Hall of Fame veterans and contributor nominees

Veterans Category

Owen Bush

He was an outstanding baseball and basketball player. Owen helped lead the Butte American Legion team to the 1946 state title. He also was a star player on the 1948 Butte High basketball team. During the season, Owen was Butte High’s second leading scorer with a 10.7 average, tallying 333 points in 31 games. Following his prep days, Bush went to the University of Montana where he competed in both baseball and basketball. Bush finally gave up on basketball to concentrate full time on baseball. He played in the Copper League for the South Side as their starting catcher. He was a member of the 1949 and 1950 South Side teams that took the league playoff title. Owen was considered one of the top catchers and bunters in the Copper League. Bush signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox organization in 1950. He went to Wisconsin Rapids for a tryout with the Class D team. After the tryout, Owen came back to Butte and competed in the Copper League for the South Side. He finished second in the league’s batting title in 1952 with a .409 average. 1946 member state champion Butte American Legion team……

Emmett Casey

He was a standout basketball and baseball star in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Casey was a member of the 1949 Butte American Legion baseball that took the state title. He was a pitcher and outfielder. In basketball, Emmett was the leading scorer with 20 points in the 1950 state title game that saw Butte Central edge Helena 63-59 in overtime. Casey was the leading scorer for the Maroons and the Big 16 in 1951 with a 17.4 average. He tallied 453 points in 16 games scoring 164 field goals. He was the leading scorer at the 1951 state tournament with 54 points. He was selected to the all-tournament team and first team all-state following the 1951 season. For his Central career, Emmett had 591 points, averaged 11.3 points a game in 52 games played. Casey went on to play at Seattle University. He scored 43 points in one game to set a scoring record for the Seattle University Gym. In 1999, Emmett was selected to the All-Century Butte Central basketball team.

 Jack Coyne 

He was a football star as a halfback for Butte Central from 1944-1946. Jack was second team All-State in 1945 as the Maroons won their first-ever state championship game. Coyne led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 230 yards, scoring 2 touchdowns. Jack had a big night against Anaconda carrying 6 times for 171 yards, scoring two times with one tally on a 65 yard run. He was the only Class A player to make the 1945 All-State team. During his three years at Butte Central, Coyne rushed for 453 yards on 38 carries scoring 13 touchdowns. He also caught four balls for 82 yards and a touchdown plus had 2 interceptions. The 4534 career rushing yards was the most by a Butte Central back since Danny Hanley who graduated in 1929. Jack finished his career by playing for the Butte Buzzies during their first year of operation in 1949. In 1999, he was selected to the All-Century football team at Butte Central.

John “Butter” Driscoll

He was a great athlete for Butte High in the 1910s. Driscoll was a star end and quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1914-1916. He played on three straight state title teams that also took regional honors in 1914 and 1915. Driscoll scored a game-record four touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 80-0 victory over Butte Central in the 1916 city championship game. The record stood the test of time and was only tied by Josh Paffhausen in the 1991 contest. He was picked first team All-State in football after the 1916 season. Driscoll also played basketball and was a member of the Bulldogs’ first-ever state basketball champions in 1917. During the season, Driscoll played in 17 games, scoring 64 points. Following graduation from Butte High, Driscoll played football one year at the University of Montana then played four more years at Creighton University in Nebraska. He was an end and quarterback. When Driscoll returned to Butte, he coached the Dublin Gulch Independent League football team leading the squad to the title in 1924. John was the founding father of the Butte High Silver B’s. He also was an excellent handball player and a past president of the Butte Handball Association.

Doug Edwards   

He was a standout all-around athlete at Butte High in the 1930s competing in football and basketball plus playing baseball for the American Legion baseball team. Edwards was a starting end for the Bulldogs in 1936, 1937 and 1938. He was the team’s leader receiver in 1936 and 1937. He caught 6 balls for 98 yards, scoring 3 touchdowns in 1936. He snagged 10 balls for 160 yards, scoring two times in 1937 and also tallied once on both an interception and run. The Bulldogs won the state crown during the season. In 1938, Doug had 2 catches for 20 yards plus an interception. Edwards was selected first team All-State in football in 1937 and 1938. Perhaps Doug’s best sport was basketball. He was a four-year starter for Butte High. Doug was the team’s leading scorer in 1937, 1938 and 1939. He scored a school record 874 points in his career. The record would stand until 1968 when it was broken by John Dawson. Today, Edwards is still the fourth leading scorer in school history despite the fact that two of his four playing years occurred during the jump-ball era. Doug tallied 358 field goals in his career to set a school record. It stood until 1984 when it was broken by Chris Rasmussen. Doug is still in second place at Butte High to this day in field goals made in basketball. Edwards played in a school record 90 games. The record still stands today. Edwards was a member of the 1936 American Legion baseball team that won the state title. It was the first state crown ever won by the Butte American Legion program.

Gene Evans  

He was a standout all-around athlete who competed in football and basketball at Butte Central plus played American Legion baseball. In football, Evans competed three years for the Maroons from 1957-59. After playing as an end his first two years, Gene became the Maroons quarterback in 1959. He had a great year. Evans had 20 carriers for 114 yards and scored two touchdowns. He completed 13 of 58 passes for 181 yards with five touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a score, kicked a field goal and had four interceptions. For his efforts, he was selected secnd team All-State in football following the 1959 season. In basketball, he played three years for the Maroons from 1958-60. He was a two-year starter in 1959 and 1960 for the Maroons. In 1960, he was Butte Central’s leading scorer with 360 points for an average of 13.8 points a game. Gene also played American Legion baseball. He went on to play at Carroll College where he had an outstanding career in football for the Saints. He was the team’s leading passer in 1961 completing 23 passes for 607 yards and five touchdowns. The next year, in 1962, Gene completed 26 of 82 passes for 413 yards with two touchdown passes. He also served as the team’s kicker and had 39 points on the year. He was picked for the Frontier Conference first team. In his final year, 1964, Evans had 663 yards of total offense. He hit 34 of 83 passes for 560 yards. In his career at Carroll College, Evans completed 83 passes for 1,683 yards with eight touchdown passes.

Ray Gallant

He was a tremendous all-around athlete. Ray competed in swimming, handball and basketball. He was Montana’s first great handball champion playing the sport in the 1930s and 1940s. Gallant won the state handball championship in 1932

at the very first-ever state meet. He also took the city handball title and the Pacific Northwest handball title that year. The next year, in 1933 he won the Pacific Northwest handball title again. He went on to compete in the National AAU handball tournament in New York reaching the semifinals before losing a match. Ray came back to win the city singles handball title in 1946 and the state singles crown in 1947. In swimming, Ray won the state senior men’s division at the state meet in 1932, 1933 and 1934. At the 1932 finals, he set a new state record of 63.1 seconds in the 100-yard free style. He also took the diving competition scoring a total of 20 points for the meet. After again winning the high point scorer in 1933 state finals, Ray came back to tally 18 points to be the high scorer at the 1934 state meet. Gallant also played basketball. He was a member of the Dahlberg Service Station that won the state independent basketball tournament played in Helena in 1932. Ray was a four-year starter in basketball at Montana School of Mines in the 1930s, winning All-American recognition his senior year. He was born in Helena, but raised in Butte. He was considered one of the best athletes ever produced in Montana according to Professor Walter T. Scott at the Montana School of Mines. Following his playing days, Ray served as the coach of the Natural Gas independent basketball team also called the Butte Business College. Ray was head coach from 1936 to 1941. During that time, the team had a record 158-27.

Ray Harris

He was the first Butte High wrestler to ever win a state title. Harris won the 95 pound division at the 1959 statetournament. The next year he placed third at 116 pounds. In 1961 Ray went through the season undefeated, winning the state crown at 120 pounds. During his three years at Butte High he had a record of 51-5. Harris went on to wrestle at Montana State University. He then became a coach at Simms High School for 18 years. He coached 10 individual state champions at Simms. 

Bob Hodge

He was a football player at Butte High and Northern Montana College in the 1960s. Hodge was a member of the 1964 Butte High state championship football team. He had two carries for 63 yards in the clinching game of the state title against Kalispell. Hodge went on to be a star halfback at Northern Montana College. Bob was the leading career scorer of Northern Montana football. He also set a single-season school rushing record of 1,108 yards. Hodge was named to the All-Frontier Conference team all four years he participated in football and also was selected for All-America honors as an honorable mention. Bob Hodge was inducted into the Northern Montana College Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Merlyn “Huz” Jensen

He served as the head football coach at Butte Central from 1957 to 1964. During his tenure, the Maroons won the state championship in 1964 with a 7-1-1 record. Jensen was named Class A Coach of the Year following the season. Prior to 1963, Butte Central competed in the Class AA as the smallest enrollment in the division. Despite the small numbers, the Maroons placed second in the Class AA in 1960 and third in 1961. Jensen served as the head football coach for eight years at Butte Central the longest tenure prior to Don Peoples Jr. In addition to football, Jensen served as both the head wrestling and track coach. He started the wrestling program in 1959. In track, during his eight years as head coach he produced four individual state champions. Butte Central also scored more points that Butte High at the 1961 state meet, the only time in school history that every happened. Following his days at Butte Central, Jensen was the head football coach at Flathead High School in Kalispell for four seasons. He also served as assistant wrestling and track coach at Kalispell. Prior to his coaching days, Jensen was a standout athlete at Miles City. He played football for the Miles City Cowboys. Huz also was a member of the 1947 Miles City American Legion team that won the state title.

After his prep days, Jensen played football at the University of Montana. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Kalispell before moving to Butte to become the head coach of the Maroons.

Gary Koprivica 

He was a standout golfer winning numerous tournaments over the span of almost 40 years. Gary began his career winning the Municipal Golf Club championship at the age of 13. He

was competing against adults in the event. He also won the City Junior Championship at the age of 13. Gary qualified and played in the National Junior Championships when he was 16 in Denver and at 17 in West Virginia. Koprivica lettered in golf as a freshman at Butte Central. After transferring to Butte High his sophomore year, Gary played for the Bulldogs his junior and senior year. Koprivica won the 1963 state high school golf crown his senior year. He went on to play golf four years at the University of Montana. Gary was selected first team All-Big Sky all four years at Montana. Gary played in many state tournaments. He was the State Mid-Amateur runner up four times before winning the title in 2002. Gary’s efforts on a golf course went far beyond Montana. He played nationally and internationally. Koprivica qualified and played in two U.S. Amateurs in 1966 in Cleveland and 1967 in Pennsylvania. He also played in two U.S. Senior Opens in 1997 in Chicago and 2002 in Baltimore, two U.S. Senior Amateurs in 2001 in South Carolina and 2002 in Florida, three British Senior Amateurs in 2000 in Scotland, 2001 in Ireland where he placed 10th and 2002 in England where he was 8th. Gary also competed in track at Butte High throwing the discus in 1962 and 1963. The 1963 team won the state title.

 Namen “Dixie” LaHood

He was declared the “Uncrowned Bantamwieght Champion of theworld” during his time. Dixie was born in Brazil and came to Butte at a young age. LaHood was one of the most giftedprofessional boxers around. He defeated Abe Goldstein immediately after Goldstein had lost his world crown. Dixie also beat the number one challenger at the time in the bantanweight Pete Sarmianti. He also whipped Australia’s bantemweight champion Vic King in Seattle in 1925. Another opponent of note he beat was Chick Suggs. Lahood won in a fight which took place on July 4, 1926 at the Montana Theater in Butte. LaHood was a real crowd favorite in the Mining City. He fought professionally from 1923-1933.

Bob McDonough Jr.

He was a standout speedskater in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. McDonough just missed qualifying for the 1964 United States Olympic team. He participated twice in the two mile at the Race of Champions in Madison Square Garden. Bob was the first person west of the Mississippi to win the Chicago Silver Skates during their 43rd annual championships. He won top honors at the Great Lakes Indoor Championships.

Ted McElhenney

He was an all-round athlete at Butte Central who went on to compete at the University of Montana. McElhenney played both football and basketball at Butte Central in the 1950s. McElhenney was a two-year starter as an end in football for the Maroons in 1955and 1956. During the 1955 season, Ted recovered two fumbles for touchdowns and also caught three passes for 181 yards scoring three touchdowns. In 1956, McElhenney was selected first team All-State in football. In basketball, Ted was a member of the Butte Central team from 1955-57. He was a starter on the 1956 club that won the state championship. Overall, McElheeny played in 54 games for the Maroons, scoring 433 points for a career average of 8.0 a game. McElhenney played in both the All-Star Basketball Classic and Shrine football game following his senior year. He was the Most Valuable Player in the All-Star basketball game played at the Butte Civic Center. Ted went on to play football at the University of Montana. In the 1963 Cat/Griz game, McElhenney booted a 49-yard field goal for Montana. It was the longest field goal ever by the Grizzlies in that game. The record stood for over 40 years before being broken.

Bill Mulcahy

He was a standout athlete at Butte Central and Montana State. Mulcahy competed in football, basketball and track at Butte Central in the 1950s. In football, Mulcahy was a two-year starting quarterback for the Maroons in 1957 and 1958. He rushed for three scores and passes for three touchdowns during the 1957 season. He also picked off one pass. In 1958, he tallied two scores and passed for another touchdown. In his career, he had 38 carries for 253 yards, scoring five times. Mulcahy passing the ball was 52-129 with 13 interceptions. He passed for 5527 yards for three touchdowns. He was selected honorable mention All-State in football following the 1958 season. In basketball, Mulcahy was a two-year starter in 1958 and 1959. Bill tallied 372 points in 47 games for an average of 7.9 points a game. His best sport might have been track. Mulcahy was an outstanding pole vaulter. After finishing second in the event in 1957, Mulcahy was the pole vault at the 1958 and 1959 state meet. His winning leap of 12’2.5 in 1959 is still a school-record at Butte Central over 50 years after his efforts. Mulcahy is the only Butte Central athlete to win the pole vault at the state meet. He was also the first Butte Central athlete to win the same event in back-to-back years at the state meet. In addition, Mulcahy placed fourth in the long jump at the 1959 state meet. Bill took his talents to Montana State in Bozeman where he played football for the Bobcats. He was a quarterback on the MSU team from 1960-62. Mulcahy threw the winning touchdown pass in the Cat/Griz game to Butte High product Bill Cords in the 1961 game won by MSU 10-9. In three Divide War games against Montana, Mulcahy completed 16 passes in 37 attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

Mick O’Brien

He was an outstanding amateur boxer in Butte during the 1960’s. Mick won three state boxing championships in 1961, 1963 and 1968.

Sonny O’Day 

His real name was Carlo Giorgi born in Italy on March 8, 1913. Sonny came to America and started boxing in Butte at the age of 10. He was an amateur fighter in the 1920s fighting first in New York City and then in Butte. He came in 2nd place at 135 pounds at the State AAU tournament. In 1931, Sonny became Montana’s youngest professional boxer. He was dubbed “The kid from Meaderville”. O’Day changed his name to an Irishman Sonny O’Day early in his fighting days. O’Day claims he fought in 529 amateur and professional fights winning all but 32 times. Following his boxing career, Sonny opened a bar in Laurel, Montana. He built up a boxing museum second to none in the state. Sonny also served on the Montana Boxing Commission for 26 years. The commission oversaw 77 professional fights during that time and three world championship contests.. He was the referee for the 1960 World Middleweight Championship fight in Bozeman between Gene Fullmer and Joey Giardollo.

Babe O’Farrell

He was one of the pioneer speedskating standouts in Butte. Babe won his first race in 1935 at the Anaconda Winter Carnival at the age of 16. O’Farrell won the state speedskating title in 1935,36,37,38 and 39. Babe went to Baniff, Alberta in 1936 where he won two intermediate races then moved up to the Senior Men’s Division winning the 220 and 880 yard races plus the two-mile event. It allowed him to win the Grand Championship and his first possession of the David White Trophy. In 1937, he again won the Anaconda Winter Carnival title. He and Butte skater Kenny Nygren were the first two local skaters ever to participate in the National Indoor Championships at St. Paul, Minnesota. They competed at the 1937 finals. In 1937, 38 and 39, he again won the David White Trophy in Baniff, Alberta. He also won races in 1938 and 1939 in Edmonton, Alberta. At the indoor meet in Edmonton in 1939 Babe set a new indoor record with a time of 43 seconds in the 440-yard race and also a new mark of 22 seconds in the 220-yard event. In 1939 at the state meet, Babe set a record in the 220-yard race that stood for 20 years. That year in Baniff, Alberta he took a clean sweep of the four races winning the 220, 440, 880 and two-mile races. It produced a perfect score of 120 points. The next year, in 1940, Babe’s dream of making the USA Olympics team was negated by the start of World War II. In 1938, Babe helped form the Butte Figure Skating Club. He got the organization affiliated with the AAU so skaters could compete in Canada. When his racing days were over, Babe joined the Butte Figure Skating Club in the 1950s and performed in many of their shows. Following his athletic days, O’Farrell stuck with the sport helping organize the Western International Speedskating Meet in 1960 with Bruno Comas of Red Deer, Alberta. Babe helped run the event for many years. He was also active in Little League and Babe Ruth baseball.

Alan O’Leary  

He was one of the very best track athlete’s ever at Butte Central. In the 1959 state meet, Alan was 5th in the 440 yard run as a sophomore. O’Leary won the 440 yard run at both the 1960 and 1961 state track meets. During the 1961 season, he was clocked in 47.7 in the 440 which was under the state record in a duel meet with Butte High. During the state meet, he ran 49.7 to set a new state record in the event. In addition to the 440 event, Alan was 4th in the 220 yard dash and 5th in the 100 at the 1961 state finals as the Maroons finished with 14 points to edge out Butte High in the team standings. Its the only time in school history when both schools were in the same classification that the Maroons outscored the Bulldogs at the state track meet. In addition, O’Leary played two years on the Maroons’ basketball team. He started both seasons. Alan played in 47 games, scoring 389 points which is 8.5 points a contest. Following his prep career, he competed for the University of Oregon in track. O’Leary was a member of the 1964 and 1965 Ducks team that won the NCAA title. During the 1964 NCAA meet, Alan competed in the 440 yard run and mile relay. His personal best that year was 47.5 in the 400 yard run. Also, in 1964, he was on a 440 yard relay team that had a time of 40.2 seconds, the second best in the nation. In 1965, he placed 5th in the Pacific Coast Conference track and field finals in the open 440. His mile relay team was second in that same meet. In 2009, O’Leary was inducted into the University of Oregon’s Hall of Fame for his contributions to track and field for the Ducks.

George Paul 

He was an outstanding running back for Butte High in 1940 and 1941. Paul had a remarkable season in 1941 scoring 15 touchdowns during the season. He rushed for 716 yards on 65 carries. He also completed 29 of 50 passes for 413 yards and 4 touchdowns as he led the Bulldogs to a co-state championship with Billings. Paul was selected first team All-State in football following the season. During his career, George rushed for 927 yards on 80 carries for 19 touchdowns. He completed 34 of 57 passes for 482 yards and 7 touchdowns, plus he snagged 2 interceptions. George later in life developed a competitive handball game. He competed in the sport into his 70s. In 1999, he was selected to the All-Century Butte High football team.

John Rickman

He was a standout basketball player for Butte Central in the late 1950s. Rickman was a starter for the Maroons in 1958 and 1959. He led the Class AA in scoring during the 1959 regular season. He averaged 19.0 a game during the season scoring 458 points. John had 140 field goals and 177 free throws. The free throw mark set a new school record which still stands today. Rickman scored in double figures in 23 of the 24 games he played in during the year. He tallied 20 or more points in 10 games and 15 or more points in 18 of 24 contests. During the 1959 state tournament in Butte, Rickman led the Maroons to an 80-64 opening game win over Kalispell. John pumped in 37 points in the victory. At the time that set the school record for points in a game. The next night he had 28 points in a 70-58 semifinal loss to eventual state champion Butte High. He tallied 78 points in three tournament games. Rickman was named to the All-Tournament and All-State team. He went on to play basketball at Gonzaga. In 1999, John was selected to the Butte Central All-Century basketball team. 

Marco Stanisich 

He was an outstanding all-around athlete at Butte High during the 1950s. He was a starting running back on the Butte High football team from 1955 to 1957. In 1955, he carried the ball 11 times for 94 yards scoring 4 touchdowns. Marco also caught one pass and intercepted two balls. In 1956, he had 30 carries for 380 yards scoring 6 times and intercepting one pass. In 1957, he led the Bulldogs with 39 carries for 494 yards, scoring 5 times. He had a punt return for a touchdown plus caught 3 passes for 59 yards and one touchdown. During his three-year football career at Butte High, Marco rushed for 968 yards on 80 carries scoring 15 touchdowns. He also caught 7 passes for 190 yards and two scores. He was named first team All-State in football following the 1956 and 1957 seasons. Marco was a member of two state basketball title teams at Butte High in 1957 and 1958. Marco averaged 6.2 points a game his senior year. During his three-year basketball career at Butte High Stanisich scored 384 points and averaged 5.2 points a contest. Stanisich was also an excellent track athlete. He placed third in the pole vault at the 1956 state meet. In 1957 and 1958, he won both the pole vault and the long jump at the state finals. In 1999, Marco was selected to the All-Century Butte High football team.

Jim Stevens

He was a standout athlete at Butte Central competing in football, basketball and track in the 1950s. He was a member of the 1952 state football title team at Central. Stevens was the starting quarterback for the Maroons in 1954. He threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Bob Petrino in the 1954 city title game which is the longest passing score in the history of the game. For the year he had 8 carries for 30 yards and 2 touchdowns, completed 6 of 14 passes for 116 yards and 2 scores plus caught 3 balls for 90 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He was selected first team All-Conference following the 1954 season. Jim played in the 1955 Shrine game. Stevens also played basketball and competed in track for the Maroons. He lettered three years in all three sports. During his three-year basketball career at Butte Central, Jim scored 333 points, averaged 5.8 points a game in 57 games. He acquired a scholarship to Montana State and competed in football for the Bobcats. Jim was a member of the 1956 Bobcats’ team that played in the Aluminum Bowl in Arkansas. In addition, Jim participated in American Legion baseball. He was a member of the 1953 Butte club that won the state championship. Following his playing days, Stevens was a volunteer coach for Butte Central’s junior high programs. He also was a longtime football official from 1967 to 1985. During his years as an official, he participated in two Class AA title games, two Shrine games and was an umpire for two American Legion state baseball tournament. He was inducted into the Montana State officials Hall of Fame in 1986.

Don Williamson 

He was a standout all-around athlete competing in football, basketball and track for Butte High in the 1950s. He also played baseball. He played football from 1951-53 at Butte High. Williamson was a member of the 1951 team that shared the state title and the 1953 team that played in the Class AA state championship game. He was the co-captain of the 1953 team. He was selected honorable mention All-State in 1953 in football. Williamson was selected and played in the 1954 Shrine game. He played varsity basketball three years from 1952 to 1954. His best year was in 1954 when he tallied 317 points in 23 games for an average of 13.7 points a game, second best on the team. In his career, Don had 446 points in 49 games for an average of 9.1 a game. In track, Don won the 220 yard run at the state track finals in 1954 with a time of 22.6 seconds. Williamson also played baseball on the American Legion team. He was co-captain of the 1953 American Legion team that won the state championship. Don took his talents to the University of Montana where he played football three years, baseball two years and competed in track two years for the Grizzlies. In 1957, he won the Grizzly Cup in recognition of athletic and academic achievements.

Dan Yovetich

He was an all-around athlete who competed in football, basketball and track for Butte High in the early 1940s. He was a starting tackle on the 1940 state championship football team. Yovetich was selected first team All-State following the season. Dan was the starting center on the 1941 state championship basketball team for the Bulldogs. Yovetich was the team’s leading scorer with 210 points in 25 games for an average of 8.4 points a game. He set two records at the 1941 state track meet for Butte High. His time of 14.9 seconds in the 120 yard high hurdles stood for eight years. Dan’s state mark of 22.7 in the 200 yard low hurdles lasted until 1945. Following World War II, Dan enrolled at the University of Montana where he excelled in track for the Grizzlies. He was undefeated in both hurdleraces in 1946 and 1947 in the Northern Division of the Pacific Coast Conference. In 1947, he set Conference records in both hurdle races. His time in the high hurdles of 14.9 seconds was the sixth best in the country. His mark of 22.8 seconds in the low hurdles was the seventh best in the land. Later that spring, he finished 3rd in the National AAU meet in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was again undefeated in the hurdles in conference action in 1948. Dan was second in a qualifying heat for the U.S. Olympic team in 1948. A groin injury prevented him for competing in the finals. In 1950, the Montana Standard recognized Yovetich as the premier athlete of the decade. In 1999, Dan was selected to the All-Century Butte High basketball team.

Contributors

Fritz Apostel

He was a key contributor to the development of skiing in Butte. Apostel was a charter member of the Butte Ski Club when it was formed in 1937. He served as president of the Butte Ski Club from 1953-1970. During that time, Fritz created and managed the city championship ski races and also the Mighty Mite competition for youngsters. Apostel was instrumental in getting the Montana High School Association to sanction skiing as a sport. It was the first varsity competition ever in high school for girls. Fritz won a national certificate to become a ski jump judge at major events. He also served as a coach for the Junior National Nordic team. He was instrumental in the development of a National Nordic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He owned a local ski shop called Fritz’s for over 25 years. Apostel stayed with the Butte Ski Club until they sold their Beef Trail property in 1987. Apostel had the money from that sale put into a trust fund called the Butte Ski Club Charitable Foundation. For over two decades, the funds from that Foundation has been used by local schools to send students out for “Ski Day” at Discovery Basin. The program has allowed hundreds of students the opportunity to learn the sport Fritz Apostel loved, skiing. In addition to skiing, the Foundation in 2009 funded a “Learn to Swim Program” at the local YMCA. This allows third grade students from around the community to come learn how to swim. The Foundation also funded bleachers at the Jeremy Bullock soccer complex.

Ken Carver

Ken Carver was a member of the first three of Butte High’s 13 straight Class AA state titles. As a junior and senior (1981 and 1982), Carver placed second at 112 pounds. After his wrestling career ended with an injury in college, Carver started his long coaching career while attending Western Montana College (Montana Western).

Carver served as an assistant on the Butte High team, and he coached the wrestling program at East Middle School for three decades. He also serves as the East cross country coach. Carver now serves as a wrestling official. He also works as an official for youth basketball in Butte.

 Jack Crowley

Jack Crowley worked as the club pro at the Highland View Golf Course from 1969 through 1996. Jack’s leadership led to the unique atmosphere of the “Muni,” a place known for its good times and beer machine. The golf course had just a handful of members when Crowley took over in May of 1969. The 9-hole course had nearly 1,000 members by the time he retired. In 2018, the course had less than 400 members. Thanks in large part to Jack, the Par-3 course opened at the Highland View in 1980. During his first several years as pro, Crowley also worked as the club’s grounds keeper. For 29 summers, Jack opened the pro shop early every morning and he closed it after dark.

A 1955 Butte High graduate, Jack played on the Bulldogs’ first golf team. He played on golf teams during his years in the Air Force, and he set the course record at the Deer Park Golf Course in 1965. More than anything, Crowley’s legacy will be junior golfers. He provided free lessons to juniors every summer, and he fought to keep $1 junior days on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends after 4 p.m. Those junior days went away shortly after his retirement. Jack introduced countless golfers — young and old — to the game of golf, and he helped make sure the “Muni” was a fun place for them to play it.

Jim Edgar 

Jim Edgar served as a sportswriter for The Montana Standard from 1975 until 1992. That followed a distinguished 30-year career with the United States Navy. He began his work at the newspaper as a part-time staff member before being promoted to fulltime status in 1984. In his tenure at The Montana Standard, Jim covered hundreds of college and high school sports events, and Butte Copper Kings and Butte American Legion baseball games and several rodeos. He wrote a regular column entitled “Sincerely Yours.” In 1989, Jim won a belt buckle for first-place in the Rodeo Press Contest Top News Story national competition sponsored by the Coors Brewing Co.   

Jim was probably best known to Southwest Montana readers for his coverage of high school girls’ basketball and both Copper Kings and American Legion baseball, areas in which he developed many friendships with coaches, players, parents and fans. Among his highlight moments were coverage of the 1981 and 1982 Butte Central state Class A girls’ basketball championships, a Montana Tech football national NAIA playoff game in Tacoma, Washington, Butte High’s 1988 state Class AA wrestling championship and many other postseason events. The participants were Jim’s interest and he coined terms for Butte like “City of Champions” and “Flyin’ Brian” Vaughns during highlight eras. The City of Champions moniker came in 1981-82 when Butte teams enjoyed state championship successes in baseball, football, basketball, track, wrestling and in youth league endeavors. Brian Vaughns was an outstanding Kelvin Sampson recruit to Montana Tech basketball who filled the HPER Complex with is acrobatic baskets for championship and entertaining Oredigger teams. 

His colorful accounts of Copper King games included terms like “cowtailing the potato almost to Leonard Field” about a long home run and “threw him a dark one” for a called third strike. 

Jim and his wife, Kathleen, owned a grocery store in Basin for a brief time and he also worked as a ranch hand in Bernice, all while performing his duties for The Montana Standard without ever missing a scheduled assignment or day of work.  

As a high school athlete, Jim competed in football and wrestling for Englewood, Colorado, and played baseball and fastpitch softball while serving in the Navy. He earned a business degree from Montana Tec in 1987 at age 56, completing a college education he began while in the Navy at Hartford University in the mid-1960s. 

While in the Navy, Jim was awarded four Good Conduct Medals, Navy Occupation Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Expert Rifleman and Expert Pistol Shot medals. He served in the Korean Conflict and toured around the world twice.  

Jim’s last posting was as commander of the Butte Naval Reserve Center at Clark Park in 1975, which brought him and his family to Butte. Jim Edgar passed away on December 7, 2013, a day before his 83^rd birthday. Kathleen preceded him in 1995. 

Mike Foley 

Mike Foley has been a coach and official for the better part of a half century. The retired teacher has been a member of the Montana Officials Association since 1975, and he has officiated softball, baseball, basketball and volleyball.

Mike has also served as a mentor for so many officials through the years. He knows the rule books for his sports better than anyone, and he passes that knowledge down to the next generation of officials.

Mike has coached pretty much every sport over the years. He is known for being a particularly good coach in baseball, and he has coached every level from Pee Wee through American Legion.

Over the years, Mike has also been instrumental in preserving sports history in the Mining City. He led a project to post all old team photos in the hallways at East Middle School. He also led a project to recognize all the East students who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.

Vern “Hanna” Griffith

A former President and Director of the Montana Speed Skating Association for a number of years. He was instrumental in the development of a speed skating 400 meter oval at the corner of George and Utah Streets in the early 1960s. Through his efforts, a solid group of speedskaters like Judy Morstein Martz and Sylvia White Blaine became members of the 1964 US Olympic team. Griffith was constantly taking speedskaters to meets in Canada and the United States. In addition to speedskating, Griffith was an active member of the South Side Athletic Club and served as manager of the South Side team in the Copper League for two years.  Hanna was a member of the Eclipse Market baseball team in the Butte Amateur League in 1932. He was a catcher and good hitter for many years in the Amateur League and later the Copper League. Griffith was instrumental in the development of Little League in Butte in the early 1950s. He was also an active bowler, competing in many big tournaments and holding down an average of 180 through most of his bowling career. He also sponsored a number of men’s and women’s teams through his business Main Cash Market. Griffith also loved to hunt and fish.

Dave Keltz

He served as a longtime successful ski coach at Butte High. Keltz was the Bulldogs coach from 1958-1070. During that time span, he led the Bulldogs to six state championships. His boys teams won state crowns in 1960, 1961, 1966 and 1968. The girls were on top at the state meet in 1960 and 1961. From 1960 to 1968, his boys teams finished in the top three at state every year.

George “Nig” McGrath 

He was a football player for Butte High in the mid 1930s. McGrath intercepted a pass in the 1936 Butte High-Butte Central football game. McGrath became a star running back for the Englewood team in the Independant Football League. Nig continued to play the game even after a mine accident resulted in the loss of one arm. Nig later went on to become a longtime official and baseball umpire from 1936-1977. He was inducted into the Montana Officials Hall of Fame in 1984. 

Betty Merrifield

Betty was teacher and administrator in the Butte School District for over thirty-six years with her last twelve years spent as Principal at West Elementary, before retiring in 2002. However, Betty’s involvement with kids and athletics has continued even after retirement. She is a true contributor as her involvement in sports through the years has been and continues to be entirely voluntary.
Track / Cross Country
Instrumental in starting the Butte Track Club in the late 1960’s. Continues to serve today as Club President
Served on the Board of Directors of AAU Montana when that was the national organization for youth track & field in the US
Served on the Board of Directors of USATF Montana when that superseded AAU as the national organization for youth track & field
Organizer / Meet Director, AAU & USATF Junior Olympic Montana State Association Championships, when hosted in Butte, most recently 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2019.
Meet Director, Butte Grade School Track Meet early 2000’s – Present
Scorer / Announcer / Official’s Coordinator – Butte High Track Meets – late 1960’s – Present – Betty’s roles have evolved through the years from manual scorekeeper to, for the last twenty years, meet announcer and official’s coordinator. At Butte High Track meets, whether it is a dual meet, the Swede Dahlberg, or the State Track meet, command central is the van by the finish line and Betty’s in charge at the van. Betty also works in various capacities at the middle school and Butte Central meets.
Timing / Results – Butte High Cross Country & Butte Central Cross Country
Timing / Results – Butte Road Races – Consistently has provided assistance timing road races and helping with results for the Veteran’s Day race and many others through the years.
Speedskating
Records Secretary – Montana Amateur Speed Skating Association – 1970’s – 1990’s
Chief of Protocol – World Cup Speedskating Men & Women, November 1987
Chief of Protocol – World All-Around Speedskating Championships for Women, February 1994
Chief of Protocol – World Junior Speedskating Championships, February 1997
Chief of Protocol – World Cup Speedskating Final Men, March 2000
• Chief of Protocol – responsibility/oversight of timing, scoring, & results officials. Final sign-off on all results.

Sig Meyer  

He was perhaps Butte High’s biggest fan. Sig traveled the state watching the Bulldogs participate in football, basketball, wrestling and track. Meyer helped organize theButte Athletic Council and served as president of the group on a number of occasions. Sig also established the William Meyer Scholarship, in honor of his father. The award was given out every year to a student-athlete going off to college. After the Bulldogs won the state football title in 1981, the team presented him with a signed football. When the Butte High basketball team took state honors in 1984 they gave Meyer a gold basketball. In addition to supporting Butte High, Sig followed Butte Central, Montana Tech and the Butte Copper Kings.

Bill Miller

He was a standout athlete in the sport of taekwondo martial arts. Miller competed in the sport for 24 years. During his time, he earned a black belt. Bill won at least two state championships. He won once as a black belt in the welterweight division. Miller won a gold medal in forms, free sparring and creative board-breaking. The second time he won the state title Miller was in the middleweight black belt division. Miller won the gold medal in forms, free sparring and creative board-breaking. He competed in the National Finals in Anaheim, California. At the Wyoming state finals, Miller took first place in black belt for free fighting. Bill caped his career by competing in the Senior National Taekwondo Martial Arts tournament in San Jose, California. There were over 3,000 competitors in the meet. Miller finished third in free sparring. After his career, Miller gave back to the sport by teaching taekwondo and martial arts at the Rocky Mountain Martial Arts Academy in Butte.

Scott Paffhausen

He was an accomplished athlete at Butte High School, but his contributions to the school go way beyond wins and losses on the field or court. Paffhausen played quarterback for the Bulldogs, and he was a starter on Butte High’s 1984 Class AA State basketball team. The Bulldogs captured the school’s first title since 1958 on St. Patrick’s Day.

Paffhausen, though, really left his mark on the school in terms of a historian. The hallways around the Butte High gyms and coaches offices are full of memorabilia from Bulldogs past. He built cases to display team photos and to honor past coaches and Gatorade Award winners. The shrine includes newspaper stories, photos of nearly every Bulldog team in every sport and even Eso Naranche’s Purple Heart.

Paffhausen is also the historian of the Butte High Silver B’s organization. He has put in countless hours to make sure all the new and old Silver B’s, Golden B’s and Diamond B’s are honored during Silver B’s night each fall. He also puts on the Silver B’s letterwinner banquet teach year.

In addition to his work at the school, Paffhausen has been a wealth of historical knowledge to guide the local sports media, and he built many of the cases that hold the Hall of Fame plaques in the lobby of the Butte Civic Center.

Mike Parent  

Mike Parent has been a major contributor to the local sports scene for more than half a century. Mike has coached Little League Baseball in the Mining City since 1962. He has coached the Elks/Photo Stars team in the Northwest Little League Major Boys division since 1969, leading the same team for 47 years. During this time, Mike has also managed or coached 17 Major Boys All-Star teams for Northwest Little League. In 2013, Mike was presented with the prestigious Dale Clawson Montana Little League Award.

In addition to his unparalleled Little League experience, Mike was the tennis director for the City of Butte for approximately 10 years in the 1970s. Mike participated in four varsity sports (baseball, football, bowling and tennis) in college (Montana Tech and MSU). Mike has coached elementary school basketball for the past 42 years (Central, West and Kennedy). Mike first passed his Montana Officials Association test 41 years ago, and has been a basketball referee ever since working at the elementary, junior high and high school levels. Through his Photo Stars business, Mike has been the team photographer for various Montana Tech, Butte High School and Butte Central Catholic High School squads. He also has taken the team and individual photos for countless Little League players. The majority of Butte homes have one or more Mike Parent photos on the refrigerators, walls or album pages.

Jim Peltomaa
He has spent over three decades as one of the main driving forces behind two outstanding youth programs, the Silver Bow Amateur Wrestling Association and the Little Guy Football program. Peltomaa was a volunteer in both programs without any of his own children in either program. Jim has been involved in the Silver Bow Amateur Wrestling Association for over twenty-five years. He has served as a longtime coach, plus served as an executive board member and a key member of the tournament organizing committee. Butte has hosted the Western Regional Amateur Tournament four times and Peltomaa has been a key driving force behind hosting the tournament and also making sure it is successful. He has mentored hundreds of athletes in wrestling with many winning state titles. The Butte team has competing at the highest level in the state and national tournaments with Peltomaa right there as a coach. He has also been involved in the Little Guy football program since its inception in 1995. In the early years, Jim served as a coach in the program. He later turned his attention to administrative duties running the organization. Peltomaa has been unsung hero in both activities and is highly regarded by everyone associated with amateur wrestling and little guy football.

Frank Quinn
He was a longtime sports writer in Butte for the Butte Daily Post and the Montana Standard. Quinn began as a sports reporter at the Butte Daily Post in 1927. Frank used to announce to the general public results of major fights outside the Post building during the era of the ticker tape. Frank was named sports editor at the Daily Post in 1934 and served in that capacity until the paper went out of business in 1961. Quinn wrote a column for the Post called “Sports of All Sorts.” When the Post job ended Frank then served as a sports reporter at the Montana Standard until 1968. Quinn was selected as Montana Sports Writer of the Year in 1960. His column “Frankly Speaking” was a big hit for many years. So was a column called “Whoozit.” In addition to being a reporter Quinn served as a ring announcer in boxing for 50 years from 1929-1968. He was an announcer in many Montana communities including Butte. In 1968 he was honored with the Montana Boxing Association Award for 50 years of service to the sport. Quinn then served 6 years on the State Athletic Commission from 1969-1975. He also coached at the Grant School and St. Ann’s. 

Bruce Sayler

He was a longtime sports writer for The Montana Standard newspaper. Sayler was hired at the local paper in 1979 and stayed at the Butte establishment until 2012. Sayler covered every potential sport during his tenure at The Standard. The list includes: football, baseball, basketball, track, wrestling, tennis, swimming and many other activities. In addition to his regular duties, Sayler was actively involved in the community. He wrote the program for the 1982 and 1983 city of champions banquets held at the Butte Civic Center. He spent countless hours on his own time covering athletes, coaches and teams during his time at the Butte paper.
In 2012, Sayler started working for ButteSports.com, where his career continues.

Jim Scown

He served as the league president at the Northwest Little League in Butte for 26 years from 1970-1995. Scown helped begin girls Little League softball in Montana in 1974. He was the first league president to provide girls softball in the Pacific Northwest. He is credited with being a pioneer of the sport. During his tenure as president, the girls’ teams at Northwest won nine state titles. Scown served on the board of the District 2 Little League for 21 years. In the early 1990s, Butte-Silver Bow renovated the Northwest Little League and named it Jim Scown Field. Scown served many years as a coach of all sports at the grade school level at Washington, Whittier, Greeley, St. Ann’s, North and South Central. His tenure at the Northwest Little League began in 1954 as an umpire. He started coaching in 1965 with the Ossello’s club. During his own playing days, Scown participated in fast pitch softball and also was a member of the Butte Buzzies football team.

C. Owen Smithers 

He was a longtime photographer of Butte sporting events and teams. C. Owen took hundreds of photos of local grade school, high school, college and independent football, baseball and basketball teams. Smithers came to Butte in 1923. He was still taking photos when he died 49 years later in 1972. In addition, Smithers was a co-founder of the Butte Veterans’ Day race with Montana School of Mines athletic director and Butte Sports Hall of Fame member Charlie McAuliffe. They started the race in 1934. It has been carried on and run through the streets of Butte ever since then except for the war years between 1942-45. Smithers continued to help run and organize the race until his death in 1972. 

Tom Tutty

He was a longtime volunteer for Butte High School athletics and other events around the community of Butte. Tutty served as official scorer for many years at basketball tournaments in the community. In addition, he was the pole vault judge at numerous track meets. He did his job so well that Tutty went to various parts of Montana to judge the pole vault at many state meets. Tutty was involved in the Butte Athletic Council and received their Special Recognition Award one year for his outstanding service to Bulldogs’ athletics. Tutty also helped at Butte Copper Kings games serving as a ticket taker and announcer.

Eddi Walker 

Eddi is the Energizer Bunny of the Mining City. She has competed in countless road races and triathlons around the country. She is the heart of the Montana Special Olympics torch run. Her fellow runners marvel as Eddi keeps going and going and going.

If there is a road race in town, Eddi is behind the scenes making sure it happens. Whether it is setting up the timing or mapping the course, these races would not happen without Eddi. After the untimely death of Pat Kearney in 2014, Eddi took over the Veterans Day Race. She always helped with the race — marking the course late in the night before the race and sometimes again in the morning after snow — but she really took over in 2014. Montana’s oldest road race might have gone away without Eddi.

Whether it is a big race, like the Wulfman, or a small fundraising race with only a handful of runners, Eddi is there to offer her expertise. 

Eddi coaches all sports for the Special Olympics. In addition to instructing the athletes, she makes sure they are safe and behaving in their hotel rooms on road trips, and she chaperones them on their dances and ceremonies.

The Butte Sports Hall of Fame induction banquets and Green Jacket ceremonies would not function without Eddi. She makes sure the event has food and drinks, and she makes sure to stay in the shadows.