Whitefish's Grindrod, Widdifield pick CSU-Pueblo

Two more Bulldogs are headed to the collegiate pitch this fall - together.

Whitefish High School seniors Matt Grindrod and Shane Widdifield have verbally committed to play soccer at NCAA Division II Colorado State University-Pueblo. The pair expects to sign letters of intent within the next several days.

Both midfielders, Widdifield and Grindrod helped Whitefish to back-to-back undefeated Class A state titles the last two seasons, along with defender Tyler Gardner, who signed with Division I Robert Morris University in January. Bulldog forwards Preston Taylor and Jonas Magstadt are expected to announce their college soccer plans in the near future.

With an enrollment of more than 4,000, CSU-Pueblo is located in the scenic Pikes Peak region of Southern Colorado. The Thunderwolves compete in the eight-member Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, where they finished sixth last fall at 5-7-2.

"They're going to be great assets to (Pueblo coach Roy Stanley)," Whitefish coach O'Brien Byrd said. "They're both going to pay huge dividends for the future, and they're not bad fellows either.

"They're very nice young men. They're a pleasure to coach and a pleasure to know. You just want to bend over backwards for them and help them succeed and go as far as they can."

Grindrod and Widdifield earned all-state honors last fall as the Bulldogs extended their unprecedented victory streak to 30 games. A team captain, Widdifield made Whitefish's varsity as a freshman, while Grindrod joined as a sophomore.

Widdifield's uncanny play-making ability and field vision helped him rack up three goals and 12 assists last season, despite missing Whitefish's first three games with an injury. He has focused on improving his speed lately, making him an even more potent weapon.

"It's that creativity that you can't coach - that seeing the play, seeing potentially dangerous opportunities well before others would, making something out of nothing with that creativeness," Byrd said. "His distribution and tactical awareness is great."

Starting all 15 games last fall, Grindrod used his quickness, nimble dribbling and relentless motor to register 12 goals and six assists. Byrd said he occasionally pulled Grindrod to the sideline, forcing him to rest after sprinting up and down the field over and over.

"The guy's just got an incredible engine, an incredible work rate," Byrd said. "He never stops running. He'd run until he passed out.

"He's getting bigger. He's developing the physical strength, as well, to be able to compete at the next level."

Denver's Metro State won the RMAC last fall, and five teams finished with winning records. The Thunderwolves started last season with a 4-4 mark.

"It's a big jump, a high level of play down there, so I'm expecting it to be a lot better soccer," Grindrod said.

Though confident Grindrod and Widdifield eventually will star at Pueblo, Byrd has coached enough collegiate players to know the process is both long and demanding.

"It's an awesome program where both of them will have to have absolutely spectacular freshmen seasons to get minutes, let alone the lofty goal of starting," Byrd said.

The comfort of a familiar face at practice should ease Widdifield and Grindrod's adjustment to NCAA soccer, as well as life more than 1,000 miles from home.

"It makes it a lot better, for sure," Widdifield said. "It's going to be a big adjustment.

"They play a lot faster. It's a lot bigger guys. It's a new style of game. It will probably take awhile to figure it out, but we'll adapt quickly to the game, I believe."

Pueblo started recruiting Widdifield last fall. He visited the school last month and picked it over California's Chico State University and Colorado's Fort Lewis College.

"They're just really good," Widdifield said of the Thunderwolves. "They've got a bunch of all-conference players, a bunch of older players. It's just a good atmosphere."

Grindrod chose Pueblo over Colorado School of Mines and Western Washington University.

"It was pretty much coincidence that we both ended up going there, but our assistant coach (Ryan Billiet) also went there, so we kind of had an idea from him," Grindrod said.

"He said it was the funnest thing of his life down there. Good times, a good coach - just a good spot."