'Dogs eliminated in first round
Whitefish’s plan going in to their
first-round playoff game at Stevensville was to stop Caleb Vance —
but the all-star quarterback was having none of that.
Vance threw for three touchdowns, added
another on the ground and tallied a pick-six as the Yellowjackets
eliminated the Bulldogs with a 52-19 romp on Friday night.
Vance’s interception returned for a
touchdown deflated the Bulldogs early. Stevensville opened a 33-0
lead in the first quarter and never looked back.
Whitefish finally found the endzone in
the third quarter when Connor Donahue hit Christoper Forrest on a
5-yard pass. Logan Harwood pulled in a 38-yard TD pass from Forrest
in the fourth quarter, and Donahue hit Forrest with a 48-yard TD
bomb to cap the game’s scoring.
Whitefish wrapped up its season at 5-4
overall and 2-2 in the league. The winning record itself is an
impressive feat coming off a 1-7 record last season. Highlights
this year included an early win over Hamilton, the homecoming
shootout with Polson, and the big win at rival Columbia Falls in a
mud bath.
Forrest and Harwood each averaged a
touchdown a game this year, and Whitefish as a team averaged 25
points a game. Their go-to offensive weapon was a stellar passing
game that amassed nearly 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Whitefish graduates 12 seniors from
this roster, but could return as many as 13 seniors next
season.
Whitefish 0 0 7 12 - 19
Stevensville 33 6 6 7 - 52
S - Caleb Vance 55 interception return
(Vance kick)
S - Tyler Gavlak 19 run (Vance
kick)
S - Jesse Sims 11 pass from Vance
(Vance kick)
S - Josh Lords 65 pass from Vance (kick
failed)
S - Josh Haynes 9 pass from Vance (kick
failed)
S - Vance 6 run (kick failed)
WF - Christopher Forest 5 pass from
Connor Donahue (Nick Ormsby kick)
S - Gavlak 51 run (kick failed)
S - Dalton Belcourt 26 pass from Jared
Schultz (Vance kick)
WF - Logan Harwood 38 pass from Forest
(kick failed)
WF - Forest 48 pass from Donahue (kick
failed)