By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
For the second consecutive year, Whitefish High School eliminated Lone Peak High School in the Montana Class A boys soccer tournament.
Last year, the Big Horns traveled to Whitefish for the state semifinal. This year, the Bulldogs visited Big Sky for the quarterfinal round to defend their 2023 state championship.
“The boys just rallied together,” Whitefish head coach Eric Sawtelle told EBS after the game. He credited senior Logan Bingham for a “fantastic” job keeping the midfield organized. Sawtelle said in a playoff game, things can get physical and chippy, but the Bulldogs did a good job staying patient.
“And really, just had the competitive spirit to win 50/50 balls and focus on some of the basics of the game,” Sawtelle said.
Lone Peak head coach Tony Coppola said the Big Horns played with grit and responded well to the Bulldogs’ physicality. He saw strong leadership from his players. “We just couldn’t get it in the net,” Coppola said.
The Bulldogs dominated possession for most of the game, but junior keeper Oliver McGuire kept the score close, with about a dozen high-leverage saves. Senior captain Cameron Pecunies added a handful of tackles to stop Whitefish threats.
The game remained tied for most of the first half, which paused halfway due to a lower-leg injury to Whitefish player Jack Grant. With no athletic trainer or ambulance present, the injury turned into an extended delay until Big Sky Fire Department personnel arrived to provide medical transport. After roughly 30 minutes receiving care on the turf, Grant was carried onto an on-field ambulance and gave a thumbs up, hearing applause.
After the delay, the intensity and physicality picked up. Each team earned a yellow card before halftime, in addition to other penalties which created scoring chances for both teams during stoppage time.
First, a free kick by Lone Peak senior Finn McRae rang off the left post. After the Bulldogs regained possession, Whitefish junior Kyler Johnson volleyed a free kick from junior Rowan Perkins for the game’s first goal.
Halftime was shortly called, with the Bulldogs leading 1-0.
The Bulldogs continued to control possession in the second half, narrowly missing numerous scoring chances in the offensive zone. Lone Peak head coach Tony Coppola said the Big Horns employed a new defensive strategy, and it seemed to limit the damage from a strong opponent, but the Bulldogs were difficult to contain.
“They were a lot bigger, a lot faster… They were offensive-minded, and they executed,” Coppola said. “… Hats off to Oliver, again, he kept us in the game.”
In the game’s 50th minute, Whitefish senior Preston McPhearson received a goal kick and beat McGuire for a breakaway score, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
Trailing by two, the Big Horns began applying pressure.
Sophomore Sid Morris nearly got his head on a soaring free kick, and senior Arlo Hurlbut sent a cross to junior Brady Johnson, but it was stopped by the Bulldog keeper.
With 11 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, sophomore Dudley Davis lined up for a penalty kick. Davis’s initial shot was kick-saved, but he collected and deposited the rebound for a Big Horn goal.
As the clock ticked away, Whitefish earned a yellow card, and Davis earned a red card, removing him from the game with five minutes on the clock.
Even playing shorthanded, McGuire and the Big Horns fended off the Bulldogs. On attack, Brady Johnson sent a cross airborne to the foot of Sid Morris, but Morris couldn’t get his volley on target.
Instead of a potential game-tying goal entering stoppage time, Whitefish responded seconds later to add a third goal. The score remained 3-1 until the final whistle.
“I thought we played one of our best games, and we created a lot of chances,” Hurlbut said after the game.
“The boys showed a lot of heart, and they played big. That’s what we asked them to do today,” coach Coppola said. “[Whitefish is] always good, it’s never an easy game. So we came in there pretty optimistic, and I felt like we played really well. It just wasn’t enough.”
McRae said Whitefish is a formidable opponent, but this year the Big Horns saw opportunity for an upset—knowing they failed to finish their chances added to the frustration of the loss. Hurlbut and McRae agree the team left it all out on the field, but the loss is a bittersweet end to their high school careers.
As for the future, Hurlbut and McRae believe in the future of their team.
“I think they’ll lock it down,” Hurlbut said.
‘Keep your heads up’
Entering the season, coaches Coppola and Jeremy Harder recognized the Big Horns would need a team effort. Through the season, Coppola said it clicked.
“I was really proud of them, I’m really proud of the growth, and everything I saw this season was good,” Coppola said. He added it’s time to look forward to 2025, and to see who will step up to fill seniors’ leadership roles.
Coppola said his postgame message to the team is that the Big Sky community is behind them, even after a painful and frustrating loss.
“Keep your heads up,” Coppola said. “We win with class, we lose with class, and I’m proud of them regardless of the score… We didn’t leave anything on the field today, that was very apparent. So we just move on.”
