Spirits sounded high for the Whitefish High School softball team last Tuesday at Smith Fields. The Lady Bulldogs barked and cheered, going in swinging against top rated Columbia Falls as if they were about to win a state title.  

The score was 1-18.  

Elyse Sharpnack had the team’s one hit while Izzy Jarvis drove in the run.  

It is safe to say the Whitefish High School softball team won’t be clutching any titles this year, but they are laying the framework to do so, which is a victory for the program. 

The Lady Bulldogs were also cheered on by their younger counterparts of the Whitefish Youth Softball Association. The young players laced their fingers on the fences, watching them play before warming up for their own U10 games. 

Whitefish High School is playing a full varsity schedule this year with 12 on the roster, after playing only junior varsity with nine players in 2024. They played a short-lived varsity season in 2023 after not fielding a team since 2018. 

The Lady Bulldogs are in good hands, with veteran coach Jack Foster being recruited to build up the team after coaching for decades in Idaho Falls and most recently Flathead High School.  

Foster might not be fully retired, but he said he enjoys teaching the Lady Bulldogs the fundamentals of the sport, as the majority of the team has never played before.  

The team is also led by alumni assistant coach Tori Board.  

Seven years ago, youth softball was nonexistent in Whitefish, but several community members banded together to bring it back.  

“I grew up in Whitefish, and there was a thriving rec league and a good high school team, but it just went away for a minute,” said Carrie Lamb, director of Whitefish Youth Softball Association and a former Whitefish High School softball coach from 2012-14. 

“So we’re definitely really proud now – we have a fully functioning board, and the whole community of Whitefish is behind our program, and have said yes to sponsorships,” Lamb said.  

Whitefish Youth Softball Association has over 100 girls out for rec league this year and has teams for all ages, U6 through U14. 

Lamb explained that Buck May, a leader for Whitefish softball starting in the 1990s, passed away the year the program had 24 girls in the 3-5 years range.  

“So we call that league Little Bucks. For me, it’s a legacy of the league for a person that I learned from,” she said.  

Both Lamb and Foster are looking forward to next year’s high school team, when the first batch of seven Whitefish Youth Softball Association eight graders, who have been playing together for a few years, will finally get to be Lady Bulldogs.  

“So starting next year, you know, I don’t think we’ll be state champs anytime soon, but we’ll put a solid effort into it,” Lamb said.

    Willow Schutte and Whitefish Youth Softball 10u gold teammates practice before a game at Smith Fields last week. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
  

    Harlow Ray practices at Smith Fields last week. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
  

    Frankie Lamb, on the Whitefish Youth Softball 10u white team, practicing at Smith Fields last week. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
  

    Bennet DeHan, on Whitefish Youth Softball's 10u white team, practices before a game on Tuesday, April 15. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)