The high school fall sports season officially started last week when Butte High’s and Bute Central’s golf teams played their first tournaments.

This week, things kick into high gear as we see the football, flag football, volleyball, soccer and cross country seasons begin. We will look at that and more as we take a lap around Mining City’s high school sports.

Bulldog football opens at Gallatin

A Butte High team that was hit hard by graduation will face a stiff test Friday when it opens the season in Bozeman.

The Bulldogs will battle Gallatin High in a 7 p.m. non-conference game at the new Van Winkle Stadium. (Available Butte High rosters; Butte High schedules)

Gallatin, which also took a big hit from graduation, is coming off a 9-2 season that saw the Raptors advance to the final four of the Class AA playoffs. The Bulldogs finished the 2025 campaign at 3-7. That, though, includes a huge win over Helena Capital that propelled Butte High into the postseason.

Senior Raeder Grey is back after taking over as Butte High’s starting quarterback four games into last season. He completed 56 percent of his passes while throwing for 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Grey is also Butte High’s top returning running threat. He scrambled for 292 yards and three TDs last fall.

Juniors Troy Samson and Calvin Cunningham and sophomore Zyler Petersen also impressed at the quarterback position in last Friday’s Purple-White game.

Junior Kodye Kjersten and senior Brady Walsh are Butte High’s leading returning receivers. Seniors Koda Schleeman and Miner Lee also factored into the Bulldog passing game last year. Lee figures to be a force in the Butte rushing attack along with junior running backs Matt Marsenich and Xavier Jory.

Senior Mason Swanson is the lone returning starter on Butte High’s offensive line.

Senior linebackers Jaeger Hansen and Finn Wortham return to anchor the Bulldog defense. Hansen registered 75 tackles, which was second on the team a year ago. He also picked off a pair of passes and recorded two sacks. Wortham got in on 54 tackles as a junior.

Senior defensive lineman Reece Cunneen is back after an injury limited his junior campaign to six games. Grey and fellow senior/kicker Bradey Doyle both got in on 27 tackles last year, while Kjersten registered 27 take downs.

Wortham and senior lineman Maxximus Pearston each got in on two sacks.

Sophomores Cameron Breitzman, Hunter Anderson, Colton Nasheim and Cooper Carter, juniors Kanyon Flynn and Colt Stneson and senior Nemo Becker also stood out defensively at the Purple-White game.

The Bulldog roster also includes seniors Beau Henderson, Blake Wadas, Evan McEwen, Kasen Snyder, Tyce Snow and Jace Michlig.

Gallatin, which beat Butte High 44-13 in last year’s season opener at Naranche Stadium, brings back senior running back Tyson Scheel. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry last year while chalking up 953 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs are led by Area Grey, who is entering his 19th year as head coach of the Bulldogs.

Butte High will play its first home game Sept. 4 against Billings Skyview. The Dogs open Western AA play Sept. 11 at defending Class AA State champion Kalispell Glacier.

Maroons set to host Lions

Butte Central’s football team is looking for back-to-back playoff appearances as it opens the season at home. (Roster; Butte Central schedules)

The Maroons will take on Lockwood in a 7 p.m. non-conference game Friday on Montana Tech’s Bob Green Field.

BC is coming off its first playoff appearance since 2019, and the Maroons will start the campaign against an up-and-coming Lions squad looking to avenge a 27-0 home loss to BC in last year’s season opener. The fast-growing Lockwood school is entering its fifth year of varsity football.

Central enters the season with a full roster of 37 players looking to build on last year’s 5-4 record. That includes 10 seniors, but only three juniors. So the Maroons, per usual, will count on some underclassman to do some heavy lifting.

The Maroons lost some key seniors from last season, including quarterback Ryan Peoples. He took his talents to Montana Tech.

Sophomore Noah Sutton will step into the role at quarterback for the Maroons.

Senior GG Fantini returns after leading the Maroons in receiving a year ago. The speedster caught 30 passes for 487 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch.

Other returning receivers include juniors Jaxon Hiatt and Treigh Hollow and seniors Joshua Sutton, Grady Button, Teghan Sparks, Cade Kelly and Burkley Lakkala, a tight end.

Sophomore Henly Mansanti is a dual-threat running back who ran for three touchdowns last fall. Speedy senior Danny McCarthy is also a threat for BC as a runner and receiver.

Seniors Bobby McCarthy, Gunnar “Goo” O’Brien and Jack Nylund will anchor the offensive line for the Maroons.

Most of BC’s players will play both ways.

Head coach Don Peoples enters his 28th year in charge of the Maroons. He was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame last month.

The Maroons will hit the road next week to take on Hardin before returning home for an early homecoming on Sept. 11 against Ronan. BC’s first Southwestern A game is Sept. 25 at Corvallis.

Volleyball teams begin

Butte High’s volleyball team will jump right into the fire.

After opening at home Thursday at 7 p.m. against Belgrade, the Bulldogs go to Billings Saturday to take on West and Senior. The Dogs face West at 12:30 p.m. before meeting Senior at 4:30. Both matches are non-conference affairs.

Five seniors lead the Bulldogs into action as Butte High looks to qualify for the Class AA State tournament for the first time since 2021. They are Avery Barsness, Cadence Graham, Allie Becker, Ellie Yates and Brittyn Klima.

Butte High’s varsity roster also includes juniors Kalee Wright, Rigby Bauer, Janae LaBuff, Gia Field, Shae Foley, Stella Callaghan and Evie Smith along with sophomores Elli Graham, Gabby Gamez, Megan Chiamulera, Saege Grey and Taylor Regan.

After Saturday’s matches, the Bulldogs will have a little break before they open Western AA play Sept. 11 at Kalispell Glacier. They will stay overnight to take on Flathead on Sept. 12.

Butte Central, meanwhile, will have a pair of tipoff tournaments to play before it jumps into conference action. That includes the Western A Tipoff this Friday and Saturday in Dillon. (BC roster)

The Maroons will play at the Southwest/Southeast Tipoff Sept. 4-5 in East Helena.

Central’s first Southwestern A match comes when the Maroons celebrate homecoming Sept. 10 against Stevensville.

BC’s roster includes two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. The seniors are Rylee Forbes and Presli Smith, and the juniors are Cambri Campbell, Kodee Badovinac, Ayanna Weang, Jaedyn Maldonado and Olivia Scott. Evyn Tippett and Sofia Doto will contribute as sophomores along with freshmen Luci Fantini, Blake Smith and Jordyn Samson.

Bulldog soccer opens at home

Butte High’s soccer teams will see their first action this Thursday and Saturday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.

Butte High will take on Missoula Big Sky on Thursday before battling Missoula Sentinel on Saturday.

Boys’ action begins at 3 p.m. Thursday, with the girls following at 5:30. The girls open play at noon on Saturday. The boys will play at 2:30.

The junior varsity games will be played at the Jeremy Bullock Complex.

Butte High’s girls team includes 11 seniors. They are Alaina Grochowski, Madi McGee, Rylee Radcliffe, Elly Richards, Tyla Roberts, Rory Trafford, Ava Williams, Elizabeth Blacklock, Anell Chavez, Klara Andrejcakova and Key Key Worth.

The eight eniors on the Bulldog boys’ team are Bryce Gratton, Kato Kuusisto, Jaziel Cardenas, Aiden Maesar, Eddie Panisko, Tim Revenaugh, Liam Tauscher and Johan Thieszen.

Numerical rosters for the Bulldogs were not finalized as of Wednesday evening.

Flag football starts Thursday

Butte High’s flag football team will see its first action Thursday when Missoula Sentinel comes to town to take on the Bulldogs at Naranche Stadium.

The varsity game begins at 5 p.m., with the junior varsity playing at 6.

Head coach John Stenson heads into his second season as the head coach of a team that includes 40 players. That includes seniors Kolbie Erickson, Jayda Gustafson, Brooke Johnson, Alexis King and Mackenzie Read.

Juniors on the team are Brylee Ballensky, Addisyn Lambrecht, Lilyi Malone, Audrey Moore, Charliee Richter, Chyanne Robinson, Kenzie Rowe and Danika Walker.

Bulldog runners head to Billings

Butte High’s cross country season starts Friday at the Billings Invitational.

The meet, which is expected to provide a good, early test, begins at noon at Amend Park.

Coach Guy Wadas’ Bulldogs have 17 boys and 13 girls out for the team. That includes senior Valerie Trabert on the girls’ side and seniors Bridger Luebke, Kyle Van Elsberg and Colton Yoakum for the boys.

The Bulldog boys’ team lost Camden Houchin and Levi Wiltsie from last year’s squad. Houchin ran to fourth place, while Wiltsie took 19th at the Class AA State meet. Both runners took their talents to the college ranks.

Sophia Houchin, though, is back for her sophomore season. She ran to 29th place at state for the Bulldogs as a freshman. She placed 40th as an eighth grader.

Luebke and junior Isaac Zell are the only returning boys who ran at state last year.

Juniors Penelope Luebke, Wakely Burleson, Addie Thomson and Cambree O’Neill are back after running at state for the Dogs.

Seniors Jack Holmes and Joe Bradshaw ran for the Maroons at state as juniors. BC opens the season Sept. 8 with the Butte Central Invitational at Fairmont Hot Springs.

BC golfers to play in Frenchtown

Butte Central’s golf teams will play their fourth tournament of the season Thursday when the Maroons head to the Frenchtown Invitational.

Siblings Beau and Mya McGree have placed in the top 10 in each of the first three meets. That includes a win at the BC Invite for Beau McGree, who tied Butte High’s Teagan Yelenich for the title at the Butte High tournament the next day.

BC will play at the Park Invitational in Livingston on Monday. That tournament was rescheduled from earlier this month.

Butte High, which put together a solid performance at the Great Falls Invitational Monday and Tuesday, will play at the Helena Invitational next Wednesday and Thursday at the Bill Roberts Golf Course.