WHITEFISH — The Whitefish boys soccer team finds itself in familiar territory heading to its fourth straight state Class A state championship game.
For coach Eric Sawtelle and his team, they hope the challenge ahead of them will be business as usual.
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“This is our goal every year is to make it to the very end, to make it to the final game,” Sawtelle said. “The boys got here again, which I’m super proud of them for. They’ve worked extraordinarily hard, and now we have an opportunity to play for a state title.”
Whitefish is hoping to snap a two-year losing streak in the championship game after back-to-back losses in 2024 and 2025.
Center-back Quinn Powers says the seniors on the team hope to end their time on a high note after making the final round all four years.
“Just to be a part of such a great program,” Powers said. “Have all of our friends playing, and being able to work towards a shared goal of the state championship and getting those wins.”
After graduating 11 seniors last season, Sawtelle was not sure how his group would blend this season.
But with only one loss, Sawtelle believes his team has the right tools to climb the mountain again.
“We have seniors kind of scattered all over the pitch that are leading our younger players who are technically really strong and have a really great vision of the game,” Sawtelle said. “So the blend of all of our boys together out there is a pretty special thing.”
The Bulldogs are on the road for the championship match, facing Billings Central on Saturday at 1 p.m.
With a seven-hour road trip coming up for the Bulldogs after playing the previous two playoff games at home, senior captain Tristan Irwin knows it will not be an easy road to the program’s eleventh championship.
“It'll take a lot of grit and, everyone has to be giving 100% of what they got,” Irwin said. “Last game of the season, so there's nothing really to hold back on. I would say we just gotta be all mentally there and ready.”
