Bulldogs face Polson in championship

If there’s been a kyrptonite for the

Bulldogs the past few seasons, it’s been the Polson Pirates. This

Saturday, Whitefish faces their nemesis when the two teams square

off at Smith Fields in a match to determine the Class A state

champion.

“The last three to four years Polson

has given us problems,” Whitefish coach O’Brien Byrd said.

While the Bulldogs won both of the

matches this season, they were each closely played. Whitefish edged

Polson 2-1 in the first match, then at home they held off the

Pirates 6-3. After opening up a 6-0 lead, they let the Pirates slip

back into contention. Byrd calls that game a turning point for his

team.

“That was a big lesson learned,” he

said. “We have to play every minute of every game. All 80 minutes,

we have to stay dialed in.”

The Pirates are a rugged team with an

outstanding goalkeeper in Peregrine Frissell.

“Their goalie is a big wall back there

for them,” Byrd said.

Whitefish needs to create a lot of

chances to maximize their ability to score. The Pirates defend well

and can counter attack.

“That’s where they can be dangerous,”

Byrd said. “We’ve got a plan of attack that were going to apply and

we need to make sure everyone is on the same page.”

Polson is coming off a huge win at No.

1 seed Hamilton last week. They won in a penalty kick shootout

after playing to a 1-1 tie.

Despite beating Polson twice this year,

Byrd says the title match will be played evenly.

“It’s hard to beat a team twice,” he

said. “It’s really tough to beat a team three times. There are no

secrets in our lineup and tactics, and we know their tactics inside

and out.

“Let the best team win.”

Whitefish is going into the game at

full strength, reporting no injuries.

The game is slated for Saturday, Oct.

29 at noon at Smith Fields.