Butte High basketball player Emma Johnson and Butte Central hoopster Ryan Peoples are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.

The honors come as the seniors take their team to their respective State tournaments this week.

The 5-foot-10 Johnson takes home the girls’ honor. Her Bulldogs did not have to play a playoff game last week because they clinched a spot in the Class AA State tournament during the regular season.

Johnson is a big reason for that, even if she has been a largely unsung player. Johnson started all 19 games for the Bulldogs during the regular season. She averaged 4.5 points, hitting big buckets inside and behind the 3-point line.

She appeared in six varsity games as a sophomore before playing every game for the Bulldog varsity the last two seasons, helping Butte High to back-to-back appearances in the Class AA State tournament.

The 6-2 Peoples takes home the boys’ honor. With his team’s season — and his prep hoops career — on the line, Peoples had the game of his life. He scored 31 points to lead the Maroons to a 74-62 win over Columbia Falls in a loser-out game at the Western A Divisional tournament in Hamilton. Peoples sank four 3-pointers in the win, including three in a 16-0 fourth quarter run that put the game away.

The win sent the Maroons to the Class A State tournament. In all, Peoples scored 64 points in BC’s four games at the divisional tournament.

The future Montana Tech football player is averaging 12.7 points on the season.

For the fourth year, Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales staff that always has your back, 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.

Photo of Johnson courtesy Alycia Holland Photography. The photo of Peoples provided by Jacqueline Photography.