Butte High senior football player Mitch Verlanic and the six Butte High flag football senior players are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.

Verlanic takes home the boys’ honor. Butte High’s football team dropped a 23-22 heart-breaker at Kalispell Flathead Friday night, but Verlanic continued to be a huge bright spot for the Bulldogs. He registered 17 tackles, 10 of which were solo.

The defensive back leads the Bulldogs with 73 total tackles. That includes a team-leading 52 solo take downs, which easily leads the team. His season includes a pair of interceptions, two passes defended and a forced fumble.

Verlanic also caught two passes for 23 yards in Friday’s game at Kalispell.

Butte High’s six senior flag football players share the girls’ honor. They are Jaydyn Mason, McKenna LeCoure, Charlee Griner, Allie Ballensky, Megan Flanick and Laney Huizinga.

Those six Bulldogs led the team under first-year head coach John Stenson. The seniors were instrumental in a transition year for the Bulldogs, who appear to be set up for a bright future. Those seniors clearly left the program in better than they found it.

“They were a great group of seniors who were a huge part of our team,” Stenson said. “They will be missed.”

For the third year, Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.

Photos courtesy Alycia Holland Photography. The flat football players are, from left, Mason, LeCoure, Griner, Ballensky, Flanick and Huizinga.