BILLINGS — On Saturday Billings Central will host the Class A boys state soccer championship match at Amend Park against Whitefish, which has won three of the last four state titles.
It's a game 11 years in the making for the Rams, as they haven't appeared in a title game since 2012 and haven't won one since 2009.
"It feels well-deserved," Central coach Nolan Trafton said. "We've had a lot of good teams in the past and this little reward is satisfying, but a win on Saturday would be more satisfying."
"We're thrilled to have the entire community and school supporting us in this," senior captain Jack Milroy said. "It has been a while, but we're really looking to capitalize on this experience."
Central clinched a home title game with a road win in Corvallis last week. It's certainly beneficial for the team to avoid traveling west again, and Trafton is confident his guys can execute the game plan.
"It's been a long season and we've played a lot of back-to-back games, so this week we're looking for a lot of recovery and weening our training down so we're at our best," said Milroy.
"They're great players, great human beings, but they're very experienced soccer players that will treat it just as any other game," Trafton said. "It's just another game under their belt and I'm confident they'll come out and be successful."
It's no secret the weather will be less than ideal, but the Rams are refusing to let that affect them.
"We made a pact as a team that we are not going to complain about the weather, because it's going to even out the playing field for everyone," Milroy said. "We're going to perform at our best with what we're given."
Central and Whitefish are set for a noon kickoff on Saturday at Amend Park in Billings.
