Despite being ranked second and third in the state playoffs, the Flathead Braves and Bravettes soccer teams fell short of winning state titles with losses to Bozeman Hawks teams.
The Braves were defeated by the Hawks 2-0 in the championship Nov. 2, and the girls were defeated 3-0 in the first round.
"(The Hawks) got into a good position with two early goals," said Brave's head coach Tom McFarlane. "Then we couldn't get through their defense."
When the top-ranked Big Sky team was defeated early in the playoffs, the Braves were thought to be the sure favorites for the championship. The day before the championship game, the Braves had a marathon contest with Helena that went into four overtimes. Flathead eventually triumphed, 3-2.
"It's hard to get the same intensity after a game like that," said Brave's head coach Tom McFarlane. "We just didn't have quite enough."
"We were mentally and physically worn out after playing 120 minutes," said forward Adam DeYoung of playing after the Helena game.
The loss of player also hurt the Braves.
"We lost two starters, Jake Madsen and Francesco Marzochii early on," said McFarlane. "Then we lost Jason Basden, when he broke his leg. We had guys who could fill the holes, but (the losses) still hurt."
The Bravettes also fell short of the championship, placing fourth at state after the losing to Bozeman.
After the loss, the Bravettes won their next two games, beating Whitefish 2-0, and Helena 2-0. The wins advanced the Bravettes to the consolation championship, where they brought home a fourth place finish after a loss in the consolation finals against the Big Sky Eagles, 3-1.
"We had three hard games before that (consolation finals)," said senior Ida Basko. "Our communication broke down."
Despite the losses, two Braves and one Bravette earned all-state honors. For the Braves, mid-fielder DeYoung and forward Seb Sheldon were selected, and forward Mandy Strong was selected for the Bravettes.
Said McFarlane of the year:
"I was pretty happy with the season. It was good soccer."