The numbers are pretty staggering for the Columbia Falls girls and Whitefish boys when it comes to state soccer playoff participation.

Columbia Falls has advanced to the Class A postseason every year but once during coach Greg Trenerry’s tenure. This marks his 18th season as head coach.

The Wildkats also advanced twice out of four years in AA play.

Columbia Falls won a state championship in 2004 and has been in the finals on two other occasions, the last time in 2012 versus Billings Central.

Whitefish has been to the playoffs 12 times during coach O’Brien Byrd’s stay with the Bulldogs.

Whitefish has won state four times (2006, 2007, 2011 and 2012) and was also a finalist in 2003 and 2009.

The Bulldogs have won nine conference championships.

“It’s been a good run,” Byrd said.

The same holds true for Columbia Falls.

Whitefish lost in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs last year to eventual state champion Livingston.

Columbia Falls also lost in the opening round to Hamilton.

Both teams are looking for better results starting today.

Columbia Falls (7-1-4) is home at 2 p.m. versus Stevensville (3-7-2) at Flip Darling Field in a quarterfinal matchup.

Whitefish (7-3-2) hosts Hamilton (5-6-1) at Smith Fields. That match also starts at 2 p.m.

“It’s one of the better teams we’ve had when it comes to being a (complete) team,” Trenerry said of this year’s squad.

“We have a bunch of juniors who have played a long time (on varsity) and three seniors. They have been there (playoffs) and they know what they have to do.”

He said the defensive play has been outstanding.

“They work together,” he said.

“Only eight goals have been scored on us all season.”

Three of those came in conference play.

Alyson Gimbel, a junior, is the team’s goalie. She’s been outstanding.

Offensively, Ellie Johnson, five goals and seven assists, Hannah Gedlaman, four goals, Katie Price, three goals and three assists, and Lyndsey Strouse, three goals and two assists, are the leaders.

“We’ve kind of spread out the scoring,” he said.

Today’s matchup with Stevensville will be the first time the two schools have faced each other in several years.

“As long as we don’t take this team lightly and play hard for 80 minutes, we will be successful,” Trenerry said.

Unlike Columbia Falls, Whitefish has the luxury of having already played its playoff foe. The Bulldogs opened the season in Hamilton with an 8-4 victory.

“They have the second leading goal scorer in the state,” Byrd said of Hamilton’s Daniel Feldmann. He has 21 goals and three assists.

Whitefish’s Jared Johnson, a senior midfielder, is sixth in Class A scoring with nine goals and eight assists.

Teammate Shanoah Montano, a senior forward, is 10th with nine goals and three assists.

“What I noticed about this team right away is that they had that self belief from the very beginning,” Byrd said.

“Their goal was to win state, win their conference.”

If Byrd has one concern for the playoffs, it is on the defensive side.

“It’s been our biggest challenge,” he said.

“Not with individuals, but team defense. We continue to work on it every day. We let in too many goals this year. If we can just cinch down defensively, we can rely on our attack to put goals in and win games.”

He said the Bulldogs will, again, rely heavily on team captain Walter Sobba, a junior defender.

“Without him, we’d be in big trouble,” Byrd said.

“He’s a big-time leader for us in the back.”

Also participating in playoff action today are the Libby boys, at Corvallis; Bigfork boys, at Livingston; Whitefish girls, at Hamilton; and Polson girls, at Laurel.

The Libby boys have been led offensively by Cody Wood, who has 10 goals and five assists.

Kyle Thomson has been the top scorer for Bigfork with 10 goals and three assists.

Haley Nicholson, a sophomore, leads Whitefish and Class A in scoring with 20 goals and two assists.

Sarah Howell is the offensive leader for Polson with 10 goals and 10 assists.

The Whitefish girls lost in the finals last year to Billings Central, 4-1. Billings Central has won the last six state titles, not lost a match in 53 outings and has allowed just one goal this fall.

Columbia Falls, however, has the distinction of battling Billings Central to a scoreless tie back on Sept. 12 in Columbia Falls.

Semifinal matches will be played Oct. 25 with the finals for boys and girls on Nov. 1.

Class A Soccer Playoffs

Boys

Tuesday

Play-in Match

Livingston 2, Billings Central 1

Quarterfinals

Today

11 a.m. — Libby (6-6-0) at Corvallis (11-1-0)

Noon — Stevensville (8-3-1) at Belgrade (11-1-0)

2 p.m. — Hamilton (5-6-1) at Whitefish (7-3-2)

Bigfork (6-4-2) at Livingston (4-6-3)

Girls

Play-in Match

Tuesday

Laurel 3, Belgrade 0

Quarterfinals

Today

11 a.m. Corvallis (6-6-0) at Billings Central (10-0-2)

Noon — Polson (7-4-1) at Laurel (9-2-2)

2 p.m. — Stevensville (3-7-2) at Columbia Falls (7-1-4)

2 p.m. — Whitefish (5-5-2) at Hamilton (10-2-0)