Friday night’s Cat-Dog matchup showed what high school football was all about, even though the outcome didn’t favor Whitefish fans.  

Each team came into the match at Columbia Falls unbeaten. The Cats would go on to narrowly clinch the victory 34-31 to up their rankings to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Northwest A, while the Dogs fell to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in league.  

“Everybody that was wearing green and gold was bummed. It’s a big game and we want to win,” Whitefish Coach Brett Bollweg said. “At the same time, our guys played really well and we didn’t hurt ourselves. We played a tough 48 minute football game... we played a good, clean game. We have nothing to hang our heads about.”  

The Bulldogs came on strong and had a big play in the first drive as quarterback Luke Dalen ran for a 64-yard touchdown.  

The Cats answered on their next scoring drive as Trip Ross punched in a 4-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. 

Whitefish regained the lead on a 22-yard field goal by Owen Aldridge before C. Falls moved ahead 14-10 when Johnston connected with Jory Hill on a 5-yard touchdown pass.  

The Bulldogs responded before halftime as Dalen capped a drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, sending Whitefish into the break with a 17-14 advantage. 

After a scoreless third quarter, the teams traded touchdowns throughout an action-packed fourth. Ross scored from 5 yards out to give Columbia a 21-17 lead, but Whitefish answered immediately when Dalen found Jayke Thew for a 23-yard touchdown pass and a 24-21 advantage. 

Columbia Falls regained the lead on Ross' third touchdown run of the night, a 1-yard plunge, though a missed extra point left the score at 27-24. Whitefish went back in front when Dalen scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a 16-yard run, making it 31-27 after the extra point. 

The Cats trailed the Dogs with just over six minutes remaining. With 33 seconds left on the clock, Johnston found Hill for a 9-yard touchdown, settling the score at 34-31 in favor of the Cats.  

“They controlled the ball really well and stuck to their game plan,” Bollweg said. “At the end of the game, we couldn’t get a stop when we needed it. Credit to those guys and their coaches.” 

Despite the loss, Bollweg was very pleased with the team executing their plan and the way they handled themselves in a tough situation.  

“Our guys have a lot of class and character and I’m proud of that,” he said.  

The Bulldogs have a home game against Libby on Friday.

    Luke Dalen escapes a tackle in the Dog Cat game last week. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News)