BOYS SOCCER: Wildcats ready to make leap

It took O’Brien Byrd just four seasons to win his first boys soccer state championship at Whitefish High School.

Now, if he and his team are right, it won’t even take that long to deliver one at his alma mater.

The charismatic former national coach of the year, now in his second season in charge of Columbia Falls Wildcats soccer, is thinking big despite a 5-8-0 record a year ago.

“We said we are coming back with the sole goal to win the state championship and that has been our diatribe for 15 months,” Byrd said last week. “It has been our mantra. We talk about it every single day of practice and at every summer workout.

“It’s not just the coaches, it’s all the players. You can see it in their eyes that they really, truly believe that. These guys believe it with every fiber of their being. Not being cocky but just a real belief in our potential.”

Byrd won four state championships in 12 years at Whitefish before departing for Columbia Falls, and the five wins the Wildcats earned a season ago were a three-game improvement from the previous season. The Wildcats have a lot of talent coming back, too, having graduated just one senior and boasting an all-state keeper in Brandon Karberg.

Columbia Falls will face plenty of competition for that Class A state title, though, with much of it coming from inside their own conference.

Libby knocked the Wildcats out of the state tournament in 2015 and returns a bevy of now-seniors poised for a deep state run, and the same is true in Polson, where the defending conference champions bring back two all-state picks and a quartet of all-conference stars among a multitude of upperclassmen.

Whitefish and Bigfork normally round out the Northern A conference, and Whitefish has a strong freshman class coming in as Byrd’s replacement, John Lacey, works to remake the roster. In Bigfork, however, low turnout has forced the Vikings to shutter the program for the season in the hopes of returning in 2017.

In Class AA, Flathead and Glacier both must replace their leading scorer from a year ago and enter the season with plenty of youth and a commensurate number of questions to answer.

Here’s a closer look at all of Northwest Montana’s boys soccer teams:

Class AA

Flathead Braves

Head coach: Nate Evans (2nd season)

2015 record: 3-5-5 overall, 3-4-5 in conference. Lost to Missoula Sentinel 3-1 in state tournament play-in match.

Key losses: F Kaleb Frame; MF Jace Darrow; D Carter Warnell.

Top returners: GK Micah Bucy, Sr.; F Joey Russell, So.

The skinny: The Braves fought valiantly in their first season under Evans and they started to see results, especially late in the season. Flathead was unbeaten in its last five regular season games, a stretch that included four draws, and the Braves won three conference matches for the first time since 2008.

Leading scorer Kaleb Frame is gone along with nine other seniors, but the Braves bring back senior keeper Micah Bucy, senior defenders Nathan Moon and Paul Harms, and senior midfielder Jordon Buxton.

Sophomore Joey Russell is the only Flathead goal scorer returning and he headlines a massive group of youngsters who have joined the program since Evans took over. Twenty-two freshman or sophomores are part of the 32-player Flathead roster, including sophomore Hanson Eystad, a transfer from Stillwater Christian.

Coach Evans’ take: “Everything we’re doing, everything is geared towards our kids having the most fun and having the best soccer experience possible. That’s the message and that’s what our guys get at Flathead.

“I’m hoping to turn a lot of heads. I think this team has tremendous potential. They’ve come in extremely focused, they’ve set high goals for themselves.

“You couldn’t ask for better leaders or examples for our younger guys [than our seniors]. They embrace our freshmen and our younger guys who are going to come in and contribute right away. We’re just really trying to create that family culture.”

Next match: At Helena High, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m.

Glacier Wolfpack

Head coach: Ryan Billiet (3rd season)

2015 record: 7-7-1 overall, 6-5-1 in conference. Beat Helena Capital 2-2 (penalty kicks) in play-in round; lost to Bozeman 3-0 in first round at state tournament; lost to Billings West 1-1 (penalty kicks) in loser-out bracket.

Key losses: F Colton Becker; D Ben Wright; GK Ryker McIntyre.

Top returners: MF Parker Bedard, Sr.; F Tyler Combs, Sr.

The skinny: The three words Billiet most often used to describe his unproven side entering the season were “I don’t know” and there might not be a phrase that more succinctly describes the Wolfpack’s 2016 outlook.

Glacier lost only five seniors from a team that made its second straight state tournament appearance last year but the losses were critical ones, not the least of which was all-state striker Colton Becker. The state’s leading scorer last season (16 goals, 38 points), Becker is now playing at Northern Michigan and his absence will be felt at every level as the Wolfpack reshapes its system to fit the new roster.

The questions for Glacier, however, don’t mean the Wolfpack is in for a rebuilding season. The roster is deep, and young players who have been itching for an opportunity while Becker shined will get their chances to find goals in what figures to be a more balanced attack.

Senior Parker Bedard was an all-conference pick last season and will pick up the leadership mantle this year alongside classmates Graham Friedman, Mathew Martini, Deagan Muth, Chase Skelton and Tyler Combs.

Coach Billiet’s take: “We’ve played pretty direct in the last couple of years because when you have a guy like Colton [Becker] you play through him. Now it’s like ‘oh my God, who’s going to score a goal?’ But, you know, these guys, the majority of them are super skillful. We should be able to possess the ball extremely well and we’re dynamic where I think we should be able to create some good opportunities in the final third.

“We’re trying to really just empower them to do what they can to create scoring opportunities. Let us get you down there and then that’s your time. Let’s do something fun and exciting and show us different ways you can break down the defense.”

Next match: At Helena Capital, Sept. 2, 6 p.m.

Class A

Columbia Falls Wildcats

Head coach: O’Brien Byrd (2nd season)

2015 record: 5-8-0 overall, 4-4-0 in conference. Lost to Libby 3-1 in state tournament play-in match.

Key losses: F Daniel Skinner

Top returners: GK Brandon Karberg, Sr.; MF Paxton Fisher, Sr.; MF Auguste Emond, So.; F Logan Stephens, Sr.

The skinny: Byrd wasn’t shy about touting his team’s potential entering the season and the Wildcats made a statement in their opener last weekend, blasting Stevensville 7-0. It won’t all be that easy for Columbia Falls, but, for a program that hadn’t been to the state tournament since 2007 before last year, things are moving in the right direction at an accelerated pace.

A trio of senior captains in Brandon Karberg, Paxton Fisher and Logan Stephens anchor this year’s Columbia Falls team. Karberg was all-state in goal a year ago and provides a solid backbone for a prolific attack led by Stephens, who scored seven goals last season.

Byrd also pointed specifically to Auguste Emond, a 6-foot, 1-inch sophomore midfielder who played every minute of last season as a freshman.

Coach Byrd’s take: “We saw moments from this team last year that allowed them to truly believe in their potential and that was not because of our tremendous skill or our unbelievable tactics. Every game that we went into last year we wanted more than the other team and we eked out the results for just that. It was because these boys know how to fight for what they want. We’ve glommed on to those moments and we hold those up high to show the guys what they can do.

“We’ve been building and building and building for almost a year and a half since the start of the summer last year all the way through to now. Getting to work with these guys for a second year you can just see an enormous amount of development in these young players.”

Next match: At Frenchtown, Sept. 1, 6 p.m.

Libby Loggers

Head coach: Mark Petersen (2nd season)

2015 record: 8-5-1 overall, 5-2-1 in conference. Beat Columbia Falls 3-1 in state tournament play-in match. Lost to Missoula Loyola 1-1 (penalty kicks) in quarterfinals.

Key losses: MF Zander Petersen; GK Raffael Webber.

Top returners: MF Cody Wood, Sr.; MF Colin Maloney, Sr.; F Giovanni Cano, Sr.

The skinny: Perhaps no team in the Northern A has more experience than the Loggers, who boast a 10-member senior class headed by one the state’s top players.

Midfielder Cody Wood was a consensus all-state selection while scoring 21 goals last season, and after a summer playing on the Flathead Force club team out of Kalispell his coach believes he’s on track for an even more productive senior year. Wood isn’t the only decorated Libby senior either, joined once again on the roster by all-conference honorees Colin Maloney and Giovanni Cano.

Behind the Loggers’ large senior class, however, is largely a group of freshmen. Only four sophomores and juniors are on the roster, and at least one freshman will be in the starting lineup from day one.

Despite the school’s shrinking enrollment and drop to Class B in 2015, Libby soccer remains a powerhouse program and the Loggers are riding a streak of 11 consecutive playoff appearances into this season.

Coach Petersen’s take: “The seniors, they’ve been playing together in high school and club soccer for a number of years, some of them as many as 10 years. Soccer’s one of the few games where the varsity team can play together year-round and it’s been a treat for them to be able to do that. You can tell the players have had that time on the ball.

“Cody Wood is committed to the sport and he’s just a natural talent. He’s the most committed player I’ve ever coached. Not only does Cody attend camps, he works out tirelessly — he’s out there at the field every day on his own. He’s very positive and just a swell kid. He’s the whole package."

Next match: Livingston, Sept. 2, 3 p.m.

Polson Pirates

Head coach: Adam Fansher (2nd season)

2015 record: 8-3-2 overall, 6-0-2 in conference. Lost to Billings Central 3-1 in state tournament quarterfinals.

Key losses: Jaben Wenzel; Dylan Cooper.

Top returners: Alex Encizo, Jr.; Mike Mercer, Sr.; Linde Lambson, Jr.; Andrew Hanson, Jr.; Emiliano Hernandez, Sr.; Russell Smith, So.

The skinny: Polson’s never won a state championship in boys soccer, but there may have never been a Pirates team as talented as this one, which returns all but two starters from a group that marched undefeated through the Northern A conference in 2015.

Polson started eight underclassmen in its playoff loss to Billings Central and while the result was disappointing the loss has created motivation — and momentum — for the Pirates this season.

A large junior class includes all-state standout Alex Encizo, one of two all-state returners (senior Mike Mercer is the other). Four other all-conference selections return this fall in juniors Linde Lambson and Andrew Hanson, senior Emiliano Hernandez and sophomore keeper Russell Smith.

Coach Fansher’s take: “I think we surprised some people last year. We had a lot of faith in the younger players and they really did a good job last year and grew into their roles. We get to bring all of those guys back with some experience which was one of the things we didn’t have a lot of last year.

“Everyone was pleased with what we accomplished last year but even all the guys felt like their season got cut short a little bit. They want to go further in the playoffs this year and there’s a lot of unfinished business that they want to build on. I think everyone’s pretty pleased but there really hasn’t been any complacency. The guys are working even harder than they were last year.”

Next match: At Missoula Loyola, Sept. 1, 6 p.m.

Whitefish Bulldogs

Head coach: John Lacey (2nd season)

2015 record: 3-8-1 overall, 2-5-1 in conference.

Key losses: MF Walter Sobba; F Casey Ling; MF Taisuke Matsuo.

Top returners: MF/F Xander Burger, So.; GK Marty Anderson, Sr.

The skinny: The Bulldogs missed the state tournament last season for the first time since before Byrd was the head coach, but things are looking up this fall for a team with a monster freshman class.

There are 11 freshmen on the Bulldogs’ roster and several are expected to start right off the bat. Whitefish is replacing six starters from a year ago, including all-state midfielder Walter Sobba and co-leading goal scorer (with Sobba) Casey Ling.

Sophomore Xander Burger is the Bulldogs’ most accomplished returner, coming off a second team all-conference performance as a freshman. He, alongside captains Marty Anderson, Cody Brandt and Avery Hirsch, will look to guide the young ’Dogs back into the conference race.

Coach Lacey’s take: “Certainly we’re going to have a physical barrier just given the age and experience. They have great abilities as soccer players but they haven’t played at the speed and size of high school soccer, and that will challenge them. We’ve had a great summer, though, and they’re as ready as they can be.

“I think that we had a lot of guys last year that even though they didn’t start they played a lot and they’re ready this year to step into those holes.”

Next match: Belgrade, Sept. 2, 3 p.m.