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Shrine Game reminds us that the players are also great people
To this day, we have not seen one confirmed case of a battery being thrown onto the field during a football game at Naranche Stadium.
The people in charge of picking up the field have not found rocks or coins, either.
It seems the reputation of the Butte High football fans has been blown a bit out of proportion over the years.
Still, we have heard some vile comments directed at opposing players and coaches from the fans in the stands that hover right above the opposition on Friday nights. Oh, they are nothing worse than you hear at pretty much every high school football stadium in the world, but they are much more noticeable because of the fans’ proximity at Naranche.
Those comments seem to be worse when Missoula Sentinel comes to town. The rivalry between the Bulldogs and Spartans has blown up over the last five years, and Butte fans love to yell at the Spartans.
They scream at the players, and they yell at coach Dane Oliver, accusing him of a variety of illegal activities, including recruiting.
Yes, the Bulldog fans really seem to hate the Spartans.
That wouldn’t be the case if they ever had the chance to talk to J.J. Dolan.
J.J. is a future Montana State Bobcat who played safety for the Spartans. He also played safety and nickel back for the West Side in Saturday’s 76th Montana East-West Shrine Game at Naranche Stadium.
Dolan, whose father Nate was a member of the 1995 University of Montana national championship football team, was one of four captains to represent the West.
Being selected captain by the other players dubbed the “best of the best” is one an amazing honor. That means, in addition to being really good at football, Dolan is also clearly a young man with great leadership and remarkable character.
The same could be said about the other three West captains — Sentinel running back Adam Jones, Helena Capital defensive lineman Talon Marsh and Florence quarterback Patrick Duchien. You can also say that about the captains on the East Side.
I was lucky enough to talk to all four of the West captains during a podcast last Wednesday at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill.
Being part of the sports radio show KBOW Overtime with Paul Panisko and John Thatcher for so long meant that I got the chance to talk to the West captains every year since 2008.
They have all been incredibly nice guys who are fun to talk to. They all seemed to grasp the cause of the Shrine Game, which raises money for the Shriners Hospital for Children in Spokane.
Dolan, though, seemed to get it more than most.
During the podcast, I asked Dolan and Marsh about their confidence level of victory going into the game. That is a question we asked the players every year, and usually Thatcher baited them into making a prediction of a big win.
Not Dolan.
“We’re not really thinking about that,” Dolan said. “I just think, win or lose, it’s for the kids.
We’re lucky to be here.”
Earlier in the day, Dolan and the rest of the West Side got to meet Gavin Devers, the 8-year-old Dillon boy who is this year’s patient ambassador to the game.
At the West practice, Gavin lined up at running back and ran for a touchdown. All 41 West players were on the field, and most of them were pretending to try tackle Devers.
We saw that same scene play out a few times with Anaconda’s Kasey Morley, a former game ambassador.
After he scored, the players mobbed Devers and chanted his name.
“It was actually very emotional,” Dolan said. “It was awesome to see. We did a couple of chants with him, and it was just emotional to know that we’re out here for him — so we can help kids like him.
“It was awesome. It gave a lot of us boys goosebumps and stuff. It was a special moment.”
That is the magic of the Shrine Game. Years ago, Montana Tech coach Bob Green told me that to play football means buying into being part of something that is bigger than yourself.
Times that by a billion, and you have the Shrine Game.
Last year, the game in Great Falls raised more than $230,000 for the hospital, helping make sure patients never receive a bill. It also helps with travel and other expenses families face when taking their children to the hospital.
The players in the Shrine Game are not just playing for those children. They are also playing for their parents and their brothers and sisters.
Nothing is worse for a parent than to have to travel to take a child to a hospital. They have worries that you cannot understand unless you have been in their shoes.
Because of this football game that has raised well over $1 million since the game started rotating between Butte, Billings and Great Falls in 2010, that worry is a little bit less.
Words cannot describe how much that means to the Shriner families.
Before beginning practice for the game last week, Dolan did not know a patient from the hospital. At least he didn’t know if he did.
Dolan said he was hopeful that he would be selected for the game, which was a longtime goal. However, he said he always expects the worst and hopes for the best.
That best came last Christmas morning when Dolan was named to the West team.
Still, it wasn’t until he came to Butte for practice that he realized just how great of an honor that selection was.
“When you’re playing in high school, you think it would be amazing to be picked in the All-Star game,” he said. “To finally meet Gavin and stuff like that, it made it so much more special than it was back then.”
The Shriners make sure we hear similar stories every single year during the week leading up to the game.
“It’s just a special organization,” Dolan said. “I think I can speak for the team and say we’re very lucky to be playing, and we’re very excited and happy to raise money for the Shriners. You know it’s going to help a lot of people out.”
When it comes to sports, fans are almost always irrational. As Jerry Seinfeld once put it so eloquently, we cheer for laundry.
We cheer for the players wearing our color, and we scream at the players who don a different color.
It is silly in pro sports, and it is even more silly in high school sports.
High school sports rosters around the country are filled with some of the best people. They get up early in the morning to lift weights before school, and they work extra hard to keep their grades up so they can play.
Sometimes, people forget that when they watch the games. They get caught up in the laundry and town loyalty and forget that those are some great people out there playing for both sides.
Luckily, the Shrine Game comes around every year to serve as a reminder.
— Bill Foley, who often gets caught up yelling at laundry, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Podcast No. 102: Colt Anderson
Colt Anderson was part of a Butte High boys’ basketball team that made a run to the Class AA State championship game in 2004.
He went from walk on to All-American with the University of Montana football program. He is one of the most famous Grizzlies of all time, and he played nine seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills.
Currently, Anderson is an assistant coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. He is a special team assistant.
This weekend, Anderson will be inducted into the Montana Football Hall of Fame.
However, all of that just might take a back seat to the work he does with the Colt Anderson Dream Big Foundation. With his wife Keelie, Anderson is inspiring children to dream big. He is inspiring adults, too.
This week marks yet another Dream Big Event, and the youth skills camp at Naranche Stadium filled up in a matter of hours. Anderson is bringing in some great professional athletes and other role models.
Anderson could have easily got caught up in his coaching career and forgot his hometown. Instead, he is giving back on so many levels.
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Leskovar Athletes of the Week: Jace Stenson, Bella Rowe
Jace Stenson and Bella Rowe are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Stenson, a recent Butte High graduate, takes home the boys honor after helping lead the West Side to a 45-13 win at the 76th Montana East-West Shrine Game at Naranche Stadium.
The former Bulldog quarterback played tight end most of the game for the West. However, late in the game, Stenson was put in at quarterback and scored on a 15-yard run.
Stenson, a three-sport standout at Butte High, will take his talents to the Montana Tech football program.
Rowe receives the girls’ honor for her spectacular play the Hanging Five team in the Senior League of the Copper City Softball League. Her coach says Rowe has been an awesome pitcher, and she has been one of the team’s leading hitters.
Also, Rowe has a great attitude and demonstrates such a love for the game.
Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, teamed up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
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Kughn 3-peats at Wulfman; Bursa wins women’s title
Zach Kughn and Jamie Brusa won the overall titles at the 15th Annual Wulfman CDT 14K Trail Race Saturday. (Results)
Overall, 176 runners completed the course that followed the CDT from Pipestone to Homestake.
It is the third consecutive year that Kughn, the Montana Tech cross country and track & field coach, won the race. He finished in 1:01:06 to finish ahead of runner-up Derek Schultz of Mountain Home, Idaho. Shultz runs for Kughn on the Tech team. Hamilton’s Cory Sulliard of Hamilton finished third.
Belgrade’s Bursa won in 1:04:55, which is the second fastest time in the race’s history. It is her first victory in the race after narrowly finishing second last year to former Tech star Rebecca Richtman. Emily Allison and Bailey Roberts, both of Bozeman, finished second and third.
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Bulldogs looking for runners
If you are interested in trying something new, consider joining the Butte High cross country program this summer.
The Bulldogs will hold summer training at various locations throughout the summer in preparation for the start of the season on Aug. 11. Training begin Monday at East Middle School, and workouts will run from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the team will hold weight training days at East starting at 6:30 a.m. Weights will begin June 26.
Check the Butte High cross country Facebook page for updates. Be sure to get your physical and come ready to run.
For more information, contact head coach Guy Wadas at (336) 684-0342 or assistant coach Don Foley at (406) 490-8668.
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McQueen volleyball schedule
Following is the McQueen Athletic Club summer volleyball schedule for the week of June 19.
Monday
Women
6:15 p.m. — Nothin Drops vs. Bumpin Ballerz
6:55 p.m. — Setsy Time vs. Butte Broadcasting
7:35 p.m. — Cassidy Leary vs. Sets on the Beach
8:15 p.m. — T and M vs. Hit-Faced
8:55 p.m. — Matehblockers Twenty vs. The ShitshowsTuesday
Co-Ed
6:15 p.m. — Here for a good Time vs. Sand in Our Shorts
6:55 p.m. — The Goon Squad vs. Day Drinkers
7:35 p.m. — Block Party vs. Couple Threat
8:15 p.m. — Here for Beer vs. Parenting AssociationWednesday
Co-Ed
6:15p.m. — Sets on the Beach vs. Amazingly Averagers
6:55p.m. — Jordy & Co. vs. Just the Tip
7:35p.m. — Can’t Get It Up vs. Granite Mountain Electric
8:15p.m. — Feck Yeah vs. Vu VillaThursday
Co-Ed
6:15 p.m. — Granite Mountain Electric vs. Big Tippers
6:55 p.m. — How I Set Your Mother vs. BFD
7:15 p.m. — Showtime vs. Crisco’s
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Rowling called to Hall of Fame
Longtime Butte sports official Bob “Rollo” Rowling has been called to yet another Hall of Fame.
This time, the Montana Officials Association Hall of Fame is calling Rowling along with Jim Foran of Hilger, Suzette Harkin of Bozeman and Bryan Larson of Missoula.
Brian Michelotti, the executive director of the Montana High School Association, announced the 2023 Hall of Fame selections this morning.
Rowling was the Butte Parks and Recreation Director for 45 years and a sports official for 35 years. He began officiating in 1961-62 for Butte Silver Bow County. Rowling officially joined the Montana Officials Association in 1964, where he officiated all-class championships in both football and basketball.
He officiated many playoffs each year, worked five Montan East-West Shrine Games and B/C All-Star Games. In 1985 Rowling became the Region 3 Regional Director for the MOA/MHSA and continued that role for 30 years. In 1968, he became an official in the Frontier Conference officiating football for 12 years (leaving due to conflicts with the Big Sky Conference), participated in four NAIA playoffs and officiated for 20 years in basketball.
In 1976 Rowling began officiating for the Big Sky Conference. He was selected to officiate the NCAA 1-AA National Championship in 1985, 1986, 1987 and in 1988. He worked over 300 games, 50 playoff games, 3 Bobcat/Grizzley games, served on the Big Sky Board of Directors from 1990-1997, and was the President of the Big Sky Officials Association in 1994 and 1995. Rowling was inducted into the Big Sky Officials Hall of Fame in 2006 and was honored by the Montana Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame on April 17, 2010, for his contribution to Amateur Football.
Rowling was called to the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. He made an appearance on the ButteCast earlier this year to talk about his long career as an official and much more.
Foran began his refereeing career in college at Montana State-Northern, where he officiated college intramural basketball. After college he continued to officiate basketball at the grade school and middle school levels as well as junior varsity at Winifred High School.
After eight years of coaching and “yelling at the refs” Foran and his friend, Mark Heggem, joined the MOA in the fall of 1989 with the hopes of one day working a district tournament.
Foran retired after 32 years officiating in 2022. His original plan was to retire in 2020, but after Covid disrupted the game, he decided he couldn’t quit on an incomplete season.
Harkin was one of the first high school volleyball officials in the state of Montana when girls’ volleyball was introduced in the early 1980s. Her coaching background as an assistant with college and Olympic volleyball teams made Harkin an essential source of knowledge for officials and coaches.
She led clinics throughout the state for potential officials and coaches. In the Gallatin Valley, Harkin led the volleyball officials pool for many years. She was a mentor, teacher, encourager, and friend to everyone. She corrected with kindness and always wanted what was best for the athletes. Her professionalism was evident in her officiating and in the training she provided for everyone in the official pool.
Larson officiated high school basketball as a member of the MOA for 35 years. He also officiated high school football for three years. During his time in the MOA, Larson served his local Missoula Pool for 25 years as a member of the assignment committee. He presented and helped run the study clubs for multiple years.
Larson officiated in numerous district and divisional tournaments. He worked at 15 state boys’ basketball tournaments and seven state girls’ basketball tournaments. Bryan’s duties went far beyond his time with the MOA. Larson officiated American Legion Baseball for 40 years and spent 10 years as an umpire fill in for the Pioneer League. He officiated Little League Baseball for 15 years and Little Grizzly Football for five years. Larson officiated basketball at the NAIA level for 20 years including numerous post-season contests and the NAIA National Basketball Tournament twice.
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Podcast No. 101: West Side Shriners
This special edition of the ButteCast includes the four West Side captains for Saturday’s Montana East-West Shrine Game along with their coaches and some local Shriners.
The podcast was recorded in the Coaches Corner at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill.
All four captains are future Montana State Bobcats. They are J.J. Dolan and Adam Jones of Missoula Sentinel, Patrick Duchien of Florence and Talon Marsh of Helena Capital.
Dolan is a 6-foot, 165-pound safety/nickel back. He will Wear No 5 Jones is a 6-1, 185-pound running back. He will don No. 6.
Duchein is a 6-2, 205-pound quarterback who will wear No. 15. Marsh is listed on the roster as 6-1, 235 pounds, but he is at least 15 pounds heavier now. He will wear No. 2.
Duchein and Jones, the offensive captains, joined the show first. The were followed by the defensive leaders, Dolan and Marsh. The captains were voted on by their teammates and announced Wednesday night, just before the podcast.
West head coach Kyle Mihelish and assistant Matt Reyant followed the captains. Both are coaches for reigning Class AA State champion Helena Capital.
They were followed by Dillon coach Zach McRae and Polson head coach Carson Oakland. Oakland is taking over at Polson after two years at St. Ignatius. The 25-year-old Oakland, by the way, is married to the former Sierra Pica, a star for Butte Central’s State champion 2016 girls’ basketball team.
Pat Duchien, coach of two-time defending Class B State champion Florence and Missoula Loyola coach Todd Hughes followed McRae and Oakland.
Then came some men and women behind the scenes, Jeff and Velvet Hartwick, Darrel Storey, Wynn Randall and “The Closer” Joe Sidor.
The game kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Naranche Stadium.
The captains pictured are, from left, J.J. Dolan, Talon Marsh, Adam Jones and Patrick Duchien.
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A not-so gentle push down the slippery slope of sports betting
Standing in the betting line on Sunday morning, I felt like I was making a huge mistake.
I looked around and saw a bunch of people who looked absolutely ridiculous.
One guy in particular had a Kansas City Chiefs Starter jacket on over his Chiefs hoodie. He was wearing a Chiefs hat and some pants that said “Chiefs” on them about 150 times.
I was really glad that I paid for the NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV. That meant I wouldn’t have to watch the NFL Sunday in a place like that.
Never would I want to find myself in the company of a guy who was also most likely wearing Chiefs Underoos, but that is not what was making me feel so uneasy. Instead, I felt like I was starting to slide down the very slippery slope of sports betting.
I was doing something that I swore I would never do. I was throwing bad money after bad money.
For a few years, some friends and I met at this old sports bar for lunch every Friday during the football season. We would look over the point spreads on the sheet of paper handed out by the one-eyed bookie.
We would discuss the spreads and try to snuff out some can’t-miss games as we ate lunch.
The lines used to come out fairly early in the week, and the one-eyed bookie would never adjust them. If a starting quarterback went down with an injury during a practice on Thursday, the line would stay the same.
We thought we could outsmart the one-eyed bookie, but we never did.
Each week, I would write down four teams on the back of a casino ticket. I always bet $10, and if I hit all four games, I would collect $110 early the next week.
That happened exactly one time in four or five seasons of betting every Friday.
The worst thing I did was win a four-team ticket early on. That is the feeling you chase. That is what gets you hooked
It wasn’t that I needed the money. My wife would just take the winnings, anyway. It was the thrill of winning that was addictive.
Hitting a four-team parlay is almost impossible to do. The way Las Vegas sets those numbers, every game is a toss-up.
Hitting a four-team parlay is like flipping a coin four times and having it come up “heads” all four times.
You can do it, but, on average, you give up your $10 to the bookie about 15 times for every one time that he gives you $110.
That is what you call a losing proposition, and I wasn’t even close to average. Like playing the lottery, betting on sports is a tax for people who are bad at math.
If you are only betting $10 a week, then it is OK. That is a fun way to make the games a little more interesting.
It sure beats acting like a Dungeons and Dragons geek and playing fantasy football.
The one-eyed bookie was one of two bookies I knew of in town. He was a very friendly guy who wasn’t very good at hiding his illegal activity.
During the pull-tab rush before the Super Bowl, he would sell his big-money — and highly illegal — tabs in the bar’s cooler. All an agent of the Gambling Control Division had to do to bust him was stand in the long line that ran into the cooler.
Luckily, they didn’t seem to look too hard.
While the one-eyed bookie took mostly small bets, the other bookie would take big bets over the phone. I knew that was too dangerous to get involved in.
I have seen enough movies to know that I would find myself in the trunk of a Lincoln Continental if I went that route.
That bookie, who I believe got out of the business, is also a nice guy, but he had some collectors who might break your thumbs if they have to.
OK, so I never heard of anyone having their thumbs broken, even though I had some friends who owed him a lot of money. The romantic in me, though, likes to think there were a few.
I was at the sports bar that Sunday morning because my four-team parlay was shot before the early NFL games even kicked off. I picked two can’t-miss college games on Saturday and two can’t-miss NFL games on Sunday.
Once the college games missed, I ran down to pick four more can’t-miss NFL games. This time, I had more than $10 in hand as I chased that winning feeling and tried to make up for my losses.
Even though I always thought I was too smart to fall for such a thing, there I was falling for it.
It was so easy to do, too.
That is why professional sports leagues used to avoid Vegas like we always assumed people would avoid the plague.
They didn’t want their athletes exposed to easy gambling and be tempted by “Sin City.”
Now we have the Raiders and Golden Knights in Vegas, and almost every other professional stadium has turned into Las Vegas.
There was a time when you couldn’t even say the word “gamble” in stadiums. Now, gambling is all over the place.
Many teams even have sports books inside the stadium. They also advertise for online betting on the signs behind home plate. You can’t listen to a game, a sports radio show or a sports podcast without hearing ads for betting.
Then, the NFL is surprised that it suddenly has a problem with players placing bets? And it apparently did very little to put in safeguards to protect those players.
Recently, Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore of the Detroit Lions and Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders were suspended for gambling. That came after former Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, now of the Jacksonville Jaguars, missed a season for gambling.
Isaiah Rodgers of the Indianapolis Colts is now being investigated because he is suspected of gambling on Colts games, and he is looking at a very lengthy suspension.
You certainly cannot excuse these players — especially if they were betting on games involving their own team.
But you also cannot point a finger at them without also pointing a finger at professional sports leagues that have hopped into bed with the gambling industry.
Not only are these billionaire owners giving their fans a not-so gentle nudge down that slippery slope to a gambling problem, they are pushing their own players down it, too.
Apparently, they just took the gambling money without giving the evils that they decried for decades a second thought.
Fans can bet from the front row, but players can’t place a bet from the locker room? On a completely different sport?
Professional sports have completely wiped away the line that used to protect the sport. The owners took the gambling money and just threw their players under the bus.
You have to wonder what Pete Rose thinks of all this.
I caught my footing and climbed back up the gambling slope before the old sports bar closed and the county tore it down.
Luckily, I got a hold of myself before internet gambling turned my phone into a live-in bookie. Otherwise, things could have gotten really ugly.
Thankfully, running into that fan with the Chiefs Underoos helped me see the light.
If I was betting from my phone on the couch, I might not have been so lucky.
— Bill Foley, who prefers Spider-Man Underoos, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Podcast No. 100: John Thatcher
John Thatcher calls Butte the “greatest sports town in the world.”
I always thought he was right about that. Nobody cares more about local sports than Butte. That is why organizations like the Silver B’s and Butte Sports Hall of Fame are so successful. It’s why the Coaches Corner at Metals Sports Bar & Grill is so awesome.
Nobody is a better representative of Butte than John Thatcher. He was the tough-as-nails athlete and coach who embodied everything that Butte, America stands for. He is tough, and he is honest.
At Western Montana College, now called Montana Western, he earned all-conference in football, basketball and baseball. He scored the first touchdown at Alumni Coliseum, when he played for Montana Tech. He played college basketball against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Of course, he is best known for coaching. That is seemingly what he was put on this planet to do.
Thatcher led Butte Central to the 1978 Class A State boys’ basketball title. He then coached Butte High to Class AA State title game appearances in 2004 and 2007.
He also coached with Kelvin Sampson at Montana Tech, and he could have gone with Sampson at any of his many stops in college hoops. You better believe Sampson would love to have Thatcher on his bench to work with post players today at the University of Houston.
Instead, Thatcher is assisting Jeff Graham on the Montana Tech women’s basketball team. He is also doing his darndest to be the best grandpa for his eight grandchildren. You should see the costumes his grandchildren put him in every Halloween.
I was lucky enough to have a front-row seat as a writer for The Montana Standard when Thatcher led the Bulldogs. I was lucky to have him join KBOW Overtime, a sports radio show Paul Panisko and I were part of for 15 years, for the better part of a decade.
John Thatcher is tough as nails, and he is honestly, sometimes to a brutal degree. But he is also genuine. He is as Butte as any person has ever been.
Thatcher is a member of the Coaches Corner at Metals Sports Bar & Grill, where this podcast was recorded. He was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
And at 76, John Thatcher is still the toughest man in any room he walks into.
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 