These are very good times to be a fan of the Montana State Bobcats. They are especially good for us fans in the Mining City because Butte boy Tommy Mellott is the quarterback of the top-seeded Bobcats.

We knew Tommy way before he was “Touchdown Tommy,” the finalist for the Walter Payton Award. We knew him as a Margaret Leary Mustang, East Bullpup and Butte High Bulldog.

So, even Griz fans are enjoying the success of Mellott and the Bobcats these days.

The fall of 1976 was also a great time to be a Bobcat fan from Butte. Those Bobcats went 12-1, losing only to Division I Fresno State, on their way to the NCAA Division II national championship.

That team included two Butte coaches named Sonny. Sonny Holland was the head coach, while Sonny Lubick was an assistant. It also featured nine players from Butte: Bert Markovich, Len Kelly, Don Ueland, Dan Ueland, Jim Janhunen, Mark DeVore, Calvin Oliver, Tom Pomroy and Paul Dennehy.

Dennehy, a lefty from Butte Central, was the sophomore quarterback of the team. The Bobcats beat Akron in the Pioneer Bowl to capture the championship 48 years ago today, Dec. 11.

Before Coach Holland visited his home and convinced his mother that MSU was the place for Paul, Dennehy was a two-way standout for the Maroons. He played defensive back on the 1973 State championship BC squad. That was Central’s third straight title and fourth in five years. Dennehy backed up fellow lefty Mark Schulte at quarterback.

In 1974, Bob Beers took over as head coach of the Maroons. At the time, Beers called Dennehy the greatest athlete he ever coached.

Today, Dennehy says he is just another face in the crowd at Bobcat Stadium, where he is a season ticket holder. Bobcat fans, though, know better than that. He is a Bobcat legend.

Listen in to this podcast as Dennehy talks about playing for legends like Ron “Swede” Kenison and Beers at BC and Sonny Holland and Sonny Lubick at MSU.

Listen as he talks about the nine Butte guys on the Bobcat championship team. Listen to him talk about Tommy Mellott.

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