'Jackets swarm Bulldogs

With only one senior taking the field at the Dawg Pound on Friday, Whitefish was no match for a speedy and talented Stevensville football team.

The Yellowjackets scored early and often en route to a 59-0 nonconference win. It was the most lopsided regular-season loss for the Bulldogs in the past five years, and one they'd like to put in the rearview mirror.

"We're so young," Whitefish coach Chad Ross said. "We're ready to put it behind us and move on. Now that conference play is starting, we need to start doing the little things right."

Those little things include making clean tackles and holding on to the ball. Whitefish had three interceptions and five fumbles Friday.

"Ball security is big," Ross said. "We need to put two hands on the ball. That's stuff you learn over time, it's just that the learning curve is so much faster at the varsity level, and the penalties are so much more severe."

Positives from the game, Ross said, came from sophomores Jake May and Wolf Zinke.

"They showed a lot of improvement from Havre," Ross said. "They keep getting better and better."

It was also the first injury-free game Whitefish has played this season, although Logan Harwood took a big hit early in the first half and didn't play defensive back the rest of the game.

"We had to put another young kid in there," Ross said.

The coach pointed out the great turnout in the stands Friday, which featured a packed and rowdy student section that stayed upbeat throughout the game.

"I'm still blown away by the community support, despite what's been a down year so far," Ross said.

Stevensville 21 26 6 6 - 59

Whitefish 0 0 0 0 - 0

S - Josh Lords 5 pass from Caleb Vance (Mitch Blakey kick)

S - Vance 33 run (Blakey kick)

S - Josh Schultz 24 pass from Vance (Blakey kick)

S - Jalen Pfau 27 run (Blakey kick)

S - Schultz 11 pass from Tyler Murray (kick failed)

S - Murray 31 run (Blakey kick)

S - Murray 54 run (kick failed )

S - Dalton Belcourt 35 pass from Murray (kick failed)