POLSON — For the first time in program history, Polson is the Class A boys soccer state champion.
After the celebration following the Pirates' 4-0 win over Whitefish, the achievement had not quite settled in for goalkeeper Maddox Bird.
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“To be honest, I didn't even realize that, but that's amazing,” Bird said. “I mean, it's gonna be so fun seeing the banner go up and just remembering that was us.”
The long and tough road to this mountaintop began four years ago when Polson head coach Josie Lies took the helm.
Lies said, coming into this year, there was only one thing keeping this year's Pirates squad from becoming a championship-caliber team.
"I think it was just gaining confidence, that's what the boys lacked the most,” Lies said. “I always knew they were good athletes, good soccer players, but just gaining the confidence and learning that they can do it. So this year, I knew if they could win their conference that they would have the confidence they needed going in, and so that was a huge win for them.”
The journey to the state championship included a shootout win over top-seeded Columbia Falls, along with the 4-0 championship victory over Whitefish, two programs considered to be among the best in Class A.
Now, after making subtle improvements over the past few years, the Pirates have finally eclipsed both those programs to be the best in the state.
“We never made it past the first round in my freshman, sophomore and junior seasons, and we were losing to Whitefish like 8-0 like my freshman year,” Bird said. “But we finally came back this year, and this is our first year we beat them."
It was no surprise to coach Lies that her team finally beat Columbia Falls and Whitefish after watching the players grow over the past four years.
“We have eight seniors this year, all of whom have been with us for the full four years,” Lies said. “They were all the leaders this year. You know, if you ask me who my No. 1 go-to player is, I can't even name one because I have eight of them.”
