Leo Longcake Leads East Helena Past Whitefish 41-20 in Quarterfinals

East Helena Advances to Semifinals After Dominant Win Over Whitefish

The East Helena Vigilantes punched their ticket to the Class A football semifinals for the second year, securing a decisive 41-20 victory over Whitefish in the quarterfinal round on Friday. Yahoo Sports reported that the win, fueled by a relentless ground attack, brings the Vigilantes to an 8-1 record as they prepare for a challenging road matchup against Hamilton next Friday.

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— https://x.com/LLongcake4/status/2022855813342077399

Leo Longcake set the tone for the Vigilantes, racking up 181 rushing yards and four touchdowns. His performance was complemented by Bearek Shuman, who added two rushing scores of his own. The East Helena offense proved too much for the Bulldogs to contain, forcing Whitefish to abandon their traditional offensive rhythm and pivot to a pass-heavy approach that yielded mixed results.

Whitefish quarterback Luke Dalen completed 17 of 37 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, though he was hampered by two interceptions. The Bulldogs’ reliance on the pass was a departure from their usual style; entering the game, Dalen’s season-high for pass attempts was just 22. Despite a 49-yard rushing burst from Sam Rainford that narrowed an early 14-0 lead to 14-6, Whitefish struggled with consistency, committing four turnovers that stalled their momentum throughout the evening.

Defensive Pressure and Second-Half Separation

The defensive effort from East Helena was anchored by Shuman, who contributed on both sides of the ball. In addition to his 84 rushing yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns, Shuman recorded two interceptions to stifle the Whitefish passing game. The Bulldogs managed to pull within 34-20 late in the fourth quarter following an 11-yard touchdown run by Dalen, but their attempt at an onside kick failed, allowing the Vigilantes to seal the game with a final 10-yard scoring drive.

The final scoreline reflects a game where East Helena consistently found success in the red zone:

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Whitefish	6	0	7	7	20
East Helena	14	7	6	14	41

A Look at the Class a Bracket

The path to the state championship continues to narrow for the remaining teams. While East Helena prepares for their semifinal bout with Hamilton—who earned their spot by shutting out Billings Central 16-0—the other side of the bracket features a showdown between Columbia Falls and Sidney. Columbia Falls defeated Hardin 35-22, while Sidney delivered a notable 33-7 win over the defending state champions from Frenchtown.

For Whitefish, the loss marks the end of a 9-2 season, a year after the team also reached the semifinals. The Vigilantes, meanwhile, look to improve upon their performance from last year, when they were eliminated by Billings Central at this same stage of the postseason.