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Podcast No. 128: 1973 BC O-line
In 1973, Butte Central captured its third straight Class A State championship in football. The Maroons went 10-0, beating Cut Bank 27-6 on the road in the championship game.
That victory was Central’s 28th straight. The Maroons lost to Butte High in the season opener in 1971, and didn’t lose again until 1974.
That includes back-to-back wins over Butte High. The 1973 Maroons were the last BC team to beat the Bulldogs in a rivalry that ran through 1991.
A large part of that success in 1973 came from the five senior offensive linemen. The are as pictured, left to right, Barry Brophy, Mike Haggerty, Greg Markovich, Jerry “Buzz” Combo and Brian “Moose” Holland.
This weekend, those linemen took part in a reunion that celebrated all three BC State championship teams.
The ButteCast caught up with them before they headed to the Knights of Columbus for a celebration with the seniors from the 1973 team.
Listen in as they talk about their teammates and playing for coach Ron “Swede” Kenison and his assistants Steve Stosich and John Thatcher. Listen to see if Brophy was brave enough to return fire to Matt Buckley from Buckley’s podcast a few weeks ago.
Listen to hear how teammates so tough that they had a mortician as a trainer still care so much about each other 50 years later.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by Leskovar Honda of Butte. Leskovar is home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warrantee.
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Smith, Fultz, Radamacher, Rigby shoot 50 during Week 5
Ian Smith, Kohlten Fultz, Dan Radamacher and Riley Rigby posted perfect scores, breaking all 50 targets, during Week 5 of the Butte Trap Club’s Fall League.
Rigby was perfect for the second straight week.
Beau Powers, Al Petersen, Ryan Bossard, Gillian Clark and Chad Fellows each shot a 49, and 11 shooters posted a score of 48.
Clark’s 49 topped women’s standings. Kim McClafferty was second at 46, followed by Mindy McClernan at 43 and Jen Hislop at 40. Timmy Schrapps shot a 45 to lead wobble trap shooting.
With one week left in the season, Arc Electric leads scratch standings at 940. Cooney’s Locksmith is second at 925, and Barker Auto is third at 924.
Butte Trap Club Week 5 Standings
Team Scratch Standings
Arc Electric – 940
Cooney’s Locksmith – 925
Baker Auto – 924
Clay Howery Construction – 903
PSFR – 902
KR Contracting – 896
CF Plumbing & Heating – 894
Archibald Co. – 875
Vu Villa/Lockmer Plumbing – 873
St. James Hospital – 869
D-M Ranch – 862
FJBCHO – 860
First Citizens Bank – 858
Pro Inspection – 852
S & S Plumbing – 850
Superior Title – 850
Sundance Plumbing – 836
WET – 826
Zora’s Zeros – 812
Cooney’s/Vicevich Law – 762
Daddy’s Girls – 719
Pioneer Technical #2 – 696
12 G Girls – 665
Pioneer Technical #1 – 651
High Individual Scores
Ian Smith – 50×50
Kohlten Fultz – 50×50
Dan Radamacher – 50×50
Riley Rigby – 50×50
Beau Powers – 49×50
Al Petersen – 49×50
Ryan Bossard – 49×50
Gillian Clark – 49×50
Chad Fellows – 49×50
Gus Bolton – 48×50
Seth Duclos – 48×50
Rod Barkley – 48×50
Nate Hollins – 48×50
Mike Douthitt – 48×50
Brandon Lyons – 48×50
Rich Long – 48×50
Tim Cassidy – 48×50
Bart Bacon – 48×50
Will Davey – 48×50
Bart Bacon – 48×50
High Lady Scores
Gillian Clark – 49×50
Kim McClafferty – 46×50
Mindy McClernan – 43×50
Jen Hislop – 40×50
High Wobble Trap Scores
Timmy Schrapps – 45×50
Conner Schrapps – 44×50
John MacMillan – 44×50
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Podcast No. 127: Kevin Petritz
Kevin Petritz is currently living a day-by-day success story.
On Oct. 17, Petritz is planning to celebrate one year of sobriety. He is doing very well, but he knows that you can never declare victory when it comes to battling depression and addiction.
Petritz is a 2001 graduate of Butte High School, where he stood out on the soccer team and was a key member of the boys’ basketball team.
The Bulldogs, under first-year Butte High coach John Thatcher, fell 55-53 in double overtime to Helena Capital. Scott Wunderlich scored on a tip in to end the second overtime.
That game included so many future college athletes. Butte High’s lineup included Zach Osborne, Noah Thatcher, Jake Larson, Jaison Carriter, Bryain Arntson, Mike Dotter, Cole Salo and Zach Ueland.
Capital’s team included a senior named Tyler Emmert. He went on to win four NAIA national championships as quarterback at Carroll College.
Petritz took his talents to MSU-Billings, where he played soccer. He also coached for both the men’s and women’s programs there before leading the Butte High girls’ soccer program for four years.
He also coached the girls at Great Falls High.
In 2014, Petritz wrote a letter to the editor of The Montana Standard responding to a rash of high school suicides. Then he wrote a column for Butte Sports that talked about his battle with depression.
Click here to read the column that still might be the most read column in the history of Butte Sports.
Listen in to this podcast as KP talks about his coaching and playing days. Listen to the great perspective he has on high school and college sports.
Listen in as he opens up about his addiction struggles, battling depression and why you should start your day off by making your bed.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by Thriftway Super Stops. Download the TLC app today and start saving.
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Powers, D’Arcy, Barkley, Rigby, Schneider perfect on Week 4
Five shooters posted perfect scores to top individual standings during Week 4 of the Butte Trap Club’s Fall League.
Beau Powers, Justin D’Arcy, Rod Barkley, Reilly Rigby and Alex Schneider each broke all 50 targets. Robert Edwards and Dave Vicevich each shot a 49, while six shoots broke 48 targets.
Toni Phillips shot a 41 to top women’s standings. Mindy McClernan was second at 37. Rigby’s 50 led the way in wobble shooting.
Through four weeks, Cooney’s/Vicevich Law leads team scratch standings at 762. Arc Electric is second at 750, followed by Cooney’s Locksmith at 741 and Baker Auto at 735.
Butte Trap Club Week 4 Standings
Team Scratch Standings
Cooney’s/Vicevich Law – 762
Arc Electric – 750
Cooney’s Locksmith – 741
Baker Auto – 735
PSFR – 730
Clay Howery Construction – 717
KR Contracting – 714
Vu Villa/Lockmer Plumbing – 699
St. James Hospital – 697
Archibald Co. – 695
S & S Plumbing – 692
D-M Ranch – 692
First Citizens Bank – 685
Pro Inspection – 682
FJBCHO – 678
Zora’s Zeros – 641
Daddy’s Girls – 590
12 G Girls – 543
CF Plumbing & Heating – 522
Pioneer Technical #2 – 520
Superior Title – 512
Sundance Plumbing – 497
WET – 489
Pioneer Technical #1 – 480
High Individual Scores
Beau Powers – 50×50
Justin D’Arcy – 50×50
Rod Barkley – 50×50
Reilly Rigby – 50×50
Alex Schneider – 50×50
Robert Edwards – 49×50
Dave Vicevich – 49×50
Wyatt Kingston – 48×50
Kevin Rangitsch – 48×50
Rich Long – 48×50
Kevin Zimpel – 48×50
Bart Bacon – 48×50
TJ Andersen – 48×50
High Lady Scores
Toni Phillips – 41×50
Mindy McClernan – 37×50
Annie Ribiero – 35×50
High Wobble Trap Scores
Reilly Rigby – 50×50
Justin Lerum – 47×50
Craig Durkin – 46×50
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Toxic fan page not worth the fight
The 1993 film “A Bronx Tale” is one of my favorite movies, and it features one of the best scenes ever.
Young “C” sees a boy named Louie who owes him $20, and he starts to chase after him. After Louie runs away while making excuses, one of the mob characters said that “C” should hit the boy with a bat.
Thankfully, Sonny, the mob boss, stepped in with some sound logic.
Sonny: “What’s the matter?”
C: “This guy Louie Dumps over here. You know he owes me 20 dollars. It’s been two weeks now, and every time he sees me, he keeps dodging me. He’s becoming a real pain in the ass. Should I crack him one, or what?”
Sonny: “What’s the matter with you? What have I been telling you? Sometimes hurting somebody ain’t the answer. First of all, is he a good friend of yours?
C: “No, I don’t even like him.”
Sonny: “You don’t even like him. There’s your answer right there. Look at it this way: It costs you 20 dollars to get rid of him. Right? He’s never going to bother you again. He’s never going to ask you for money again. He’s out of your life for 20 dollars. You got off cheap. Forget it.”
I think about that scene every time I see people fighting with the two wannabe journalists running the fan-boy Montana AA Prep Football page on Facebook.
Every season for about the last five or six years, these two guys get high school football fans around the state fighting.
Of course, you remember Mac Daddy, the man who went viral with his angry rant right after his beloved Missoula Sentinel Spartans won their second straight Class AA football title in November of 2021.
Instead of celebrating the incredible accomplishment, Mac Daddy boiled over on a live Facebook video like a South Pole Alex Jones. Instead of being a proud fan, Mac Daddy stole the spotlight from a team deserving of recognition.
His wife tried to stop him, but Mac Daddy chose to pick fights with people. He even offered to meet some Butte fans in Rocker for some fisticuffs.
(It should be noted that when John Thatcher stepped up to say “I’m your huckleberry,” Mac Daddy dropped his fighting stance really quickly.)
High school sports should not include this much animosity. It is supposed to be spirited competitions between young athletes who are dedicating so much of their time to be the best.
We should cheer on our teams with everything we have, but we should also be respectful of the players and coaches wearing the other colors.
It is horrible enough when we forget such a thing when it comes to college football. It is disgusting when people wear “FTC” or “FTG” hats, displaying their hatred for the players for the Montana Grizzlies or Montana State Bobcats.
Former Butte High Bulldog Tommy Mellott, the current quarterback for the Bobcats, tried to get fans to stop this nonsense last year after his team beat the Grizzlies in Bozeman.
“Quit trying to dehumanize those guys over there, trying to get in their bus,” Tommy said in a live television interview after the game. “Don’t be messing with them.
“I know what it feels like. We felt it last year. Those guys work harder than 90 percent of the people just to put themselves in position to play this game. Please just respect them and take care of those guys.”
As bad as it is when college fans act like that, it is a million times worse when they do it for high school sports.
Adults should not be adding hot takes and vitriol to the games of high school boys, and that is exactly what Mac Daddy and his side kick do on the Montana AA Prep Football page on Facebook. They spew hate and ignorance. They get fans to fight with other fans.
When he is not going full-on Mac Daddy, Mac Daddy actually seems like a pretty good guy who just loses his compass when it comes to high school sports. We actually see that all the time when parents watch their children play sports.
I know. It is really easy to lose perspective.
Most people, though, regain that perspective after they leave the stadium. Most feel bad when they yell at the officials, coaches or opposing players.
Mac Daddy, though, steps into a Slim Jim and doubles down.
Yes, he has passion. When that passion steps over to poison the waters, though, it is not a good thing.
On the Montana AA Prep Football page on Facebook, Mac Daddy and his side kick have sprinkled ricin all over Montana’s football aquifer.
They are, after all, the guys who, back in 2019, pushed the insane claim that Butte High fans routinely throw batteries at the opposing players at Naranche Stadium.
Nearly four years later, they still have not backed down from that over-the-top ridiculous accusation.
After the first week of the 2023 season, Mac Daddy was at it again. On the first Friday night, he took to his live Facebook videos to trash Kyle Mihelish, the head coach of the defending Class AA State champion Helena Capital Bruins.
Coach Mihelish, who truly is one of the good guys in the game, apparently said he didn’t want to talk to the guys running the Montana AA Prep Football page on Facebook. He didn’t want his players to talk to them either.
Mihelish, who recently served as head coach of the West Side for the second time in the Montana East-West Shrine Game, was doing what the other 15 Class AA coaches should do.
The coaches shouldn’t want their players talking to a couple of misguided fans masquerading as legitimate media members.
They shouldn’t want their players talking to a couple of guys who will likely be bashing their team in an effort to get a few more clicks down the road.
“I’m sure he’s butt hurt or something because I placed them at 10 or something in the preseason poll,” Mac Daddy said of Mihelish, who has won state and national championships in his 24 years as a coach in Montana.
Man, sometimes irony can be so ironic.
I agree that someone was “butt hurt,” but it certainly wasn’t Coach Mihelish. I can promise you the great coach did not lose a wink of sleep over Mac Daddy and his side kick.
Of course, this video led to people fighting with Mac Daddy and his side kick on Facebook and Twitter.
Those fights don’t usually last long, though. If you disagree with either of them on their Montana AA Prep Football page on Facebook, they will block you.
I was blocked years ago, and I consider myself one of the lucky ones. If you were blocked, you should feel the same way.
If you don’t believe me, just think of the words of Sonny on “A Bronx Tale.”
You don’t even like those guys. You don’t like that page and what it stands for.
There is your answer right there. They are never going to bother you again. They are out of your life. You got off cheap.
And it didn’t even cost you 20 dollars.
— Bill Foley, who learned most of his life lessons by watching mob movies, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74 before that billionaire weirdo ruins it. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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KC hoops starts next week
The Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s fall basketball league will start Monday, Sept. 11.
The four-man teams will play games twice a week, Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Felix Madrazo Gymnasium. The league will run 10 weeks with a double-loss tournament at the end.
Cost is $125 per team, and teams can sign up at the bar or by contacting Dan Boyle at (406) 491-2529.
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Podcast No. 126: Robert Leipheimer
Robert Leipheimer was a 230-pound offensive lineman for Butte High’s football team. He said he was a “chubby” kid.
Today, Robert is a Spartan Race North American champion who weighs about 165 pounds. The 2018 Butte High graduate also earned a degree from Montana State University. Before he puts that degree to use, however, he is going to continue his career in Spartan Race.
He recently placed fourth in a race in West Virginia, and the North American Championships will be held later this month in Vermont. In November, he will compete in the Trifecta World Championship in Sparta, Greece.
Since Robert is the nephew of Olympic medalist and longtime Tour de France competitor Levi Leipheimer, it is no surprise that he is good at an endurance sport. He went for looking on his phone for something to compete in a few years ago to competing with the very best in the world.
Listen in to hear Robert talk about his football days at Butte High School, where he got to play with superstars like Dylan Cook and Tommy Mellott.
Listen to how he was influenced by Bulldog coach Arie Grey, and how the coach’s words of wisdom still affect his life. Listen as he talks about his future in Spartan Race and why he works so hard.
Today’s podcast is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.
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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Camden Houchin, Olivia Thurmond
Butte High sophomore cross country runners Camden Houchin and Olivia Thurmond are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after the Bulldogs opened the season with strong showings as the Flathead Invitational Friday. The meet included most of the Class AA schools as well as many Class A and Class B teams.
Houchin receives the boys’ honor after finishing the 5-kilometer race in 17 minutes, 6 seconds to place 34th in the large field. He beat his personal record by 31 seconds. Houchin also competes in wrestling and track for the Bulldogs.
Thurmond takes home the girls’ honor. She led the Bulldog girls with a time of 24:34. One week into the season, and Thurmond is already beating times from midseason a year ago. Thurmond also competes in swimming for Butte High. She earned Athlete of the Week honors in the pool back in January.
Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, teamed up with the ButteCast to honor the finest 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.
Photos of Houchin and Thurmond are courtesy Ashley Choquette Photography.
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Podcast No. 125: Curtis Smith
Today’s ButteCast features one of the most requested guests, Curtis Smith.
It has been more than 33 years since Curtis played basketball for Butte High School, but his name is still mentioned all the time. He was the best passer I have ever seen play. He was Butte High’s version of Magic Johnson, though he’d rather you compare him to Larry Bird.
Curtis was also a legendary character from Butte High’s Class of 1990, which was one of the wilder classes in school history. Curtis was always having fun, and he was always nice to everyone.
He is still that way.
Earlier today, I caught up with Curtis inside the Vault at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill for a fun conversation. It is a long one, too. Maybe even as long as the Mike Thatcher podcast.
It is all good stuff, though.
Listen in as Curtis talks about playing at Butte High and then for coach Casey Keltz at Montana Western. Listen to the names of the players he played with and against over the years.
Listen as he talks about playing with the McKinley kids and how that toughened him up. Listen to how he threw a golf challenge match so he could go to a huge party on the East Ridge.
Simply put, this is 2 hours of pure Curtis, and it is gold.
Today’s podcast is presented by Lone Peak Physical Therapy. If you aren’t living your best life, call Lone Peak today and start feeling better as early as tomorrow.
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Podcast No. 124: Greg Leetz
We call him Peach.
That is the nickname Greg Leetz was saddled with as a young boy at McKinley Elementary School in Butte. He tried to shake a few times — like when he enlisted in the Navy and when he returned from serving his country — but it has stuck.
Peach, who might be the only person to listen to every single episode of the ButteCast, was a legend on the Northwest Little League fields because of his unnecessary head-first slides, aka the “Pete Rose slide.” Well, at least he was a legend on our Arctic Circle team.
The 1992 Butte High graduate came back to Butte after serving in the Navy and graduated from Montana Tech. He has worked and lived in Missouri, Louisian, Texas and New Mexico. He currently works and lives in Phoenix.
He left the 113-degree heat to come to town to cheer on the Montana Tech Orediggers as they open the football season Thursday night against Carroll College at Alumni Coliseum.
So, we met inside the Vault at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill yesterday for a great conversation.
Listen in as Peach talks about how he earned his nickname. Listen to him describe how a slow guy pulled off stealing bases in Little League. Listetn as he talks about our glory days hanging out at the Vu Villa. Listen as he talks about growing up in a large, unconventional family in Butte.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by Leskovar Honda of Butte. Leskovar Honda is the home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warrantee.
Greg “Peach” Leetz makes makes an appearance on the Podcast inside the Vault at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill. (Photo courtesy Laurie Leetz)
