk and Anto Daoud.