PHOTOS: Bulldogs defeat Blue Devils in football home opener
KELSEY EVANS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 weeks, 1 day AGO
Bulldog NIck Demetrops (54) tackle's Corvallis' Caleb Johansen at the home football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Bulldogs at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Bulldogs at the home football game against Corvalllis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Luke Dalen and Ayden Spencer at the Whitefish v. Corvallis football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Charlie Johnson tackles Corvallis' Drew Harper at the home football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog cheer at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Jaxson Flint (77) at the home football game against Corvallis Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldogs Keenan Curtiss and Nick Demetrops at the home football game against Corvallis Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Austin Alton (3) is tackled by Corvallis' Marshall Jessop at the home football game Friday, Sept.11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Sam Rainford chases down Corvallis' Marshall Jessop at the home football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Bulldog student section at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog cheer at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Class of 1986 reunion at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Head Coach Brett Bollweg as the Bulldogs return to the field after half time on Friday. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Bulldogs return to the field after halftime at the home game against Corvallis on Friday, Sept. 11. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Beck Moses on the sidelines at the home football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Vance Schwaiger touchdown against Corvallis on Sept. 11. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Quarterback Luke Dalen at the home game against Corvallis Sept. 11. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
The Whitefish Bulldogs cruised to a 31-0 victory over the Corvallis Blue Devils to open their last home season at Memorial Field.
After a scoreless first quarter, Luke Dalen scored on an 11-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs carried their 7-0 lead into halftime before pulling away, adding 14 points in the third quarter and 10 more in the fourth.
Vance Schwaiger edged a 2-yard touchdown and Dalen had a 55-yard touchdown pass to Sophomore Brody Forthofer. In the fourth, Dalen added another 1-yard touchdown run. All four extra-point attempts were successful. Freshman Owen Auldridge added a 27-yard field goal to bring the Bulldogs to 31 points.
"We cleaned some things up from the previous weeks in a really positive way," said Head Coach Brett Bollweg. "How we tackled on defense was a big highlight."
Charlie Johnson had several solid tackles as well as senior Vlad Shestak, he said. Across the board, solid defense gave the Bulldogs the chance to win the game.
Dalen completed 14 of 22 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also rushing nine times for 50 yards and two scores. Sophomore Beck Moses added 18 passing yards on 2/2 passing.
Whitefish amassed 172 rushing yards, led by Schwaiger's 86 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Hank Hoppes had four carries for 12 yards. Keenan Curtiss, Sam Rainford and Vlad Shestak added yards.
Through the air, Shestak led Whitefish with five receptions for 74 yards. Forthofer caught four passes for 73 yards, including the 55-yard touchdown reception. Rainford added three catches for 19 yards, while Austin Alton had two receptions for 19 yards.
Corvallis completed 13 of 25 passes for 108 yards but struggled to establish any points, finishing with 30 rushing yards on 26 attempts.
The victory brings the Bulldogs to 3-0. The Dawgs are away for the next two weeks, facing Eureka and Ronan before returning home for the Oct. 2 homecoming game against Polson.
Whitefish Bulldogs at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Bulldogs at the home football game against Corvalllis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Luke Dalen and Ayden Spencer at the Whitefish v. Corvallis football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Charlie Johnson tackles Corvallis' Drew Harper at the home football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog cheer at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Jaxson Flint (77) at the home football game against Corvallis Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldogs Keenan Curtiss and Nick Demetrops at the home football game against Corvallis Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Austin Alton (3) is tackled by Corvallis' Marshall Jessop at the home football game Friday, Sept.11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Sam Rainford chases down Corvallis' Marshall Jessop at the home football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Bulldog student section at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog cheer at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Class of 1986 reunion at the home football game against Corvallis on Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Head Coach Brett Bollweg as the Bulldogs return to the field after half time on Friday. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish Bulldogs return to the field after halftime at the home game against Corvallis on Friday, Sept. 11. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Bulldog Beck Moses on the sidelines at the home football game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Vance Schwaiger touchdown against Corvallis on Sept. 11. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Quarterback Luke Dalen at the home game against Corvallis Sept. 11. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)ARTICLES BY KELSEY EVANS
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