Happy Wednesday, Beacon readers! Lauren Frick here, and it hasn’t taken me long to learn that the Flathead Valley is the place to be when it comes to Class A soccer. That’s right: another week, another newsletter about high school soccer (Don’t blame me, blame all the super-talented young athletes who can’t seem to stop winning. What a horrible problem to have.)

For a second year in a row, it will be an all-Flathead Valley affair in the Class A girls state soccer championship game. Last year, Columbia Falls captured its second-ever state title after defeating Bigfork 4-0 to cap off an undefeated season. 

This year’s title fixture will feature a crosstown rivalry billing as the Wildkats will be taking on the Whitefish Bulldogs, the No. 1 seed from the North. The 2026 title game will be a rematch of the 2023 Class A championship, where the Bulldogs secured the top hardware with a 3-1 victory over the ‘Kats. 

Flathead Valley residents can get a front-row seat to the action as the squads will face off at Smith Fields in Whitefish at noon on Saturday, Oct. 31. Thanks to generous donors in each community, all Whitefish High School and Columbia Falls High School students will receive free entry to the game. 

The Bulldogs enter the match as North Conference champions and have an overall record of 14-1-1, while scoring 85 goals so far this season. Last week, Whitefish defeated Laurel 1-0 at Smith Fields to advance to the title game.

After a tightly contested first half that ended in a scoreless deadlock, junior captain Sage Ordway slotted a penetrating pass into sophomore Adelle Flynn who tapped it out to sophomore Neva Sliman for a definitive finish in the 50th minute and the only goal of the game.

“Center backs sophomore Barrett Clark and senior Delila Vine had another standout showing,” Bulldogs Head Coach Kelly Ordway said. “It was a very cohesive effort and we couldn’t be prouder. This team is so deserving of their advancement to the state championship.”

Making the roughly seven-mile journey to defend their state title are the Columbia Falls Wildkats, who also enter the championship game with a 14-1-1 record. 

Last Saturday, the Wildkats went on the road to Billings Central and came back to the valley with a 2-1 win to secure their place in the Class A championship. 

After finding themselves a goal down just before the end of the first half, Wildkats Ella Robbins and Tatiana Raymond scored a pair of second-half goals to lift Columbia Falls over the Rams in the semifinal matchup. Saturday’s championship will be the Wildkats’ seniors’ third trip to the title game in four years. 

Saturday’s contest will also be the third meeting between the crosstown rivals this season, with Whitefish securing a 2-1 victory in mid-September at Smith Fields and the two squads tying 1-1 at Columbia Falls High School just two weeks later. 

Heading into the Class A tournament, the Bulldogs led the classification in both (81 goals scored, seven goals allowed), while the Wildkats were right behind them with 80 goals scored and nine allowed. The Bulldogs still hold the advantage in goals allowed, while the Wildkats’ seven goals scored in the postseason have pushed them into the top spot. 

All this to say — it should be a close one Saturday. 

And if that wasn’t enough soccer for ya, the Whitefish boys soccer team will be in Billings at Amend Park to take on Billings Central at 1 p.m. to claim a Class A title of their own (The scariest thing about Halloween this year for Bulldogs fans? Figuring out how to be two places at once). 

The Rams defeated Polson last week 1-0 to prevent a rematch of the 2025 title game between the Pirates and the Bulldogs. Whitefish is carrying the momentum of a 3-1 home win over Livingston into this year’s championship game. Luca Duffy, Roen Chisholm, and Graysen Rembaugh all notched goals in the semifinal win. 

Well, I’m going to get out of your way so you can start brainstorming your blue and white or green and gold face paint designs. Save some time for the rest of today’s Daily Roundup first though.