Bulldogs finish great season

ST. IGNATIUS - An overtime win by Troy against Thompson Falls on Friday kept the Mission Bulldogs out of the playoffs but didn't erase what the team had done over the season.

Picked last in their conference, Mission posted a 5-3 record and brandished a rushing game that had opposing defenses quaking in their cleats.

"People don't like to play against us," Mission head football coach Peter Hamilton said.

That was evident against Bigfork last Thursday, a team that was undefeated in the District 7-B and sported kids comparable in size with the Mission Mountains. The Bulldogs played tough football and only trailed the Vikings 21-13 at halftime before losing 42-21 last Thursday night in St. Ignatius.

"We played hard against these guys and they were big," Hamilton said. "We played hard-nosed football. That's all we do."

Injuries had crept up for Mission and even kept senior running back Chris McKay out of the lineup with several different injuries. The Bulldogs did begin to wear down at the end against Bigfork.

"If we had more depth, we would have been alright," Hamilton said.

Hamilton praised his stable of running backs in the game. The Bulldogs rushed for 332 yards in the game, including a 172-yard performance from senior running back Lane Wheeler. Junior Austin Durglo, who had just recently switched from tight end to running back, had 105 yards on 19 carries. Junior Scotty Gilleard had 53 yards. All had a touchdown rushing.

Despite their command on the ground, penalties hampered drives and plagued the Bulldogs.

"We kept slipping all over the place," Hamilton said.

The Bulldogs had their first winning season since 2001 and were a hair away from their first postseason berth since 2004. With a surplus of underclassman on the roster, Mission should have a bright future ahead of them.

"We're really young," Hamilton, who thought his team really bought into the team philosophy this season and trusted one another, said. "We had three seniors."