Bulldogs top Cats in mud battle

Beneath the thick layers of mud there

were only bright-white smiles on Whitefish’s sideline.

The Bulldogs erupted as the final

seconds ticked off the clock at Columbia Falls. They could finally

celebrate their first win in the past five seasons over the rival

Wildcats.

“It feels great to get the win over our

rival,” Whitefish senior Gage Vasquez said after the game. “We’re

still alive and this win gives us new hope.”

Friday’s 14-6 victory puts Whitefish in

good position to make their first postseason appearance since

2008.

On a field that was more mud than

grass, Whitefish won the battle in the trenches. With their potent

passing game gaining little traction in the pouring rain, they

turned to the running game and handed the ball to their senior

captain Maxl Smith. Led by an offensive line finally at full

strength, the 215-pounder hammered his way into the end zone.

Smith posted runs of 15,16 and 17 yards

in a second-quarter scoring drive that he capped off with a tough

5-yard touchdown run up the middle. He finished with 99 yards on 15

carries

“Maxl had a great game,” Whitefish

senior Chris Forrest said. “He really stepped it up for us

tonight.”

Forrest put his mark on the game in the

third quarter when he hooked up with Logan Harwood on a 35-yard

touchdown pass. The big play proved to be all the Dogs needed on

offense as the defense held strong to the final whistle.

Columbia Falls failed to score on three

trips to the red zone.

“We played a great defensive game,”

Whitefish coach Chad Ross said. “Guys were making open field,

game-saving tackles.”

He commended Jacob Forrest, Wolf Zinke,

Smith and Dakota Beatty for their defensive effort.

“Hopefully this game is a good stepping

stone for us,” Ross said. “Everyone’s playing together and that’s a

great feeling. Winning is a habit and we are expecting to win now.

You can feel it in the locker room.”

Whitefish 0 6 8 0 - 14

Columbia Falls 0 0 0 6 - 6

Whitefish - Maximilian Smith 5 run

(kick failed)

Whitefish - Logan Harwood 35 pass from

Chrisopher Forrest (Shane Marcial)

Columbia Falls - Austin Barth 1 run

(run failed)