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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Gunnar O’Brien and Brittyn Klima
Butte Central junior Gunnar O’Brien and Butte High junior Brittyn Klima are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
O’Brien takes home the boys’ honor after a strong start to the baseball season. O’Brien started and pitched six innings to lead the Maroons to a 10-6 win over Livingston Saturday at 3 Legends Stadium. He struck out four batters and gave up three earned runs.
O’Brien also went 3 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored to lead the BC offense. Through six games, O’Brien leads the Maroons with a .588 batting average and a 1.417 OPS. He has a double, triple, eight RBIs and 10 runs scored.
On the bump, O’Brien is 2-0 with 18 strikeouts in 17 and two thirds innings pitched.
Klima takes home the girls’ honor after a break-out week at the plate for the Butte High softball team. In four games, the Butte High designated hitter batted 6 for 13 (.462) with eight RBIs as the Bulldogs went 2-2 in Western AA games.
Her week included a home run in Butte’s 11-3 home win over Missoula Hellgate. She drove in the lone run of the game as the Bulldogs beat Flathead 1-0 in Kalispell. She went 3 for 3 in Tuesday’s 13-3 home loss to Missoula Big Sky.
The big week raised Klima’s season batting average to .360. Her OPS is now at 1.007. Klima’s season includes three doubles and that home run.
For the fourth year, Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales staff that always has your back, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
Photo of O’Brien courtesy Jay “Hollywood” Foley. Photo of Klima provided by Tony DiFronzo.
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Bulldog-Maroon baseball games postponed again
Butte High’s baseball games with Butte Central set for Monday have been postponed because of the snow on Sunday, the Bulldogs announced this evening.
This marks the second time the Bulldogs and Maroons have been wiped out by wet weather. Butte High was supposed to play BC March 31.
A makeup date for the games — one varsity and one junior varsity — has not yet been announced.
The Bulldogs are set to play host to Flathead and Glacier on Friday and Saturday. The Maroons are scheduled to play host to Townsend Tuesday before heading to East Helena on Friday.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of April 27.
Monday
7 p.m. — Parish vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Rosary RattlersTuesday
7 p.m. — Crib Crew vs. Moof’s Dawgs
8 p.m. — Hoopballas vs. Someday StartersWednesday
7 p.m. — Moof’s Dawgs vs. ButteSports
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Rosary Rattlers
9 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Someday StartersThursday
7 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Hoopballas
8 p.m. — ButteSports vs. Poi Time
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Dahlberg, Optimist wiped out
Friday’s snow has forced the cancellation of two of the premier track meets in the state.
The Harry “Swede” Dahlberg Invitational in Butte and the Optimist meet in Great Falls have been called off, Butte High announced today.
The meets will not be made up.
Next up for the Bulldogs is the Top 10 meet, which is Tuesday in Missoula. The Bulldogs will send their full teams to Butte Central’s John Tomich Invitational on May 2.
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Daly, Gunlikson top field in Week 2
Bill Daly and Rial Gunlikson each broke 48 out of 50 targets to lead all shooters during Week 2 of the Butte Trap Club’s Spring League. (Results)
Rayelynn Brandl and Tim Schrapps each shot a 47, while Ryan Bossard, Stephen Frazee, Clay Howery, Al Petersen, Alex Schneider and Rick Svejkowsky shot 46. Justin D’Arcy, Cody Farsveet, Walt McIntosh, Jim McLeod and Mark Powers followed at 45.
Brandl topped all women shooters. Jen Hislop was second at 44. She was followed by Anna Ledden at 42, Dawna Raiser at 41 and Mindy McLernan at 40.
Farsveet’s 45 topped wobble shooting. Jon Petro was next at 41, followed by Travis Birkenbuel at 41, and Ethan Hall and Drew Duncan at 40.
Through two weeks, Arc Electric and WET 1 are tied atop team scratch standings at 360. Edward Jones/Walt McIntosh is third at 357.
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Episode No. 341: Rayelynn Brandl
I voted for myself when I ran for chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow in 2024. But I have to say, it wasn’t the obvious decision.
Rayelynn Brandl also ran for chief executive that year. She got into the race a few months after I did. Had she announced she was running earlier, I might not have filed to run at all.
Getting to know her and hearing her ideas during the campaign convinced me that she would be an outstanding chief executive. I really hope she runs again.
After the election, Rayelynn showed that her reason for running was true when she ran to be a member of the commission to review the charter of our local government.
She is part of a great group of civic-minded individuals who have been working for well over a year to make recommendations to voters of Butte-Silver Bow. Those recommendations included possibly moving away from the chief executive model to one with a city manager. The recommendations include dropping the number of county commissioners from 12 to four and to also possibly solve the dispute between our volunteer firefighters and our career firefighters once and for all.
It is a tough and thankless job, and you can learn more about the work the group has been doing tonight at 5:30 at the Butte Brewery. If you cannot make the meeting, there will be more opportunities to learn more about and weigh in on these possible changes.
Earlier today, I met with Rayelynn inside the Vault at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill for a fun conversation. Listen in as Rayelynn talks about these potential changes.
Listen in to hear her qualifications and to learn where she picked up her love of trap shooting. Listen in to see why I hope Rayelynn runs again, whether it is for chief executive, city council or mayor.
Today’s episode is presented by the Jewelry Design Center. Let Brian Toone and Co. be your jewelers for life.
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Track athletes hit marks ahead of Dahlberg, Optimist
The week in sports in the Mining City has already been a busy one, and it will hopefully get even busier.
The softball, baseball and track teams were all in action for Butte High and Butte Central Tuesday afternoon. So was the BC tennis team.
The week will only ramp up, too, as we get ready for two of the best track meets of the season. Butte High will host the Harry “Swede” Dahlberg Invitation Saturday at on the Charlie Merrifield Track. The boys-only meet starts at 11 a.m. inside the Gene Fogarty Complex. That meet will include Butte Central, which is also set to compete in a meet Friday in Boulder.
The Bulldog girls, meanwhile, will head to the Optimist Meet Saturday in Great Falls. Action will begin at 11 a.m.
We will take a look at that and more was we take a lap around the week of Butte sports. Of course, with another wet forecast looming for this week, the schedule is subject to change. Follow the up-to-date schedules in the ButteCast.com menu.
Dogs, Maroons qualify for State
With the Dahlberg, Optimist and next week’s Tomich Invitational on the horizon, the Class AA and Class A State meets were on the mind of several Butte High and Butte Central athletes this week.
Seniors Jacob Galle and Ryan Hanson reached qualifying times and marks for the Bulldogs. So did junior Brady Walsh and freshman Saege Grey. Maroons Danny McCarthy, a junior, and Palmer Kellicut also recently hit times to advance to State.
The Class AA State track meet will be held May 28-30 in Missoula May. The Class A meet will be the same weekend in Laurel.
Galle, Grey and Hanson reached qualifying marks during a meet Tuesday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. (Reults) Walsh and Hanson hit marks as Butte High dropped duals at home Saturday with Glacier. (Results)
Missoula Sentinel’s boys’ won Tuesday’s meet with 93 points. Helena Capital was next at 81, followed by the Bulldogs at 61 and BC at 9.
Capital’s girls won with 117.5 points. Butte High was second at 78, followed by Sentinel at 57 and Central at 5.5.
Hanson won the long jump with a qualifying mark of 21 feet, ¾ inch. He also placed second in the high jump, clearing 6 feet. That came three days after he cleared 6-2 to win the high jump against Glacier. That mark, which is his best as a Bulldog but second-best overall, is good for a qualifying mark.
Galle ran to second place in the 300-meter hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles on Tuesday. His time in the 110 was 15.61 seconds, which qualifies him for State.
Walsh won the long jump Saturday with a qualifying mark of 21-8. On Tuesday, he ran to sixth place in the 100 with a qualifying time of 11.24 seconds. He also ran to fourth place in the 200. Both his times Saturday were personal bests.
Grey posted a pair of personal-bests by winning the 100 and taking second in the 200 Tuesday. Her time of 12.96 seconds in the 100 gives the freshman a berth in the State meet.
Other Butte High winners Tuesday were Charles Killebrew in the 800 and Camden Houchin in the 3,200 on the boys’ side, and Cadence Graham in the 300 hurdles for the girls. Graham also took second in the 100 hurdles).
Butte High’s boys’ and girls’ 1,600-meter relay teams also took the top spot.
The Butte boys’ team was made up of Reece Cunneen, Raeder Grey, Galle and Houchin.
The girls’ team, which reached a State provisional time at 4:17.73, was made up of Evelyn Smith, Cadence Graham, Sophie Houchin and Grey.
Also placing for the Bulldog boys on Tuesday were Bridger Luebke (second in the 800), Levi Wiltsie (second 3,200), Lincoln Zell (third 800, fifth 1,600), Bradey Doyle (third pole vault), Raeder Grey (fourth 300 hurdles), Colt Stenson (fourth shot put), Brady Hanson (fifth high jump), Cohen Andrews (third triple jump), Jaeger Hansen (sixth javelin) and Sawyer Casey (sixth javelin).
Other place winners for the Bulldog girls were Emma Johnson (second discus, fourth shot put), Smith (second 400), Milee Stillwagon (second 1,600), Kynsley Wrampe second (high jump), Valerie Trabert (second pole vault), Kate DeShaw (third long jump, fourth triple jump), Penelope Luebke (third 300 hurdles), Autumn Clary (fourth 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles), Ellie Yates (fourth javelin), Berkli Salusso (fifth javelin), Kloe Dickinson (fifth 100, fifth triple jump, sixth long jump), Rylee Erickson (sixth javelin), Clara Sigler (fifth pole vault), Adalie Grochowski (fifth long jump) and Deearea Naugle (sixth triple jump).
In addition to Hanson and Walsh, who also took second in the 100, Butte High winners on Saturday were Camden Houchin (1,600), Stillwagon (800), Sophie Houchin (1,600) and Graham (100 hurdles.)
For the Maroons, Kellicut placed fourth in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the 300 hurdles on Tuesday. Henly Mansanti took fourth in the high jump and fifth in the long jump, McCarthy ran to fifth in the 100, and Grady Button took sixth in the 400.
For the BC girls, Evyn Tippett had a big day, placing fourth in the 400, fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 100. Harper McGree took fourth in the high jump, and Caden Tippett finished fifth in the shot put.
McCarthy qualified for state with a time of 11.19 seconds in the April 11 East Helena meet. Kellicut posted a qualifying time of 15.84 in the 110-yurdles in an April 14 meet in Butte.
BC falls to Broncs, Beavers
Butte Central’s softball team dropped a pair of Southwestern A games. The Maroons fell 15-0 to Hamilton Saturday at Stodden Park. (Boxscore) On Tuesday, BC fell 17-7 at Dillon. (Boxscore)
Hamilton pitchers Mariah Johnson and Tayleigh Bakken combined to hold the Maroons hitless before the game was called by the run limit after the third inning.
Hadley Lockhart hit a double and a single to lead the Broncs’ nine-hit attack. Hayleigh Savage and Coco Vachon each hit two singles. Kennidi Cooper and Addalyn Henderson each drove in two runs.
Luci Fantini worked a walk. She was the only BC player to reach base.
Kaitlyn Konen, Reese Jensen and Lilla Gulberson each drove in three runs to lead the Beaver past the Maroons. Konen did her damage with a home run and a single. Ashlyn Burk and Tymber Barnes tripled, while Burk, Jensen, Kenndyl Meine and Mya Creighton doubled in the win.
Kodee Badovinac went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI to lead the Maroons, who pounded 13 hits in the loss. Braelynn Schelin hit a double and a single, Ryan Olson hit a double and a single, and Kenzie McQueary hit two singles. Natalie Osterman doubled.
Blake Smith, Fantini and Arika Stajcar each hit a single, while Smith and Mila Carriger worked walks for the Maroons.
The Maroons get another crack at Hamilton Saturday. They take on the Broncs at 4 p.m. in Hamilton. First, BC will play Stevensville at 11 a.m. in Stevensville.
Bulldogs win one, lose one
Butte High’s softball team went 1-1 at Stodden Park to open a week in which they hope to get four Western AA games in.
Butte High beat Missoula Hellgate 11-3 Monday. (Boxscore) A day later, the Bulldogs dropped a 13-3 decision to Missoula Big Sky. (Boxscore)
Senior catcher Mattie Stepan had a huge game from the leadoff spot to lead the Bulldogs past Hellgate. Stepan went 3 for 4 with a home run and a double to set the plate for Butte High’s 10-hit attack. Brityn Klima added a home run, and Kendallyn Schad and Gracie Jonart each added two hits and three runs scored.
Reese Johnson and Allie Becker also delivered hits in the win. Brea Henderson and Ally Godbout joined Jonart with two walks.
Henderson pitched the distance, striking out eight batters, to get the win.
Kaelynn Hopfauf hit a single and drove in two runs to lead the Knights. Ella Lambert, Nat Blaney, Kaylie Moe and Piper Wells added hits for Hellgate.
Sara Bjornson struck out 11 batters Tuesday to power the Eagles past Butte High in a game called by the run limit after six innings.
Bjornson also joined leadoff hitter Hayden Weaver with three RBIs. Bjornson, Hailey Nicoson and Madison Norcorss hit home runs. Nicoson and Elise Regan hit doubles for the Eagles.
Klima, Stepan and Cliry Conway doubled for the Bulldogs. Klima also hit a pair of singles. Godbout and Hinderson hit singles, too.
Butte High will head to Kalispell this week for two more games. The Bulldogs will play Flathead Friday before battling Glacier on Saturday.
Broncs, Eagles top Dogs
Butte High’s baseball team will have the rest of the week off after falling 19-8 to Missoula Big Sky on a small Missoula field. (Boxscore)
That loss came three days after the Bulldogs fell 9-3 in a non-conference game to Hamilton at 3 Legends Stadium. (Boxscore)
Left fielder Remington Howard had himself q pretty good week on Tuesday to lead the Eagles. Howard went 4 for 4 with a home run, two doubles, a walk, three runs scored and eight RBIs.
Kade Williams also added a blast in a three-hit day for Big Sky. Ethan Paugh hit two doubles, and Isaac Thorne and Mathew Doty each hit on.
In all, the Eagles pounded 19 hits in the win.
Gunner Bushman and Koyde Kjersten homered for the Bulldogs, who smoked 13 hits in the loss.
Calvin Cunningham, Evan McEwen and Logan Carden doubled hit doubles. Cunningham and Bushman each had three hits on the day. Carden and Kjersten each hit two.
Brooks Vincent and Chase Nasheim added hits for Butte High. Cayde Stajcar worked three walks. Cole Solomon walked once.
On Saturday, the Broncs scored seven runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back.
Connor Quinn and Jude Widmer doubled. Quinn also singled for the Broncs, while Jackson Lubke, Bridger Huddleston and Adrian Cardullo each hit a pair of singles.
Quinn pitched five innings giving up just one hit. Landon Ekin pitched the next two innings to finish off the victory for the Broncs.
Carden tripled for the Bulldogs. Kjersten and Stajcar singled. Carden, Kjersten, Stajcar, Bushman and Troy Samson worked walks for the Dogs.
Next up for the Bulldogs is Monday’s 5 p.m. game against Butte Central at 3 Legends Stadium. The game was moved to Monday earlier this week. It was originally set for March 31, but Mother Nature had other plans.
Maroons walk one off
Butte Central’s 8-7 walk-off win Saturday over Lone Peak highlighted the Maroons week on the baseball field. (Boxscore)
That came after BC dropped a 14-7 home game to Dillon last Wednesday. (Boxscore) Central then fell 8-2 Tuesday to Billings Central in Billings. (Boxscore)
Of course, we want to talk about the walk-off win first.
Senior centerfielder Trapper Stajcar singled in Jack Nagle for the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Maroons to victory. The game was scheduled for seven innings.
The game winner was the third hit of the game for Stajcar, BC’s leadoff hitter. That includes a double.
Stajcar also pitched three and two thirds innings of relief for the Maroons. Kelton Berger got one out for the win in relief, and Hassler pitched five strong innings to start things off.
Berger added a triple in the win, while Cohen Stajcar, Colt Hassler and Nagle doubled. Hassler and Berger also singled in the win. So did Beau McGree and Treigh Hollow.
Oliver McGuire and Jens Biggerstaff each poked three hits to lead Lone Peak. Biggertaff and Sidney Morris doubled, while Ebe Grabow and Steen Mitchell each hit two singles.
Sawyer Tackett went 4 for 5 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs to lead Dillon past the Maroons last Wednesday. Trenton Moreni added a pair of hits and three RBIs for the Beavers. His day included a triple.
Cohen Hartman tripled and scored four runs from the two hole.
Gunnar “Goo” O’Brien and Trapper Stajcar tripled for the Maroons. Hassler hit two doubles. Berger joined Trapper Stajcar with two hits in the loss. Hollow and Cohen Stajcar each added one.
Billings Central star Paxton Prill struck out 11 Maroons Tuesday in Billings. Porter Dahlberg tripled for the Rams, while Brendan Warn and Zach McDonald each hit a double.
Central finished the day with four hits — all singles. Trapper Stajcar hit two, while O’Brien and Hollow each added one.
The Maroons will play host to Livingston Saturday at 3 Legends Stadium before taking on the Bulldogs on Monday.
Dogs make progress on court
Butte High did not pick up any team wins as the Bulldog tennis teams went to Billings Saturday to take on Skyview and Senior.
Coach Paul Miranda’s squad, though, continued to make progress.
The Bulldog girls fell 7-1 to Skyview an 5-3 to Senior. The Butte boys lost 5-3 in both duals.
Ayva Gerry won a three-set match at No. 3 singles against Skyview.
Kenzie Read won a No. 4 match in three sets against Senior. Sienna Bradley and Chloe Jewell won at No. 3 doubles, and Lucy O’Leary and Emily Allred won at No. 4.
On the boys’ side, Tashi Hanley won in straight sets at No. 3 singles against Skyview. Briggs Jospeh teamed with Jaxon Jonart at No. 3 doubles for a win. Bryce Gratton and Marcus McMullen won at No. 4 doubles.
Against Senior, Josh Schrader and Hanley won singles matches, Schrader at No. 2 and Hanley at No. 3. Gratton and McMullen won in straight sets to pull off the 2-0 day.
Butte High will be in Missoula Saturday for a Western AA meet.
BC grabs court wins
We’re playing a little catchup with BC’s tennis results.
The Maroons played at the Fergus Invitational April 11 in Lewistown. Hayden Salmonsen and Emmitt Foley won a No. 4 doubles match against Lewistown in that tournament. Sofia Doto and Jaylee Williams teamed to take down their Livingston opponent at No. 2 doubles.
Doto won a singles match at Dillon on April 14. Presli Smith and Tessa Ganzenmuller won a doubles match. On the boys’ side, Joe Bradshaw picked up a singles win for the Maroons.
BC hosted Corvallis Saturday at Stodden Park, and Aidan McPartland picked up BC’s only win. He took a three-set thriller at No. 1 singles.
The Maroons played Tuesday at Belgrade, but results from that action was not provided in tome for this report. BC will head to Anaconda to take on the Copperheads Saturday.
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Cassidy’s 49 leads Week 1 of trap
Tim Cassidy broke 49 out of 50 targets to lead all shooters during the first week of the Butte Trap Club’s Spring League. (Complete results)
Kaden Hafer, Scott Irwin, Johm McIntosh, Walt McIntosh and Dave Vicevich each shot a 48 on Opening Night. Ten shooters finished at 47.
Rayelynn Brandl’s 46 was the best among female shooters. Jen Hislop shot a 45, while Gillian Clark shot a 44, Dawna Raiser shot a 43, and Ciana Dale shot a 42.
Stephen Frazee, Rial Gunlikson, John Lerum and Kevin Zimpel led wobble scores at 47.
Through one week, Edward Jones/Walt McIntosh lead scratch team standings at 190. Wolverine Systems is second at 187, and Triple S Construction is third at 182.
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Bulldog dynamic duo takes next step
Butte High stars taking talents to junior colleges
My son looked at me in disbelief as we stood on the running track at the Knights of Columbus and watched the Little Kids Hoops program one Saturday morning.
He could not believe what he was watching, and neither could I.
Grady was in kindergarten or first grade, and this one player with really long hair was impressing everybody, especially us. Temporary backboards are put on the main hoops for players in the second grade and under in the kids’ league, lowering the rims to about 7 feet from the ground.
But this player still stood out.
Every shot attempted was good. More importantly, this player made sure to share the ball to get some of the other boys and girls involved in the game.
Eventually, Grady tugged on my shirt as he looked at his future teammate and classmate in football and baseball at Butte High and said, “Dad, that girl is good.”
“Yeah, pal,” I said. “I don’t think that’s a girl.”
We were watching Cayde Stajcar play for the first time. We were both blown away.
It took a little longer for me to finally watch Hudson Luedtke in action. He was another athlete whose name we all knew long before he stepped onto a high school field or court. Like with Stajcar, he had the right DNA cocktail to be something special.
It wasn’t until Aug. 25, 2022 when I finally got to watch Luedke play, and he did not disappoint. Luedtke caught a 10-yard touchdown as Butte High beat Billings Senior 36-28 in a non-conference football game at Naranche Stadium. He was a freshman for the Bulldogs.
That same night, Stajcar, also a freshman, caught a touchdown. His went for 80 yards as Butte High’s newest dynamic duo put the rest of the state on notice.
I watched that night with the same awe that my son expressed when he saw Stajcar play for the first time. I couldn’t help but think that I might have just made a huge mistake.
Earlier that month, I decided to move away from my job as a full-time sportswriter so I could focus on my own thing.
I was incredibly burnt out after a decade of posting at least one story per day on ButteSports.com. I was tired from working so many hours and never being able to go to a family wedding or graduation party.
The main reason for that decision, though, was that my son was about start his high school career. After a more than two decades following around other people’s high school athletes, it was time that I got to watch my own for a change.
I was not going to miss his freshman football game in Helena because I had to cover a soccer game in Butte.
As I watched these two freshmen contribute to a varsity win — something I never thought I would type about a Class AA high school football game — I could not help but think I was about to miss out on four years of incredible writing moments.
Nothing makes writing about sports more fun than a great player. Having two superstars at once would be off the charts, and this was potentially the best two classmates at Butte High since Gary Kane and Todd Erickson with the Class of 1989.
Stajcar and Luedtke lived up to that billing, too. Stajcar stood out in football for the Bulldogs for three years before sitting out his senior season with a health issue. He played varsity basketball as a freshman and then returned to the team as a senior.
Of course, he was best known for his play on the baseball diamond. As a sophomore, he became the first Montana winner of the baseball Gatorade Player of the Year award. He is a slick-fielding shortstop all five tools.
Two weeks ago, Stajcar committed to play baseball at Central Arizona College. The Vaqueros play in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference. They are a five-time National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national champion in baseball, with the latest title coming in 2022.
While playing in junior college, Stajcar will be eligible to be drafted by a Major League Baseball team. He could also transfer to a four-year NCAA team down the road.
Luedtke will also get his start at a junior college program. In recent days, Luedtke committed to play for new coach Ty Larson at Casper College in Wyoming. The Thunderbirds play in the NJCAA Region IX (Division I).
This is a great opportunity for Luedtke, who did not get the offers from the bigger schools that he wanted after shattering Butte High’s all-time scoring record — despite being routinely double and triple teamed for his entire career.
Larson is an up-and-coming head coach, too. He recently coached under Bobby Hurley at Arizona State, but we will not hold that against him. Before that, Larson coached under Chris Beard and Rodney Terry at the University of Texas.
Or, as his father Matt Luedtke said, “He was flying first class with Beard recruiting 4- and 5-star guys. Now he is driving 7 hours to offer Hudson Luedtke.”
Hudson will definitely be worth the drive and the full-ride scholarship. He was a four-year All-State player in football and basketball for the Bulldogs. I don’t know of any other Montana athlete to ever pull off that trick.
Hudson worked harder at his craft than any player I have ever covered, and I cannot wait to see how great he is now that he will be able to focus on one sport.
My bet is that he will parlay his two years at Casper into multiple offers with NCAA Division I schools. If we’re lucky, he’ll come home to Montana to play.
His four years at Butte High were certainly fun to watch, and they went by way too fast. The same goes for Stajcar, who still has a month of playing time for Butte High on the baseball team.
Years from now, both are ticketed to the Butte Sports Hall of Fame, where they will go down with Kane and Ericson as one of the all-time great athletic duos.
Even though I did not get to cover their teams full-time as a sportswriter, I still had a good seat to watch the great era in Butte High sports. So, I don’t feel like I missed out on anything at all.
I still got to watch two great teammates who are as polite and humble as they are talented, and I loved every second of it.
The best thing, though, is that we know these two remarkable careers are still very far from being over.
Two brand-new fanbases are about to be as blown away as my son and I were when we watched that morning at the Knights of Columbus.
— Bill Foley, who was never fun to watch play anything, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74 or Bluesky at @foles74.bsky.social. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Gracie Jonart and Ryan Hanson
Butte High seniors Gracie Jonart and Ryan Hanson are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Jonart takes home the girls’ honor after another solid week playing for the Butte High softball team. The right fielder went 3 for 4 with three RBIs to help lead the Bulldogs to a 9-2 win over Helena High Wednesday in Helena.
A day earlier, Jonart added a base knock in a 7-4 home loss to Helena Capital.
Jonart is off to a hot start at the plate. Through four games and 15 plate appearances, Jonart is batting .467 with a 1.000 OPS. She has driven in four runs.
Jonart was also a key member for Butte High’s volleyball team.
Hanson receives the boys’ award after clearing a season-best 6 feet, 2 inches to win the high jump at Butte High’s dual track meet with Kalispell Glacier at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.
The jump reached a state qualifying mark, meaning Hanson booked a trip to the Class AA State meet, which is May 28-30 in Missoula.
The mark matched Hanson’s best competing for the Bulldogs, but he cleared 6-4 in an indoor meet March 7 in Bozeman. The trip to state will be the second straight for Hanson, who cleared 6 feet at last year’s meet in Kalispell.
He is also a threat to make state in the long jump and triple jump. Hanson was a key reserve on Butte High’s basketball team this past season, too.
For the fourth year, Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales staff that always has your back, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
Photos of Jonart and Hanson courtesy Alycia Holland Photography.
