WHITEFISH — Whitefish football beat Dillon last week, 28-26. Quarterback Fynn Ridgeway was a major contributor, throwing just over 190 yards and a touchdown while running for another score in the game.
Whitefish offensive coordinator Mac Roche said watching Ridgeway progress from being the starting quarterback just as a freshman, to now going into his third season as a starter has been extremely rewarding. Roche says he has seen his quarterback's confidence, talent and leadership develop.
“He has just kind of filled out, I mean he’s gained 20 pounds, he is looked at as a leader and when you step in as a freshman that is as tough as it gets, going into varsity football," Roche said. "So the experiences he has had, he has had two full season under his belt, he has learned a lot. He has had a lot of ups and downs and I think he kind of knows what to expect at this point."
Not only has Ridgeway played as many snaps as any player on the team but Roche says his ability to read the field is what often sets him apart.
“He is a junior, he is a captain and I know that if we are calling something, he is going to see on the field exactly what we are seeing," Roche said. "It is not kind of like rolling the dice and saying who knows who he is going to throw it too. We know he is going to take that read progression with what the defense is giving him."
Last year, Whitefish lost to Dillon, keeping them from making a playoff run in Class A. Ridgeway says nothing feels better than coming out this year and beating Dillon in game one as the underdog.
"Last year in the snow game, it was pretty brutal to lose by six knowing that if we got the ball back, I think we would have probably won the game," Ridgeway said. "So that gave us even more confidence going into this year's game.”
With that confidence this Whitefish football team received from game one, they are hoping to carry that over into this week. But it won't be an easy task as Whitefish welcomes Frenchtown on Friday night. The Broncs, who made the Class A postseason a year ago, defeated Browning 45-6 to open the season.
“We want to make another splash," Ridgeway said. "I mean, week one all we did was go in with confidence and we made a splash and that is just our impact. That just what we want to do, go win it."
