Pirates hold off Bulldogs, 34-27
Polson running back Keyen Nash (33) picks up yardage on a run in the second quarter against Whitefish at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Polson running back Keyen Nash (33) is tackled by Whitefish defensive lineman Kai Nash (55) in the second quarter at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish wide receiver Mason Kelch (10) fights for extra yardage against the Polson defense in the second quarter at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish running back Ty Schwaiger (23) picks up yardage on a first quarter run against Polson at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Polson defensive back Brian Lyles (22) comes away with an interception in the second quarter against Whitefish at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish wide receiver Mason Kelch (10) catches a pass for a touchdown in the second quarter against Polson at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish quarterback Fynn Ridgeway (7) rolls out looking to pass under pressure from Polson's Colter Wilson (2) in the first quarter against Polson at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Polson quarterback Jarrett Wilson (8) completes a touchdown pass to wide receiver Tommy Sherry in the second quarter against Whitefish at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish kick returner Clayton Godsey (9) breaks a return into Polson territory in the first quarter at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish wide receiver Mason Kelch (10) is brought down by Polson's Colter Wilson (2) on a reception in the second quarter at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Polson quarterback Jarrett Wilson (8) celebrates with wide receiver Tommy Sherry (3) after a touchdown in the second quarter against Whitefish at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish quarterback Fynn Ridgeway (7) is swarmed by Polson defenders on a run in the second quarter against Polson at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Polson quarterback Jarrett Wilson (8) goes airborne as he is tackled by Whitefish defensive back Fynn Ridgeway (7) in the second quarter at Polson High School on Friday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
POLSON — Polson’s Jarrett Wilson packed a lot of football into the first half Friday, and Whitefish quarterback Fynn Ridgeway had the goods in the second.
At the end, a low snap ended a Whitefish drive at Polson’s 4-yard line, and the host Pirates held off the Bulldogs 34-27 in a Western A showdown.
Wilson helped the Pirates (9-0) to a 34-13 halftime lead, first with a 7-yard scoring run and then with four touchdown passes. The senior QB ran his season TD pass total to 31 with strikes to Tyler Wenderoth, Dawson DuMont, Tommy Sherry and Trent Wilson.
Whitefish (6-3) wasn’t done, getting a 2-yard run from Ridgeway at 5:24 in the third quarter, then a 55-yard catch and run from Ryder Barinowski on the first play of the fourth.
Now it was 34-27, and when Polson gained just one first down in two fourth-quarter possessions, the Bulldogs had their chances.
They punted once, but got the ball back at their 44 and drove to the Pirate 13, the key play being a 31-yard pass from Ridgeway to Barinowski. Ridgeway ran the ball to the 5 with under a minute left, but Polson’s defense stood up, even after a pass interference put the ball at the Pirate 3-yard line, fourth-and-1.
With 16 seconds left, the ensuing snap got away and Polson recovered to seal the game.
Mason Kelch caught nine passes for 89 yards for Whitefish, including a first-half TD. Ridgeway was 14 for 24 for 188 yards, with one interception, and ran 22 times for 147 yards — putting him at 1,144 rushing yards for the season.
Jarrett Wilson was 15 for 25 passing for 196 yards, and picked up another 118 yards on the ground on 17 carries. Trent Wilson had seven catches for 79 yards; Sherry had three for 68. Keyen Nash picked up 59 rushing yards for the Pirates, who’ll take the No. 2 seed and a bye into the second round of the A playoffs.
Whitefish is the No. 5 seed, and takes to the road this coming weekend to play Havre, the No. 4 seed out of the East.
In another key Western A game, Libby outscored Corvallis 52-42 to nail down the No. 7 seed. That puts the Loggers on the road to Laurel, the No. 3 seed out of the East, next weekend.
Polson 14 20 0 0 - 34
Whitefish 3 10 7 7 - 27
P — Jarrett Wilson 7 run (Tia Mercer kick)
W — Ryder Barinowski 26 FG
P — Tyler Wenderoth 4 pass from J.Wilson (Mercer kick)
P — Dawson DuMont 28 pass from Wilson (Mercer kick)
W — Barinowski 28 FG
P — Tommy Sherry 25 pass from Wilson (Mercer kick)
W — Mason Kelch 13 pass from Fynn Ridgeway (Barinowski kick)
P — Trent Wilson 7 pass from J. Wilson (kick failed)
W — Ridgeway 2 run (Barinowski kick)
W — Barinowski 55 pass from Ridgeway (Barinowski kick)
