The Whitefish Bulldogs will head out to take on the Polson Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Polson took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Whitefish, who comes in off a win.
Polson will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Whitefish extended their winning streak to three on Friday. The Bulldogs breezed past Ronan to the tune of 65-0. That 65 point margin sets a new team best for the Bulldogs this season.
Whitefish can attribute much of their success to Luke Dalen, who rushed for 42 yards and one TD, and Vance Schwaiger, who rushed for 98 yards and one score. Those 98 rushing yards gave Schwaiger a new career-high. Vlad Shestak got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Whitefish didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Cooper Akey led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Sam Rainford got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Whitefish, adding 15 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Shestak, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Polson and Libby, and Libby kept the tradition alive. The Pirates took a 31-20 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Loggers on Friday.
Whitefish will need to focus on slowing down Holden Emerson, one of several Polson players who made an impact when they last played. He picked up 57 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also punched in one score on the ground. Emerson didn't just play on offense: he also made six total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended one pass in addition to snagging an interception. Another player making a difference was Case Cox, who threw for 233 yards and a pair of TDs.
Polson's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Whitefish, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Everything came up roses for Whitefish against Polson when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 38-10 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
