Silver B’s Night is Friday

Butte Central’s football team made quite the statement as the Maroons celebrated Homecoming Friday on Montana Tech’s Bob Green Field.

Highlighted by a record-breaking performance from sophomore quarterback Noah Sutton, the Maroons scored 40 points in the first half on their way to a 54-0 win over Ronan. Sutton fired six touchdown passes in the win — five of which came before the intermission.

The six TD tosses set a school record for a team that has been playing football for well over a century.

Sutton got the party started with a 67-yard pass to his brother, junior Joshua Sutton. He also threw three TD passes to senior GG Fantini and two to sophomore Henly Mansanti.

Seven BC quarterbacks previously shared the school record with five touchdown passes, including Ryan Peoples. Peoples tossed five touchdowns against Ronan in just over a quarter of play last season at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.

The game was called by lightning with the Maroons up 40-0. Had Mother Nature not intervened, Peoples, who is now a member of the Montana Tech football team, very well could have set the record high enough that it never would have been broken.

According to stats compiled in part by Brian Reed and the late Pat Kearney, others who shared the record were Danny Peoples (2014 vs. Stevensville), Jack Keeley (2022 vs. Browning), Tomas McGree (2019 vs. Browning), Tanner Kump (2015 vs. Stevensville), Brady Tippett (2011 vs. Corvallis) and R.J. Olson (1993 vs. Browning).

Fantini, who bounced back from a medical scare the week before, scored four total touchdowns. In addition to two 4-yard TD receptions and one for 12 yards, he broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run.

Mansanti scored on catches of 34 and 4 yards, and freshman Braydon Armstrong scored on a 5-yard run.

Of course, none of that would have been possible if it wasn’t for the play off the offensive line — Jack Nylund, Bobby McCarthy, Grady Boyer, Hayden Salmonsen and Gunnar “Goo” O’Brien — along with tight ends Palmer Kellicut and Burkley Lakkala.

Nylund, McCarthy, O’Brien and Lakkala are seniors. Kellicut, who also went 6 for 8 on extra points, is a junior, and Salmonsen and Boyer are sophomores.

Many of those same names mentioned above also led a BC defense that held Ronan to just 42 yards of total offense.

Central improved to 1-2 on the season, and the Maroons have this week off. They play at Corvallis Sept. 25 before heading to Stevensville on Oct. 2.

BC’s next home game is Oct. 9 against Frenchtown.

Double celebration for Bulldogs

Butte High will host a pair of celebrations Friday night at Naranche Stadium.

The Bulldogs will be reveling in Homecoming festivities as Missoula Big Sky comes to town for a Western AA football game. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m.

The late start to the game is because of Butte High’s other celebration. Friday will be Silver B’s Night. Following the 87th Meeting and Induction Ceremony of the Silver B’s, Bulldogs of the past will take the best seats in the house to cheer on the Bulldogs of today.

Players who first lettered in 2001 will be inducted as Silver B’s. The 1976 Butte High fist-year lettermen will be honored as Golden B’s, and the new class of Platinum B’s (1952 through 1961) will be honored.

Butte High will also welcome the 23d and 24th Diamond B’s in Bruce Serigstad and Don Williamson.

Silver B’s Night has typically turned out well for the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. Butte High holds a 55-29-1 record on the special night. Last year, Helena High snapped Butte High’s eight-game Silver B’s winning streak with a 35-28 win.

The 2026 Bulldogs (1-2 overall, 0-1 conference) are in serious need of a win after opening Western AA play with a 37-0 loss at defending Class AA State champion Kalispell Glacier last Friday.

Glacier held Butte High to just 104 yards of offense. Senior Raeder Grey passed for 72 yards, while junior Troy Samson saw time at quarterback.

Grey also ran for 29 yards, and senior Miner Lee ran for 17. Senior Koda Schleeman caught three passes, and sophomore Ryan Bache grabbed two. Lee, Samson, seniors Evan McEwen and Brady Walsh also caught passes, as did junior Kodye Kjersten.

Senior linebacker Jaeger Hansen had another big game for the Bulldog defense. He racked up a team-best 11 tackles, including eight that were solo. Grey got in on nine tackles, while senior Finn Wortham racked up six, and McEwen got in on five. Senior Maxximus Pearston registered four, and classmate Bradey Doyle got in on three.

Junior defensive lineman Colt Stenson was credited with three quarterback hurries. Classmate Tegan Duffy had another solid day handling the punts and kickoffs for Butte High. He averaged 41.4 yards on five punts. That includes a long of 58 yards.

Big Sky comes in at 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference. The Eagles opened Western AA play last week with a 24-21 home win over Helena Capital. That came after the Eagles won 60-0 at Billings Senior and 28-14 at home against Great Falls High.

Dual-threat senior quarterback Eli Kasberg is completing 59 percent of his passes for the Eagles, who advanced to the semifinals of the Class AA playoffs last fall. He has only passed 51 times through three games, though. He’s thrown for five touchdowns, and he’s been intercepted three times, including twice last week.

Kasberg has particularly been a weapon in the ground game. He averages 6.7 yards per carry while racking up 248 yards and six touchdowns.

Big Sky has used 10 different ball carries so far this season. Senior Mason Ramos leads the team in receptions with 11 grabs for 183 yards and five touchdowns.

The Bulldogs will play at Missoula Sentinel and Helena High the next two weeks. Butte High’s next home game is Oct. 9 against Kalispell flathead.

Dogs spike Eagles in four

After two near misses in Kalispell, Butte High’s volleyball team got on the board with a 3-1 win over Missoula Big Sky Tuesday in Missoula.

The Bulldogs gutted out a 25-17, 16-25, 25-22, 25-23 victory. (Stats)

Senior Allie Becker had a huge night at the net, pounding 21 kills to lead the way. Classmate Cadence Graham added 11 kills, while junior Stella Callaghan killed seven, and senior Brittyn Klima spiked four.

Senior Ellie Yates led the backcourt with 25 digs. Sophomore Elli Graham dug 18, and Cadence Graham and Becker each dug 10. Elli Graham also ran the Bulldog offense, setting 42 assists.

The Grahams, Becker and junior Kalee Wright each served an ace in the win.

The victory came after Butte High played 10 sets in two days in Kalispell. The Dogs fell 14-25, 17-25, 25-12, 25-19, 15-6 at Glacier on Friday. (Stats)

Less than 24 hours later, Butte High fell 22-25, 26-24, 17-25, 25-19, 15-9 at Flathead. (Stats)

The Bulldog spikers will celebrate Homecoming Thursday when they welcome Missoula Sentinel to the Richardson Gym. The varsity match is set to begin at 7 p.m. It will mark Butte High’s first home varsity action since they took on Belgrade Aug. 27.

Next week, the Bulldogs will host Helena Capital on Thursday and play at Helena High on Saturday.

BC volleyball looks for win

Butte Central will gun for its first win of the volleyball season Thursday when the Maroons welcome Corvallis to the Maroon Activities Center.

The varsity match is set for 7 p.m., and it will be just the second Southwestern A showdown of the season for BC. Central fell in three sets to Stevensville last Thursday at the MAC. Stevi won  25-14, 25-21, 25-19. (Stats)

Junior Jaedyn Maldonado paced the BC attack with nine kills against Stevensville. Sophomore Evyn Tippett added five, while senior Rylee Forbes and junior Olivia Scott each spiked three.

Freshman Blake Smith added a pair of kills. Junior Kodee Badovinac and freshman Luci Fantini each served an ace. Forbes, Maldonado, freshman Jordyn Samson and senior Presli Smith also served an ace for BC.

Maldonado (nine digs), Badovinac (eight) and Presli Smith (six) led the BC backcourt in the match.

The Maroons will head to Frenchtown to take on the Broncs in a 3 p.m. match on Saturday. Next Saturday, the Maroons will play in Hamilton.

BC will not play again on the MAC court until the Oct. 9-10 Blocktober Classic.

Bruins run past Bulldogs

It is also Homecoming week for the Butte High flag football team.

The Bulldogs will play Saturday when they take on Helena High and Helena Capital at Naranche. The varsity game with Helena begins at noon, with the JV game following at 1.

Butte High will battle Capital’s varsity at 2. The JV game will begin at 3.

First, the Bulldogs started the week Tuesday at Helena Capital, where the Bulldogs fell 31-0 to the Bruins.

Despite the lopsided score, the Bulldogs has some bright spots, Butte High coach John Stenson said.

Senior Kolbie Ericson led the Bulldogs with three receptions. She also pulled a team-best seven flags. Senior Brooke Johnson registered a pair of sacks, while junior Addison Lambrecht got one.

In the junior game, sophomore Molly McGillan pulled four flags, while junior Danika Walker grabbed three. Eighth grader Jerzi Nichols hauled in three passes from freshman quarterback Rebekkah Hanke.

Runners head to Mountain West

The University of Montana Golf Course will set the scene for one of the premier cross country meets of the season Saturday.

Butte High and Butte Central will send runners to the Mountain West Classic, which begins at 9:30 a.m. with the junior varsity girls’ race. After the JV boys’ run at 10:15, the varsity boys will run at 11.

The girls’ varsity race is set for 11:45, and that will be followed by middle school races.

Sophomore Sophia Houchin returned to action to complete her first race of the season Saturday in Bozeman. That highlighted the performance by a short-handed Butte High squad in the Bozeman Invitational.

Junior Penelope Luebke was the only other runner for the Bulldog girls, who were hit by sickness and injury. Three boys ran for Butte High — sophomore Jason Real and juniors Jack Taylor and Lyric Haston.

Butte Central ran in Pony last Thursday. Eighth grader Ryan Byrne and senior Joe Bradshaw competed for the BC boys. Sophomore Ashley White ran for the Central girls.

Butte High hosts golf tourney

For the second time this season, Butte High will host a golf tournament at Fairmont Hot Springs.

This time it is the two-day Butte High Invitational. Play begins at 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and the tournament will include Butte Central.

Butte High is seeing its first action since the Kalispell Invitational, which was last Wednesday and Thursday. Junior Jack Muhlestein led the Bulldog boys with a 10th-place showing in a loaded field.

Freshman Lane Lisac, junior Teagan Yelenich and sophomores Miles Choquette and Beckham Kinsie also competed for the Bulldogs, who appear to have the makings of making a nice run this postseason.

Senior Kate DeShaw placed 14th to lead the Bulldog girls. Junior Sage Leber had one of her best tournaments for Butte High, too. Freshmen Lilly Carden and sophomores Lilly Sandoval and Julia DeShaw round out the BC lineup.

Those Golfing McGrees continue to lead the Butte Central golf teams. Freshman Mya McGree won a tournament at Eagle Bend last Thursday. Junior Beau McGree placed third in a crowded field Tuesday in Polson.

Connor Kachmarik, Cohen Stajcar and Ganon Button round out the BC boys’ lineup. Mya McGree is the lone Central girls’ golfer.

Knights kick past Bulldogs

Butte High’s soccer teams will have a week off after dropping Homecoming matches to Missoula Hellgate Tuesday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.

The Knights won the boys’ match 8-0, while the girls won 10-0. Hellgate improved to 4-0 on the boys’ side and 3-1 for the girls.

Butte High’s girls fell 9-0 at home to Helena High on Thursday, and they dropped a 6-0 decision at Helena Capital on Saturday. Bulldog coach Geno Liva pointed out that Butte High surrendered just one goal in the second half against the Bruins.

“We were more offensive in the game as well,” Liva said. “Elly Rumler did a great job possessing the ball and moving it into our offense. Kloe Dickinson made some great runs.”

Liva said the Bulldogs are improving as they completed one trip around the Western AA.

“We are taking advantage of these learning opportunities and taking advantage of every day concentrating on getting better,” he said. “Matti Neighbor came off the bench and played some great minutes for us.

“We are excited to move into the second half of the season.”

Butte High’s boys fell 7-0 at Capital and 4-0 to Helena High.