Rulers of Autumn
Whitefish High School wins 5 state championships
The Daily Inter Lake
As frigid temperatures welcome winter sports season to the Flathead Valley, Whitefish High School's fall athletic programs are still glowing in the wake of their unprecedented accomplishments.
Five Whitefish squads won Class A state championships this fall while all eight fall sports teams reached the postseason. Whitefish won state titles in boys and girls golf, boys and girls soccer and volleyball. The Bulldog football team reached the playoffs, and the school's cross country teams took third at state.
"The Whitefish community is very proud of us," said Whitefish activities director Megan Olson. "Across the board, the fall sports had a season that will be untouchable in the future."
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs didn't just win championships, they did so in dominant and historic fashion. The volleyball team and boys golf team claimed state championships for the third-straight year, while the boys soccer team finished with a 15-0 record, including an early-season victory against Class AA champion Flathead. The girls soccer team became the first Class A girls soccer program to collect two state titles.
Volleyball coach Jackie Fuller said Whitefish's fall success was unlike anything she has seen in her 14 years as head coach.
"I'm just so proud of our kids because it's not only athletically they strive and do well, it's academically as well," Fuller said. "We, as coaches, are blessed to work with such great kids and such great administration. I am the luckiest person around to be able to work with these kids and the administration we have."
Boys soccer coach O'Brien Byrd said Whitefish received outstanding community support this fall. He said he's been stopped and congratulated by people he has never even met.
"It goes to show you a couple of different things: One, the quality of coaching, the quality of athletes - those things have to be there," Byrd said. "However, the quality support that we have from our parents - they were the ones that invested the time and the money into these athletes growing up. It's definitely threefold - coaches, athletes and parents make up the programs."
Byrd said Whitefish's across-the-board athletic success has created a winning culture on campus.
"I was teasing Jackie Fuller that she's trying to ruin me," said Byrd of Whitefish's volleyball dominance. "How am I supposed to follow that act? She's setting a standard that's pretty high up there."
Girls soccer coach Lini Reading also appreciated Whitefish's enthusiastic support.
"Obviously, it goes to show what tremendous parental, family, community support we have, from our young kids in feeder programs all the way to the motivation and dedication of the kids, and it's just something we take a great deal of pride in," Reading said.
On Halloween, Reading's team rode a fire truck through Whitefish to celebrate its championship. Reading said the excitement on the onlooking children's faces was obvious.
"Our student-athletes are role models for these kids, day in and day out, whether they're in season or not," said Reading, adding that Whitefish's athletes generally excel academically and provide community service.
According to golf coach Terry Nelson, 82 percent of Whitefish's students participated in activities this fall.
"I just think it says a lot about the quality of the kids in Whitefish and the community support up and down the line in terms of the kinds of support people give all the activities in Whitefish, whether it's building a new aquatic center or supporting a sports team," Nelson said.
Nelson said Whitefish's fall season exceeded anything he has ever been a part of.
"Oh, definitely," Nelson said. "It's pretty remarkable for a school to win five state championships in one year, let alone five in one season."
But can Whitefish ever surpass its autumn accomplishments?
"Sure, we could get eight (state championships), I guess," Nelson said.