Scramble for record books continues

Tuesday was a rough night for high school hoops in the Mining City.

With the boys’ and girls’ teams from Butte High and Butte Central both in action, only the Butte High girls picked up a victory. The Bulldogs edged Missoula Sentinel in a 51-49 thriller at the Ross J. Richardson Gymnasium.

Over the past week, though, we once again saw local media members scrambling to find out if a Butte athlete broke a record, or at least came close.

We saw that all season long as we followed Butte High junior Hudson Luedtke’s quest to pass the late John Dawson for the Bulldog boys’ all-time scoring lead. Luedtke overtook Dawson Saturday in a loss at Helena Capital.

We saw that when Butte High sophomore Cadence Graham made a run for Butte High’s single-game record when she scored 33 points in a win over Missoula Hellgate. We saw it when Butte Central sophomore Joshua Sutton tied Dougie Peoples’ school record with eight made 3-pointers against Anaconda.

We saw it when the Maroons sank a team record 19 treys in that same game.

Last Thursday, it was Butte High senior Torre Tempel’s turn to send the media looking for the school record book.

With all eyes on Luedtke — including those of the top-ranked Helena High Bengals — at the Richardson Gym, Tempel stole the show by shattering Butte High’s single-game 3-point record. Tempel shot a lights-out 9 for 13 from behind the arc on his way to a game-high 29 points in the 74-73 victory.

Tempel’s big night broke the school record of six. That mark was shared by Scott Johns (in 1991), Ryan Mickelson (1999), Chad Jonart (2004), Brock Bond (2011), Trevyn Roth (twice in 2018), Billy Kelly (2020) and Luedtke (2024).

Luedtke, who entered that game needing 20 points to pass Dawson, finished with 14 points.

While he did not get the record that night, Luedke proved once again that he is about more than scoring. He was credited with 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the win.

Those stats are courtesy of Bruce Sayler of ButteSports.com.

Dylan “Bobby” Bache scored 13 in that win. Butte High got nine points from Braylon Larson, who is gaining statewide recognition for his shot blocking.

Also, Spencer Callahan scored eight points, and Tocher Lee tossed in one.

Luedtke matched Bache with 20 points in the 64-61 loss to Luedtke. Brenton Belzer scored 19 points as the Bruins got the last laugh in the victory. Luedtke, though, left the Capital City as the Bulldog’s highest-scoring boy in history.

Larson added nine points, while Lee scored six, and Callaghan and Kendel Noctor each scored two.

Butte High’s boys fell 60-49 at Missoula Sentinel on Tuesday. Luedtke scored 15 in the game. Bache tossed in 13, while Larson scored eight, Lee tossed in seven and Tempel scored six.

Incomplete book keeping keeps us from knowing the leaders for the Spartans.

Luedtke’s career total is now 1,052 points. He is 30 more than Dawson, and he has a lot of games to go.

Butte High fell to 8-5 overall and 4-4 in Western AA play.

Clutch play lifts Butte girls

It took some clutch play for the Bulldog girls to pull out that 51-49 win over the Spartans on Tuesday.

Graham hit a big 3-poitner with just over 20 seconds left to put the Bulldogs up by three points. After a huge rebound by Franki Salusso, Graham knocked down two free throws to seal the victory.

The win was the second straight for the Bulldogs (9-4, 5-3), who had dropped three in a row.

Graham finished with 27 points. She sank four 3-pointesr and buried 9 of 10 shots from the free throw line.

Brityn Stewart added six points for the Bulldogs, who got five apiece from Salusso and Ellison Graham. Dylann Bartoletti scored three points.

Butte High stopped its mini losing streak with a 41-34 win at home against Helena Capital on Thursday. The game was tied at 27 after three quarters.

Cadence Graham scored 11 points in that win that saw a balanced Bulldog attack. Salusso scored nine, Stewart tossed in eight, and Bartoletti netted six. Butte High also got three form Ellison Graham and two from Addie Hiatt.

Two nights earlier, Butte High fell 44-39 at Capital. Dakota Lieberg scored 11 points, and McKenna Pipinich tossed in five to lead the Bruins.

Three Bulldogs scored in double figures. Stewart led the way with 11, while Bartoletti and Cadence Graham each scored four. Also, Hiatt netted four, and Salusso and Emma Johnson each scored two.

Butte High’s boys and girls will play Missoula Hellgate on Friday. The girls will be on the road, while the boys will be at home. The boys’ game will be at the Richardson Gym because the Butte Civic Center is hosting the Western B Divisional wrestling tournament.

Vigilantes take two at MAC

East Helena’s boys and girls impressed Tuesday night with a non-conference sweep of Butte Central at Maroon Activities Center.

After the East Helena girls won 73-34, the Vigilante boys won 71-59 behind a 27-point performance by 6-foot-3 junior guard DeonDray Ellis. The 20 points from Slade Olson and 13 from Talen Thatcher.

Senior Owen McPartland scored 25 points to lead the Maroons, who got eight from Sutton and nine from freshman Jaxon Hiatt. BC also got five points from GG Fantini and two from Ryan Peoples, who is still far from 100 percent after battling an illness the last couple of weeks.

BC’s boys rolled to a lopsided 73-37 win over Corvallis in a Southwestern A game Saturday at the MAC. McPartland scored 16 points to lead four Maroons in double figures in that win. Sutton scored 15, while Fantini and senior Patrick Stimatz each scored 10.

Also for BC, Cade “Buzz” Kelly scored nine points, Hiatt tossed in seven, and eighth grader Noah Sutton netted five.

Two nights earlier, defending Class A state champion Dillon came to town for a 52-41 win at the MAC. Kyler Engellant scored 19 points, and Carter Curnow tallied 17 to lead the Beavers, who outscored BC 33-13 in the middle two quarters.

Joshua Sutton scored 15, and McPartland netted 11 to lead BC. Also, Fantini scored six, Hiatt scored four, Peoples finished with three, and Justus McGee knocked down two.

The super-young BC girls went 0-3 over that stretch.

Kenleigh Graham scored 11 points, and Landri Hartman followed with 10 as Dillon beat Central 55-31 Thursday at the MAC.

Freshman Kenzie McQueary scored 13 points to lead the Maroons. Classmate Zayonna Otherbull tossed in nine. BC also got six from junior Arika Stajcar and three from freshman Braelynn Schelin.

The Maroons hit the road Saturday and dropped a tough 45-41 decision at Corvallis. Otherbull’s 18 points led the way for BC in that game. Freshman Rylee Forbes joined McQueary with nine. Stajcar scored three, and freshman Evyn Smith tossed in two.

Janelle Taylor, a 5-11 senior, scored 21 points to lead the Vigilantes past the BC girls on Tuesday.

The Maroons got off to a slow start before holding their own in the second half.

McQueary’s 12 points led BC. Otherbull scored eight, Smith tossed in four, and Stajcar and sophomore Marly Mansanti each scored three. Freshman Jaedyn Maldonado tossed in two.

Butte Central celebrated Cancer Schmancer Night, remembering the spirit of Mairissa Peoples, a former BC basketball player who passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2014. Peoples was the older sister of BC coach Quinn Carter.

Before the games, Butte Central junior Caden Tippett wowed the crowd with a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Central’s boys and girls will play Stevensville in Southwestern A games on Friday. The girls will be at home, while the boys will play the Yellowjackets in the Bitterroot Valley.

Bulldog mat men ready for postseason

Butte High’s boys’ wrestling team closed the regular season with a 27-7 dual record after a pair of road wins last Tuesday.

Coach Corey Johnston’s Bulldogs hit the highway to beat Belgrade 45-35, Bozeman 58-12 and Gallatin 45-36.

In the win over Belgrade, Keagan Hunt (110 pounds), Zell Lincoln (126), Bridger Garrison (138), Will Stepan (165), Bridger Brancamp (190) and Braydon Pierce (215) all won by way of the pin. Reveles McEwen (118) won by decision, Bode Hazlett (144) picked up a forfeit victory.

In the lopsided win over the Hawks, Kuley Queer (103), Hunter LaPier (126), Finn Wortham (150) and Kasen O’Keefe (175) each grabbed a pin. Jett Nichols (110), Isaac Zell (118), Bladen Horne (132), Jaeger Hansen (144), Cameron Fleege (157) and Mason Swanson (190) accepted forfeits.

Against Gallatin, Hazlett, Stepan, Garrison, Bradey Doyle (118) and Darryn Rossiter (126) pinned their Raptor counterparts. Gavin Rowe (285) won by decision, while Renzy LeProwse (103) and Ben Tierney (110) won by forfeit.

The Bulldog boys and girls will head to Kalispell Friday and Saturday for the Western AA Divisional Qualifying tournament, looking to earn a spot in the Feb. 13-15 state tournament in Billings.

Coach Geno Liva’s Butte High’s girls’ continent will include Irelynn Cullen, Lilyi Malone, Jessie LaPier, Jessica Blow, Deearea Smith, Keeleigh Doherty, Brooke Johnson, Mattie Stepan, Matti Neighbor, Rylee Radcliffe, Chyanne Robinson and Peyton Liva.

Butte Central’s wrestlers, meanwhile, will head to Browning Friday and Saturday for the Western A Divisional.

Competing for the coach Andrew Holmes’ Maroons will be Tyge Menesses, David Sandoval, Marquis Abad, Kelsen Brackett, Brennan Lester, Devin Rossiter, Jack Holmes, Kohker Sparks, James Holmes, Jon Cox and Amira Gonzales.

Dogs, Maroons mix it up at YMCA

Butte High and Butte Central’s swim teams competed in the Butte Bulldogs-Maroons Crosstown Meet Monday at the Butte Family YMCA.

The meet, which was a late addition to the schedule, gave the swimmers one more shot to post qualifying times for the state meet, which is Feb. 13-15 in Great Falls.

Butte High coach Lynn Shrader said she put some swimmers in events she thought they might qualify in. Others swam events for the first time of the year.

Shrader said the most exciting race was the boys’ 200-yard freestyle relay, which featured the Bulldogs’ top eight 50-yard freestyle swimmers.

The B team of Alex Sonnemann, Gunnar Benson, Ayvahn Mann and Nathan Stone out touched the team of Tucker Kissell, Gage Plum, Elgin Hoar, and Blair Hamry. Both teams posted their best times.

The meet closed a busy stretch for the Bulldogs, who competed three times in four days.

Butte High hosted a meet on Friday before heading to Missoula on Saturday.

Butte High’s boys placed ninth in Missoula. The girls took 10^th.

Junior Tatum Trefts and eighth grader Adalie Grochowski finished in the top 10 to lead the Butte girls. Trefts took fifth in the 100 breaststroke, while Grochowksi took eighth in the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 50 free.

Sophomore Sophia Fladager earned the team points by taking 16th in the 500 free. The 200 medley relay team of Grochowski, Trefts, Bryher Fitzpatrick, and Bella Corrales took seventh, while the 200 freestyle relay team Fitzpatrick, Fladager, Corrales, and Grochowski captured eighth.

Butte’s 400 freestyle relay of Gracie Ferriter, Elly Rumler, Trefts, and Amy Fladager took 10^th.

Sophomore Gage Plum was the lone Bulldog boy in the top 10 in an individual event. He placed 10^th in the 500 freestyle, posting a personal-best time.

Freshman Tucker Kissell placed 15^th in the 200 freestyle, and eighth grader Alex Sonnemann finished 16^th in the 500 freestyle.

The boys’ 200 medley relay team of Plum, Elgin Hoar, Blair Hamry, and Kissell took 10^th place, while Butte’s 400 freestyle relay team of  . The 400 Free Relay of Sonnemann, Grayson Lynch, Gunnar Benson, and Nathan Knopp placed eighth.

“There were some good swims for Butte, and some good showings,” Shrader said.

Butte High’s 200 freestyle relay team of Kissell, Plum, Hoar and Hamry finished 12^th, and the 200 freestyele B relay team of Lynch, Nathan Knopp, Mason Pullman and Benson took 15th.

Entries are for the state meet are due on Wednesday.

Butte Central’s swimmer are Connor Hardy, Morgan Hardy, Kherington Adams, Jim Bradshaw, Izzy Lopez, Carolyn Lopez, Conan Holmes, Robert Regester, Joe Bradshaw and Arwen Regester.

Click the links below for results form the last three meets.

Butte athletes shine at All-Comers Meet

It was not a Montana High School Association sanctioned meet, but some Butte High and East Middle School track athletes showcased their ability Sunday at the Bozeman Track Club’s All-Comers Meet.

Butte High senior Sam Henderson had a phenomenal day, winning the high jump and the triple jump. He cleared 6 feet, 4 inches in the high jump and leapt to a meet record in the triple jump with a mar of 48-2.

Henderson, who is currently tied for 10^th nationally in the triple jump, beat Aayden Simmons of Helena High in that event. Simmons is ranked eighth in the nation.

The future Montana Grizzly also placed third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.36 seconds).

Fellow Bulldog senior Brett Polich placed fourth in the shot put. Polich posted a lifetime best with a mark of 48-9.5.

Junior Camden Houchin placed 30^th in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 10 seconds. Houchin was coming off an illness.

Classmate Levi Wiltsie took 33^rd in the 1,600 with an indoor best time of 5:21. He posted a lifetime best of 231.5 in the 800.

Eighth grader Sophia Houchin placed fourth in the middle school 400 with a time of 1:08.24, narrowly missing the top three by .05 seconds. She also took fifth in the 1,600 in 6:02. Both are lifetime best times her.

“It was an awesome meet for the athletes, and it bodes well for the outdoor season,” said Butte High cross country and assistant track coach Guy Wadas. “I know there will be some athletes going to Spokane at the end of the month for another big-time meet.”

Silk third in Italy

Will Silk, a 2024 Butte High graduate, competed in the Junior World Cup speedskating meet this past weekend in Collalbo, Italy.

He placed third in the 3,000-meter race, finishing with a time of 3 minutes, 59.86 seconds. He also placed fifth in the Mass Start Final in 5:57.89.

Silk will compete in the Junior World Championships this coming weekend on the same rink. His other results from this weekend were 15th in the 1,000 meters in 1:14:04, 16th in the 1,500 meters in 1:55:50, and sixth in the Mass Start semifinal in 5:23.85.

Click here for complete meet results.