The Whitefish boys soccer team met Bigfork for the Bulldog’s homecoming game and came away with a 10-1 win.  

Whitefish Head Coach Eric Sawtelle said the team plays better each time they hit the pitch. 

“We started the game with some beautiful passages of play,” Sawtelle said. “The boys were patient in possession. They created space by connecting 1-2 touch passes and moving the ball smoothly across the pitch.”   

The 10 Whitefish goals were truly a team effort, as eight different Bulldogs scored. Griffin Gunlikson scored the first two for Whitefish, one unassisted in the 6th minute and the next, four minutes later with an assist from Kyler Jonson.  

Jonson then scored one of his own before serving up a pass to Preston McPherson who scored the fourth goal of the game. McPherson assisted junior midfielder Ben Dow for the final goal of the first half. 

In the second half, McPherson got another goal and Jonson assisted again just three minutes later, this time serving one to Jack Oehlerich. Junior midfielder Wyatt Carlson received a pass from Logan Bingham and scored. In the 63rd minute, Henry Barbieri added his name to the list of goal scorers. 

With just 15 minutes remaining in regulation play, a foul in the box resulted in a penalty shot for Bigfork, which Robert Merchant put away neatly. Near the final whistle, Elijah Adams-Griffin scored a penalty kick, too. 

Sawtelle said there were so many good moments in the game, he feels he could spotlight each player’s efforts. 

“I also loved our defensive organization, work rate and team effort in winning 50/50 balls. It was a great team effort on a beautiful afternoon on our home pitch,” said Sawtelle. “A fantastic way to celebrate a homecoming week afternoon.” 

THE BOYS traveled to play the Hamilton Broncs on Oct. 5. Once again, the boys scored three goals in the first half and three in the second to win 6-0 and post another clean sheet. 

Sawtelle said the team had a strong performance, especially in the second half. 

“It took us a little time to get used to playing on turf again,” he said. “Even though we were able to score early on, we were not very crisp the opening 15 minutes or so.” 

He said the team had trouble finding the simple pass and maintaining good rhythm in possession. That didn’t stop Logan Bingham from earning a hat trick in the first half, scoring in the first, 23rd and 25th minutes. He had an assist and Sawtelle said he was everywhere, box to box. 

Kyler Jonson was on his way to doing the same in the second half, scoring two goals in the first seven minutes of the half. Freshman Greyson Rembaugh scored his first varsity goal, the final goal of the match, with just 14 minutes to go in the game after an assist from Ben Dow. 

“Our defense played excellent and kept Hamilton to one attempt on goal the entire game,” Sawtelle said. “Elijah Adams-Griffin has done a fantastic job maintaining our defensive structure and composure.” 

Sawtelle noted the team’s midfield has been superb all season and they continued to play well in Hamilton. 

“We improved throughout the match and were overall very happy with the result,” Sawtelle said. “All boys contributed positively today. I am proud of the whole group.” 

The Bulldogs play Thompson Falls/Plains at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, at Smith Fields. It is senior night and the team’s six seniors will be recognized.    

Oct. 1 Bigfork at Whitefish 

Shots: Whitefish 18, Bigfork 2. Fouls: Whitefish 2, Bigfork 5. 

Oct. 5 Whitefish at Hamilton Broncs 

Shots: Whitefish 11, Hamilton 1. Fouls: Whitefish 6, Hamilton 5. Corner kicks: Whitefish 5, Hamilton 0. 

    Bulldog Henry Barbieri races for the ball in the penalty box at the homecoming game last week. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)