Bill Speltz

CORVALLIS — O'Brien Byrd has soared to soccer coaching heights that few on the high school level ever will.

The Columbia Falls skipper has netted a handful of state championships in his illustrious 23-year career and a good number of coach of the year honors to go with them. Plus he's transformed two programs into powerhouses: the Whitefish boys team in his first dozen years and the Wildcats in the last 11 seasons.

But ask him to pin down what he's most proud of over his career and the answer might surprise you.

"If I was done coaching tomorrow, my most proud moments wouldn't be the state championships. They wouldn't," Byrd said after his team won 10-1 at Corvallis Saturday. "They're fun memories. It's fun to do it and almost do it.

"But honestly, it's the opportunity to g

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