The year 1984 was a magical one in the Mining City.

Much of that was thanks to the Butte High and Butte Central boys’ basketball teams. In March of that year, the Bulldogs and Maroons won state titles a week apart. 

In December of 1983, the Bulldogs edged the Maroons in a classic overtime game at the Civic Center. On the same floor three months later, the Maroons knocked off Billings Central in overtime of the Class A title game. The next week, on St. Patrick’s Day, Butte High beat Great Falls High in Missoula for the Class AA crown.

Pat Prendergast was the coach of those Maroons. He led BC from three seasons ending in 1985. He left the school with a 51-22 record, which was the highest winning percentage in school history at the time.

Listen in to this podcast as Coach Prendergast talks about his days as a student at BC and playing on a team that won three straight state titles. Listen to him talk about the teammates and friends he had at BC and Carroll College.

Listen as he talks about going up against the great Matt Buckley during boxing practice at Carroll.

Listen as Coach Prendergast talks about winning the state title and being a part of perhaps the greatest title game ever played in 1985. The Maroons dropped a 99-97 double-overtime thriller to Livingston in Bozeman.

Listen as he talks about how well he worked with assistant coach Scott Salo, an old nemesis from Butte High, and listen as Coach Prendergast talks about leaving BC and then returning as its principal. Listen as he talks about what he saw as his No. 1 job as a coach and his work with Butte Cares.

We will catch up with 1984 Butte High coach Pat Foley in the coming days.

Today’s podcast is presented by Thriftway Super Stops. Sign up for the TLC app and start saving today. Everybody deserves a little TLC.