Bulldog Football Derails Laurel, On To the Semi-Finals

Friday, November 7, 2025 at 11:30 PM

Luke Dalen with the Go Ahead Rushing Touchdowon against Laurel. Photo © Brittany Brown.

The Whitefish Bulldog Football team was in Laurel, Friday night, for the Quarterfinal round of the MHSA Class "A" Playoffs.

Luke Dalen ran for 150 yards and 3 touchdowns, the Whitefish defense was opportunistic and the Dawgs held on for the 27-20 upset win to catipult themselves into the Class A Semi-finals.

Laurel entered the game, the No. 1 seed out of the Central and No.2 overall team in Class A.

Whitefish simply did not care.

Full Game Rebroadcast here:

The Dawgs got on the board first, scoring on their first drive of the game. It was a 95 yard drive. Dalen found Vlad Shestak on a huge 4th down conversion and 3 plays later, Dalen rushed it in from 2 yards out.

The Dawgs would score again, on their thrid drive of the game.

This time it was Bear Barker's interception that set up the Dawgs in plus terriorty. Dalen would juke his way into the endzone from 13 yards out to give Whitefish the early 13-0 victory.

Laurel would score with 2:25 to go in the first half, a pop pass from Krew Hunter to Isaiah Burt for13 yards.

Whitefish held onto the 13-6 halftime lead.

The Dawgs would kick-off to start the second half and for the second week in a row, forced and recovered a fumle to start the 3rd quarter.

Vlad Shestak would punch it in from 38 yards out, on the end around, and the Bulldogs led 20-6 early in the 3rd.

Laurel would respond on their next drive as Hunter found Burt on a 44 yard screen pass to cut into the lead.

After a couple of Whitefish turnovers, Laurel would strike to start the 4th as the Class's top rusher Curtis Fox punched it in from 4 yards out. That tied up the game at 20-20.

The Dawgs would respond. After recovering the onside kick, Whitefish took 4 mlinutes off the clock as they drove it 68 yards. Dalen would complete the hat trick rushing it in from 13 yards to make it 27-20.

Laurel's next drive ate a lot of clock. After Hunter would find his target Bridger Burrows on a 45 yard pass, the Whitefish defense dug in. Laurel got another first but then after a tough couple of runs found themselves looking at a 4th and four. Whitefish's defense dropped everyone back in coverage and Hunter had nowhere to throw, eventually deciding to run. He needed 4 and his rush came up just short as the Dawgs forced the Turnover on Downs.

Whitefish then converted big 3rd downs, and sealed the game with a 4th down conversion to complete the upset.