Eight seniors will play in their final soccer match for the Whitefish girls Saturday when they battle host Billings Central in the Class A showcase at 11 a.m. Half the group has already seen action in three state finals, including a win at Billings Central two years ago.
But Saturday is extra special. Not only can the Bulldogs go out with the ultimate bang, they can make history. According to coach Lini Hilbun-Reading, Whitefish (9-3-2) would be the the first No. 2 seed to win a girls' state crown.
“Playing together has been the biggest key,” she said of her team's playoff wins over Belgrade and Hamilton. “I've been saying all along I think we have as talented a group as we've ever had, but obviously individuals don't win games.
“The togetherness, the communication, the chemistry ... they realize they want to play for each other. The seniors understand this is it for them.”
Hilbun-Reading is hesitant to single out any player, but there are four seniors who serve as the Bulldogs' backbone. They are all-state forward Carly Lengstorf, all-Northern A midfielders Hannah Long, Kylee Smith and Meagan Powell, and all-league defender Kelsey McCluskey.
They, along with all the Bulldogs, will need to be at their best against unbeaten Billings Central (12-0-2).
“They're a pretty young team,” Hilbun-Reading said, “but they've played at a high club level for a while under MSU-Billings coach Don Trentham.
“They're solid everywhere, but I don't believe they're unbeatable. They've been a favorite and we want to go and hopefully knock them off the pedestal.”
The Libby boys' team will also have its hands full in a 1 p.m. final at Billings Central (12-1-1). The Rams put an end to two-time defending state champion Whitefish's 44-match unbeaten streak with a 3-2 win in Billings last Saturday.
“Certainly we would've loved to have had the chance to end Whitefish's unbeaten streak, but we're looking forward to the state title match,” said Libby coach Charlie Webster, whose team lost twice to the Bulldogs and stands at 9-4-1. “Our guys are playing their best soccer and peaking at the right time, and we know we can win on a long road trip because we had to drive to Livingston two weeks ago and that worked out well for us.”
One intangible advantage for the Loggers is they played in the state final last season, losing to Whitefish, 3-1. Libby returned all of its starters from that state runner-up team, including offensive sparkplug Kyle Berke, center-mid catalyst Evan May, defensive stopper Dustin Morningstar and keeper Lewis Brossman.
What makes Libby's tournament run so remarkable is its resilience in bouncing back from a sluggish finish to its regular season. The Loggers went 1-3-1 and dropped a 4-1 decision at Whitefish heading into the tournament.
“We've had key injured players all year, but we're going into Saturday about as close to 100 percent as we're going to be,” said Webster, who is hoping to guide his team to its first state title in his first season at the helm. “We're passing, keeping possession well and we've had good communication on the field.
“They've always been a very athletic team. This year I wanted them to be better at possession, and they've responded really well to that.”
Like Billings Central, the Loggers are riding a wave of momentum into Saturday's final. Libby rolled to a 3-1 home win over league rival Bigfork in a semifinal last weekend.
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