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Peoples closing in on history
Butte Central senior Dougie Peoples is on the verge of history.
With 23 more points, Peoples will become the highest scoring boys’ basketball player in Mining City history.
Peoples has scored 1,369 points on his career. Butte Central legend “Jumpin’” Joe Kelly scored 1,404 points from 1942 through 1945.
With his 23 points in Tuesday’s 76-47 win over Butte High at the Butte Civic Center, Peoples passed former Maroon Joe Devich for second place on the Butte boys’ all-time list (Butte Central and Butte High). Devich scored 1,364 points from 1947 through 1950.
Peoples scored 629 points in last year’s run to the Class A State championship. He scored 438 points as a sophomore. He has 315 this season.
While Peoples was on the BC roster during the 2020 State tournament in Billings, he did not score a varsity point as a freshman.
Two girls — Butte High’s Lexie Nelson and BC’s Kellie Johnson-Mead — have scored more points than Kelly and Peoples. Nelson scored 1,696 from 2007 through 2010, while Johnson-Mead tossed in 1,530 points from 1993 through 1996).
According to stats compiled by the late Pat Kearney, John Dawson (1966-68) is the all-time leading scorer for Butte High’s boys with 1,022 points.
The Maroon boys play a Southwestern A tilt with the Broncs Friday in Frenchtown. They will play host to Livingston in a non-conference game Saturday at the Maroon Activities Center.
The 12-1 Maroons have won 12 straight since dropping their season opener to Lewistown in a rematch of last March’s title game.
Before the season, Peoples made an appearance on the ButteCast with Bill Foley. Click here to listen.
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Being part of Skyla Sisco’s team is always a good thing
University of Montana women’s basketball coach Robin Selvig scoffed at my question.
St. Mary’s was on its way to Missoula to play the Lady Griz in a non-conference game in December of 1996.
Were the players thinking about a 57-50 loss to the same team a year earlier in Moraga, California?
Absolutely not, Selvig said. That game is in the past, and it was the furthest thing from the mind of his players.
While I suspected he was giving me a line of total B.S., the coach went on to say that he does not even think that his players remember that they played St. Mary’s a year earlier. It was a different season, a different team and a different game. (Click here for the podcast version of this column.)
I asked the question because I was working on a game preview story for The Montana Kaimin, the student newspaper at UM.
About 15 seconds after I was done talking with Coach Selvig, I walked up to Skyla Sisco, UM’s electrifying point guard.
She did not hear what her coach just told me.
“Hey Skyla,” I said. “Big game coming up.”
“Yeah,” Skyla said. “There’s a little revenge in the air. We just want them to know that how we played last year isn’t the best we can play.”
It was vintage Skyla. If she watched the movie Bull Durham, she never paid attention to Crash’s talk about how to handle the media. She always spoke from her heart, and she always spoke the truth.
That was one of my many favorite characteristics about the 5-foot-7 Lady Griz guard. The former Malta star did not get the memo that she was supposed to give bland quotes to reporters.
Two days later, Skyla scored eight points and dished six assists as the Lady Griz pasted St. Mary’s 74-47 in front of 4,002 fans at Dahlberg Arena.
Revenge enacted. Message sent.
At the time, Skyla was my favorite player for the Lady Griz. More than a quarter of a century later, she still is.
She was pretty much the reason I was covering the Lady Griz instead of the Gentlemen Griz, as I like to call them.
I first watched her play as a redshirt freshman during the 1994-95 season. It was my first year at UM, and I did not know I had to get to the arena 2 hours early to get a seat in the student section for big games.
So, I watched Skyla and the Lady Griz play NCAA powerhouse Tennessee from the Bob Uecker seats at Dahlberg Arena.
Skyla came off the bench and scored 11 points and dropped four assists. She was young, and she committed six turnovers, but she proved to the world that night that she belonged in that game.
She was a crowd favorite, too. Every time she scored a bucket or made an eye-popping pass, a group of 10 or so guys in the student section stood up and gave the “we’re not worthy” motion and chant from Wayne’s World.
Skyla was not intimidated by Tennessee nor the Volunteers’ coach, Pat Summitt, perhaps the greatest coach in the history of the sport.
From my nosebleed seats, I thought Skyla was the best player on the floor that night. She was definitely the most entertaining to watch. She just oozed spunk, and her confidence was off the charts.
It was so much fun to watch.
Skyla and the Griz nearly pulled off the upset, too, falling 66-61 to a Tennessee team that fell to Connecticut in the national championship game less than four months later. The Vols started a string of three straight championships the next season.
Summitt never scheduled Montana again. I figured she wanted no part of Skyla Sisco.
For the next four seasons, Skyla shined for the Lady Griz. When she played, Lady Griz fans just knew they were going to win.
In her four years, she helped the Lady Griz capture four Big Sky Conference regular-season titles, four Big Sky Conference tournament crowns and secure four trips to the NCAA Tournament.
She became UM’s first four-time All-Big Sky player, and she played after the great Shannon Cate. Skyla also never lost to Montana State.
Simply put, Skyla was a winner, whether it was high school, college or in the “real world.”
When I was given the choice to cover the men or the women for the paper, I did not hesitate. With all due respect to Chris Spoja, Ryan Dick and Bobby Olson, I would still make that decision 100 times out of 100.
Give me Skyla’s team.
Now, Skyla is in a fight that she just has to win. She is fighting late-state breast cancer, which has spread to her lymph system.
She will spend a few months in Arizona undergoing an integrative approach, which will include some chemotherapy and radiation. It also includes some alternative and complementary aspects that will hopefully help her kick cancer to the curb once and for all.
However, insurance does not cover such potentially life-saving treatment.
Skyla has already received tons of support from Malta, where they really love their girls’ basketball, and around the state.
A Go Fund Me was started, and it raised more than $115,000 as of Monday afternoon. It would be so great if we could times that by about 10 to make sure Skyla only has to focus on getting better when she is on the road.
If you have a lot of money, then dig deep for Skyla. If you do not have a lot, give a few bucks. Every dollar counts, and it will add up faster than Skyla’s 1,238 points and 587 assists as a Grizzly.
Give if you are a Grizzly. Give if you are a Bobcat. Give if you are an Oredigger, Bulldog, Battlin’ Bear, Light, Argonaut or Saint.
If you have no money to give, then please just keep Skyla in your heart as she fights for her life.
As players like Greta (Koss) Buehler, Lauren Cooper and Megan Harrington will certainly tell you, it is always good to be on Skyla’s team. Always.
As you would expect from the great competitor, Skyla is heading into this battle like she is trying to avenge a loss.
“Just being present, trying not to live in the past or be anxious about the future because that just does not do anybody any good,” Skyla told MTN Sports, explaining her positive attitude. “It’s like shooting a free throw. Like your whole career, you’re told you never tell yourself ‘Don’t miss, don’t miss,’ right? You’re planting that seed of miss.
“Instead, you’re like, ‘I’m going to drain this free throw.’ And that’s the mentality I’m taking in, it’s like I’m going to beat it.”
Skyla is going to beat this. We just know it.
That is because for more than a quarter of a century, we have learned one undeniable truth.
When Skyla Sisco plays, Skyla Sisco wins.
— Bill Foley can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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Bulldogs Stone, Thurmond selected Leskovar Athletes of the Week
Butte High freshmen swimmers Nathan Stone and Olivia Thurmond have been named Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Both receive the honor after being nominated by Bulldog coach Lynn Shrader.
Thurmond receives the girls’ honor after placing fourth in the 100-yard freestyle and eighth in the 100 backstroke in Friday’s home meet. She has placed in the top 10 in every meet this season, posting a personal-best mark each time.
“She works hard, and is a leader on the team,” Shrader said. “She swims any event without question, always doing best for them team.”
Stone, a homeschool student, takes home the boys’ honor. He has also led the team in almost ever meet. He placed third in the 50 freestyle with a personal-best time Friday. He also placed sixth in the 100 breaststroke.
“He, too, swims any event asked of him,” Shrader said. “Team comes first, even in an individualized team sport.”
Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, is honoring 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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Podcast No. 49: Honoring Brother McCormack
Butte native Brother Patrick “Dunk” McCormack is a former teacher and coach at Butte Central. He is well into his 90s and living in New York State.
Knowing that Brother McCormick is potentially on his last days, some of his former students decided to get together to record some memories of an educator who’s teaching still impacts his students more than a half century later.
Joe McCarthy, John Paull, Jack O’Brien, Tom Kenneally Jr. and Bernie Boyle met at the KC. Fellow Butte Central graduates Rich Thornton and Terry McLaughlin joined in on Zoom.
Each shared memories of Brother McCormack in this podcast. Click here to listen in.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of Jan. 30.
Monday
6 p.m. — OFU vs. Parish
7 p.m. — OFU vs. Logan’s
8 p.m. — Logan’s vs. Rooney’s Republic
9 p.m. — Lacey Agency vs. Towel BoysTuesday
7 p.m. — The Backups vs. Wolfpack
8 p.m. — Bomb Squad vs. Dream Team
9 p.m. — Byrdy vs. ISOsWednesday
6 p.m. — Parish vs. Wolfpack
7 p.m. — The Backups vs. Poi Time
8 p.m. — Poi Time vs. ISOsThursday
7 p.m. — Rooney’s Republic vs. Dream Team
8 p.m. — Lacey Agency vs. Byrdy
9 p.m. — Towel Boys vs. Bomb Squad
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Podcast No. 48: Fritz Daily
Fritz Daily is Butte’s biggest champion and supporter. He has been fighting the good fight to try to get Butte the Superfund cleanup it deserves.
Daily, 77, is a retired teacher and guidance counselor. He served 15 years in the Montana Legislature, where he was once told his top three priorities were “Butte, Butte and Butte.”
Simply put, Fritz loves the Mining City, and he will speak up on its behalf for as long as he lives.
Listen in as Fritz talks about why he loves Butte so much. Listen as he talks about growing up in Butte, his years in the Legislature and four decades of fighting the good fight.
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Podcast No. 47: The ‘Iceman’
Chris Tippett, aka the “Iceman,” just might be the hardest-working man in town.
Whether he is cleaning at the Knights of Columbus or any of the many jobs he held through the years, you are never getting shortchanged from the “Iceman.”
You can see that insane work ethic when he is out running around town. The “Iceman” runs as fast as far as he can as he makes his way around the Mining City, often before the sun comes up. He really is Butte’s Forrest Gump.
Click here to listen in as the “Iceman” talks about growing up in Butte and learning his work ethic from his father. Listen as he talks about his children and how he describes his wife. Listen as he talks about running all those miles.
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Never a game leave early when the ‘Assassin’ is playing
On Jan. 14, I broke one of my cardinal rules. I left a game before it was over.
Butte Central’s varsity girls’ basketball team trailed Stevensville 30-21, and the game did not appear to be going anywhere near the way of the Maroons when I walked out the door at halftime.
I did not leave the game for that reason, though. Normally, I stay to watch any game until the end, no matter the score.
On this night, though, I just refereed the freshman and junior varsity games, and I was a little tired. Also, and more importantly, my daughter was heading to Missoula the next day to begin her second semester of her freshman year at the University of Montana. I wanted to go home and watch a few episodes of Family Guy with her.
As I watched Peter Griffin, I got a text message from Bruce Sayler asking about Butte Central’s school record for points in a game. I knew off the top of my head that it belonged to the great Kellie Johnson-Mead because I had to look it up a week earlier when Brooke Badovinac scored 38 points.
Johnson scored 42 points in a 75-67 Butte Central loss at Whitehall on Friday, Nov. 8, 1996. That came shortly before the senior signed to play at Illinois State.
Badovinac, Bruce told me, scored 41 points, but they were still adding up the scorebook.
So, I texted K.J. to tell her that her record, which is also a single-game high school record for boys and girls in Butte, that the young Bado nearly took her down.
Knowing that records are made to be broken, as they say, K.J. was happy for her fellow Maroon.
“That is SO awesome,” she replied, with a handful of exclamation points following.
After a review of the book, it turned out Badovinac actually had 42 points to tie the record.
So, I texted K.J. once again. Again, K.J. was happy.
“I’m sure proud of her!” K.J. texted. “I hope she does beat it! Great kid! Great athlete. Great student. She deserves it.”
Nobody would know better than K.J., a long-time coach who owns BC’s career record with 1,530 points, according to the late Pat Kearney. Her 485 points used to be the school record for a season.
When I left the game, it did not seem like Badovinac’s night. A few well-meaning fans were yelling at her to shoot more as the Maroons struggled to hang with the Yellowjackets.
After halftime, there must have been something different. Badovinac scored 19 of BC’s 20 points in the third quarter. Counting the six points she scored in overtime, Badovinac scored 35 points after the break.
That has to be a record.
After the game, though, Badovinac did not seem to care about tying K.J.’s record.
“We tried our hardest and we still lost,” she told Sayler for a story on Butte Sports. “I tried my hardest and still lost. It sucks losing in overtime.”
Sayler’s story described Badovinac as “solemn” after the loss. That word could aptly describe her after every victory, too.
Badovinac is stoic at all times. If she is ever nervous during a game, it does not show. She never gets too excited, and she never gets too down.
If you talk to after a game, you would never know if her team had just won or lost. She is like a golfer who could have shot a 63 or a 97.
That is what makes her so dangerous on a basketball court.
Last year, when Badovinac was having arguably the best season of any high school player in the history of the Mining City, my brother said she has the demeanor of an assassin.
On the court, Badovinac is a cold-blooded killer. She is a quiet killer too.
So, the nickname the “Assassin” seems to fit her just perfectly.
Often after a game last season, someone would ask how many points Badovinac scored. “What she have, 16-18 points?”
No, she scored 35.
If there is such a thing as a quiet 35, the Badovinac scored it. Her 38 points a week earlier has to be the quietest 38 points ever scored.
It is hard to explain. She is not a ball hog by any stretch of the imagination. As the yells from the crowd would tell you, if anything, she should shoot the ball more.
She just seems to take advantage of every scoring opportunity.
Hopefully, that quietness and calmness does not hurt her when the all-time greats of Butte are mentioned years from now.
Last year, Badovinac scored 671 points on the season, and most of them were quiet.
She is one of only three high school basketball players from Butte in the 600-point club for a single season. She is joined by BC great Joe Antonietti, who scored 638 points in 1969, and Central classmate Dougie Peoples, tossed in 629 points during BC’s run to the Class A State title last season.
During her junior season, Badovinac also moved past Butte High’s Debbie Silk (444 in 1981), Lexie Nelson (459 in 1982) and Deanna Dugdale (459 in 1982). Silk and Dugdale joined the Butte Sports Hall of Fame last summer.
Nelson will most likely do that one day, too.
Mollie Peoples (427 in 2017), Kloie Thatcher (417 in 2018) and Badovinac’s coach Quinn (Peoples) Carter (401 in 2011) are the only BC girls in the 400-point club.
Talk about some pretty great company.
After the record-tying performance, Badovinac had 214 points on the season. That is an average of 23.8 points per game through nine games.
The remarkable thing about that is that stopping Badovinac has been the sole focus of every opponent. I have heard about players seeing the triangle-and-two defense, but I do not think I ever saw it until Corvallis came to town.
That defense means that two players guarded Badovinac the entire game, and the other three played a zone defense against her four BC teammates.
Those two Corvallis defenders were really on Badovinac, too. I am pretty sure they guarded her down the hallway to the locker room at halftime.
At one point, the BC coaches decided it was best to just have Badovinac stand in the corner and let her teammates try to take advantage of the extra player.
Selflessly, Badovinac went along. And somehow, she still scored a team-best 13 points in the 37-34 loss.
In November, Badovinac signed to play basketball for Montana Tech, giving Butte basketball fans four more seasons to watch one of our all-time greats.
While I am still glad that I got to catch a few episodes of Family Guy with my daughter, I hope my tale will serve as an example for others watching Badovinac in her final games with the Maroons and then with the Orediggers.
No matter what the score, never leave a basketball game before it is over.
That goes double for games in which the Assassin is playing.
— Bill Foley, who would have killed to score two points in a varsity game, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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Maroons make the cut in Speech and Debate
Ethan Andersch and Hallie Kellicut led the Butte Central Maroons to state-meet qualifying finishes at the Western A Divisional Speech and Debate tournament held in Columbia Falls over the weekend.
Andersch, who added Extemporaneous Speaking to his arsenal this year, placed second in both Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking. Ethan rode a string of first place finishes in his preliminary and semifinal extemporaneous rounds and was still in the hunt for the divisional championship headed into the final round. However, a tough field in the finals saw him collect scores of 3, 4, and 5 in his final round, securing a second-place medal and a trip to the state meet which will be held Jan. 28 in Sidney.
Andersch added to his medal count by dazzling the judges with his dexterous discourse in the impromptu speaking event. His quick thinking and eloquence garnered him the second place medal and earned him a second consecutive trip to state for the event. Andersch finished in third place at the state meet last year in impromptu speaking.
Kellicut, a junior, placed third in Memorized Public Address, impressing the judges with her poise and unique insight for her presentation and analysis of a speech originally given by poet Amanda Gorman to secure her in her third trip to the state meet. Kellicut placed fifth at the state meet last year.
Joining Andersch and Kellicut will be sophomore Jim Bradshaw who made the transition from Lincoln-Douglas Debate to Memorized Public Address this year. Bradshaw’s analysis and presentation of Taylor Mali’s poem “What Teachers Make” notched him a ninth-place finish, therefore making the cut to represent the Maroons at state.
The Western A sends the top 12 finishers in each event to the state tournament. Joe Bradshaw, a Butte Central 8th-grader, was selected as an alternate, finishing 14th in informative speaking.
Head coach Sabrina Holland-Kump is excited about her team’s chances headed into state.
“This team has worked incredibly hard this year and has shown consistent results,” she said. “No matter the event, these students are willing to put in the time and effort. They absolutely deserve every success that has come their way and I can’t wait to see how they perform at state, next year, and in the future.”
Holland-Kump also points out that despite the fact that each student competes individually, they are team-focused and support each other in every endeavor. The coaching staff, including Kevin Edgar, have encouraged and worked with each student to make sure they reach their full potential.
— Story by Kevin Edgar
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McPartland, Gonzales named Leskovar Athletes of the Week
Butte Central sophomore Owen McPartland and Butte High junior Aydin Gonzales were named the Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Both players take home the honors after being nominated by their coaches.
McPartland receives the boys’ honor after Butte Central boys’ basketball coach Brodie Kelly called him an unsung hero for the defending Class A State champion Maroons, who ran their winning streak to 10 games.
Over the past four games, McPartland averaged 7.3 points per game, and he has hit 7 of 8 shots from behind the 3-point line.
“Most importantly, he had one turnover over the four games,” Kelly said. “Owen also did a great job defending two of the top point guards in our conference over the past couple games, guarding Eli Norse from Dillon and Eli Taylor from Hamilton.”
Gonzales was named the girls’ recipient after a 3-0 performance at the Billings Girls’ Mixer. She pinned Belgrade’s Erin Taylor, won by major decision over Gracelyn Hanson of Billings Senior and edged Billings Skyview’s Taylee Troutman in a 10-9 thriller.
“She had a great weekend,” Bulldog girls’ coach Geno Liva said. “She was 3-0 and had a victory over a wrestler who beat her previously this year. In her last match, she turned a girl in the last 30 seconds to win the match by one point, trailing by two at that point. She is working hard and is performing at a top level at the right point of the season.”
Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, is honoring 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.
The photo of McPartland comes courtesy of Brianna O’Mara of BnO Photography. For more photos from the young, talented photographer, visit her Facebook page.
