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Butte Central Catholic Schools to celebrate Catholic Schools Week
Butte Central Catholic Schools will join more than 5,800 Catholic schools and more than 1.6 million U.S. students in the celebration of National Catholic Schools Week 2026.
The week-long celebration will begin Sunday, Jan. 25, and continue through Friday, Jan. 30. Twenty-three Montana Catholic Schools will participate in the event.
The national theme for 2026 is United in Faith and Community. The theme reflects the challenge of Catholic Schools to prepare future leaders of the Catholic Church.
Throughout the week, Butte Central Catholic Schools will hold a series of special events and activities to commemorate the week-long celebration. On Jan. 24- 25, Butte Central Catholic School parents will deliver “thank you” messages to parishioners at local Masses.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, an All School Mass will be held at St. Ann’s Church at 8:30 a.m. Students from Butte Central Catholic High School and Butte Central Catholic Elementary will be in attendance. The Mass, which will be celebrated by Bishop Vetter, is open to the community.
On Wednesday, Jan. 28, the Butte Central Education Foundation will hold its annual Awards and Dedication Ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Maroon Activities Center. Volunteers, benefactors, and alumni will be honored during the ceremony.
Additional information on the week-long celebration may be obtained by calling the BC Foundation Office at (406) 723-6706.
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Numbers show Maroons and Broncs were better than we thought
BC heads to Dillon while, Bulldog teams face Hellgate
While much of the postgame attention was directed at arguing about the officials on social media, last Tuesday’s boys’ basketball game between Butte Central and Frenchtown was an instant classic.
Central junior GG Fantini drove for a basket and a three-point play with .9 seconds on the clock as the Maroons pulled out a 74-71 Southwestern A win at the Maroon Activities Center.
That came after junior Hank Smith put on a cape to help the Broncs tie a game that looked like a sure loss. That included a baseline 3-pointer to tie the game at 71.
The clock did not stop in time after the officials granted BC coach Brodie Kelly a time out, and the clock was reset to 7.0 seconds. The Maroons then got the ball to Fantini, who knocked in the game winner and a foul shot.
Fans argued about whether it should have been called a charge or a block — and that is an argument that will even leave officials in disagreement. Let’s just say it was a close call, but it looked like Fantini went up for the shot before the defender gained legal guarding position. That would make it a block, which is what was called.
The No. 3Maroons and No. 5 Broncs will meet again Feb. 3 in Frenchtown, and all eyes will be on that game between the two powers from the Southwestern A.
Central junior Joshua Sutton joined Smith with 30 points in the classic game, but that is not the stat that Kelly looked at after going through the numbers.
Maroon coaches put some big-time stock into a statistic called “effective field goal percentage.” That is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that 3-point field goals count for three points, while all other field goals count for two. The purpose of the state is to show what field goal percentage a 2-point shooter would have to shoot at to match that output of a player who also shoots 3-ponters.
By that measurement, the Maroons shot 100 percent in the fourth quarter of win over the Broncs. Frenchtown shot 87.5 percent in the final frame. On the game, the Broncs shot 71 percent, four points higher than Central.
The Maroons did not shoot quite as well Saturday in Hamilton, but the Maroons still pulled out a 48-36 win to improve to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in Southwestern A play. Central’s only loss was to Butte High two nights before Christmas.
Central would like to duplicate its effort against Frenchtown Thursday when the Maroons head to Dillon to take on the Beavers (5-4, 1-0). Dillon is riding a four-game winning streak behind three players averaging in double figures scoring.
Cohen Hartman leads the way, averaging 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Braxtyn Turney adds 12 points per game, while Aason Munday brings 10.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest to the Beaver lineup.
Despite scoring just eight points last time out, Sutton is averaging 20.7 points per game for the Maroons. He is joined in double figures by sophomore Jaxon Hiatt with 10.3 points per game. Fantini scores 9.4, and senior Ryan Peoples adds 8.0. Junior Cade Kelly rounds out the starting lineup for BC, while freshmen Noah Sutton and Henley Mansanti and junior Burkley Lakkala are the first three off the bench.
The girls open the doubleheader at the B.W. Lodge Gymnasium at 6 p.m., and the boys will play at about 7:30.
No. 4 Dillon presents a very tough task for the BC girls (3-6, 1-2). The Beavers (8-1, 1-0) are riding a five-game winning streak since dropping a 46-40 decision to Billings Central Dec. 19 in Dillon.
Tess Tash is averaging 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game to lead the powerful Dillon lineup. Landri Hartman checks in with 15.1 points and 6.7 rebounds, while Cassie Keller and Kaitlyn Konen follow at 11.7 and 11.0.
Central’s girls got a boost to the lineup with the return of sophomore Kenzie McQueary from the lineup, but BC’s comeback bid fell just short in Saturday’s 35-31 loss at Hamilton.
The Maroons, though, were without classmate Natalie Osterman, who suffered an injury playing in a junior varsity game against Stevensville on Jan. 10.
Eighth grader Jordyn Samson’s 9.7 points per game leads the BC lineup. Sophomore Zayonna Otherbull is averaging 7.7 points and 5.2 boards, and junior Rylee Forbes pulls down 8.1 rebounds to go along with 4.8 points per game.
Sophomore Braelynn Schelin and senior Arika Stajcar start for the Maroons, who get contributions off the bench form eighth graders Luci Fantini and Mila Carriger, sophomores Evyn Smith and Jaedyn Maldonad, junior Marly Mansanti and senior Caden Tippett.
The Maroons will play Corvallis on Saturday. The boys will be on the road, while the girls host the Blue Devils at the MAC.
Bulldogs eye Knights
Butte High’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will each play just one varsity game this week, and that will be Thursday against Missoula Hellgate.
The boys host the Knights at the Ross J. Richardson Memorial Gymnasium, while the Bulldog girls heat to Zootown. Both Western AA games tip off at 7 p.m.
On the girls’ side, the Bulldogs (6-3, 4-0) are riding a four-game winning streak, and all four of those victories came in conference play. The includes last week’s sweep of the Helena schools.
Junior guard Cadence Graham, who scored 28 points in last Thursday’s win over Helena Capital, averages 18.9 points per game. Classmate Allie Becker moved her average to 10.1 points per game with a career-high 21 points in Saturday’s 74-41 rout at Helena High.
Junior guard Autumn Clary, a defensive specialist with scoring potential, joins Graham, Becker and seniors Franki Salusso and Emma Johnson in the starting lineup. Freshmen Saege Grey and Elli Graham and junior Kendallyn Schad have contributed in all nine Bulldog games. Juniors Reese Johnson, Ellie Yates and Avery Barsness and sophomore Stella Callaghan have also played varsity for Butte High.
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 4 in the latest 406 MT Sports rankings. Hellgate (7-1, 4-0) is No. 5.
Paisley Johnson, a 5-foot-10 junior, averages 12.6 points per game for the Knights.
For the boys, the Bulldogs (8-1, 3-1) remain in the top spot. Hellgate (6-2, 3-1) is No. 5 after last week’s 58-49 loss at Helena High.
The Bulldogs beat Helena High 75-65 Saturday, bouncing back from their first loss of the season, Thursday’s 47-43 loss at Helena Capital.
Hudson Luedtke was held to a season-low 10 points in the loss, but he bounced back with 35 points in the win over the Bengals. The frontrunner for the Gatorade is averaging 27 points per game on the season. He also leads the Class AA in assists.
The Bulldogs will literally face a tall task in taking on the Knights. Zane Gillhouse, a 6-5 senior, averages 15.3 points per game, while 6-3 senior Spencer Wayland adds 13.3 points per game. Liam Dick, a 6-7 sophomore, adds 10.7 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Butte High’s 6-9 sophomore Brady Hanson scored 12 points last time out. Senior Cayde Stajcar tossed in 10.
Seniors Mitch Verlanic and Josh Liston round out the starting five for Butte High. Seniors Rhett Arntson, Kendel Noctor, Ryan Hanson and James Peraston are the first players off the bench. Senior Kaleb Celli and juniors Raeder Grey, Brady Walsh and Koda Schleeman have also seen varsity time for the Dogs.
Dogs, Maroons place at Fisher
Butte High freshman Renzy LeProwse won the 103-pound title at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic, which was held Friday and Saturday in Missoula. Several blocks away, Bulldog senior Mattie Stepan won her weight class at the Hellgate Girls’ Wrestling Invitational.
That, though, was not the end of the Butte wrestling success last weekend in Missoula.
Butte High and Butte Central grapplers also found success at the John Fisher meet at Missoula Big Sky.
Bulldog Crew O’Connor won the 103-pound division, while Butte Central’s Jampel Hanley took the top spot in the 103A division.
Harlas Hicks placed second at 150B.
Butte High saw a handful of wrestlers place third in the divisions. They are Aiden Much (150A), Andrew Baca (132B), Austen Belisario (126A), Hunter Rees (118A) and Joey Ward (132A.
Central’s Jace Rauch placed third at 103, while Bradon Armstrong (118A), Brekyn Armstrong (132A), Kelsen Brackett (126A) and Kohler Sparks (126A) all placed fourth.
Butte High will send its varsity team to the Class AA Duals Saturday in Great Falls. The Bulldog boys and girls will take on Missoula Sentinel next Thursday (Jan. 29) at the Butte High old gym. That will be Senior Night.
The Maroons, meanwhile, will be in Frenchtown for a meet this Thursday. Action begins at 5 p.m.
Swimmers back in Butte
The swimming teams from Butte High and Butte Central will be back in action Saturday at the Mining City Invitational at the Butte Family YMCA.
Action begins at noon.
We are heading toward crunch time of the swimming season, with just a few meets left before the Feb. 12-14 State meet in Great Falls.
Butte High will host the Butte Invite on Jan. 30 before heading to Missoula for a meet on Jan. 31. Central’s schedule also lists a “Butte Crosstown” event on Monday, Feb. 2.
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Butte Sports Hall of Fame will hold public forum Monday at McQueen Club
The Butte Sports Hall of Fame public forum will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the McQueen Club.
This forum will give the public the chance to speak on behalf of nominees for the Butte Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which will be announced in February. The induction ceremonies will be held July 24-25 at the Butte Civic Center.
Each speaker will be asked to limit his or her talk to 3 minutes per candidate. The Hall of Fame will also accept new nominations, though it will ask for documentation to back it up.
Any candidate nominated in the past is still nominated for this time around.
Selection committee members are Jim Street, Jason Alexander, Dave Dunmire, Michele Shea, Gina Evans, Cathy Tutty, Ray Jay Johnson, Matt Vincent, Krystin Mengon Lee, Jaison Carriger, Meg Muprhy and Scott Mansanti.
Candidates in the veteran and contributor categories will be voted on by members of the Butte Sports Hall of Fame. The ballots were sent out last week and are due back by Feb. 9.
Any Hall of Famers who did not receive a ballot should contact Bill Foley, Butte Sports Hall of Fame executive director, at (406) 491-3022 or foles74@gmail.com.
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Despite the school district silence, there is a silver lining to Wetzel’s story
Do not count on Butte School District No. 1 reinstating Shawn Wetzel as a volunteer assistant boys’ basketball coach, a position he held the past several years.
Do not count on that even after Cassie Congdon, the woman who allegedly punched, kicked and spit on Wetzel as he refereed during the Santa Slammer youth basketball tournament Dec. 6 in Anaconda, resigned as girls’ soccer coach at Flathead High School in Kalispell.
Do not count on that if or when charges are filed against Congdon in the Smelter City.
Do not count on that if you pack the next school board meeting, which is 5 p.m. Tuesday at East Middle School, to speak up for Wetzel.
Do not count on that even though Moon Shoot Athletics is selling “Free Wetz” T-shirts and hoodies. Do not count on it even if every person in attendance at the next Bulldog basketball game wears that shirt or hoodie, though that would be beautiful.
The district appears to be dead set against bringing Wetzel back, and they are not saying a word about it publicly. Superintendent Judy Jonart and assistant superintendent Keith Miller have ignored my emails asking about the situation.
In general, school administrators love to hide behind the “can’t talk about personnel matters” doctrine. The coach who was dismissed is left hanging in the wind while his “privacy” works as a shield to protect the administrators who gave him the boot, justified or not.
But my ignored emails to Jonart and Miller were not asking them to comment on personnel matters. I was asking why I did not see any mention of any votes on removing Wetzel on the school board agendas. I asked if they could point me to where I might be able to find it if I missed it.
They did not even email back to say they cannot comment.
Multiple people told me that Congdon or her husband reached out to the school district to complain about Wetzel after the incident, though I have seen nothing official about that. I did see an email that Congdon’s husband, C.J., sent to Bill Hill, the tournament director of the Santa Slammer.
In that email, C.J. Congdon wrote, “The stands were full of young children, and the referee was yelling obscenities into the crowd.” The purpose of the email, he wrote, was to get the name of the referee so he could file a complaint.
Wetzel said that he tried to calm down the crowd of yelling parents. When he was getting nowhere in that attempt, he eventually got frustrated and told them to “shut the (expletive) up or get out.” He said he did not call anyone any names, as C.J. Congdon alleged. Multiple witnesses have backed up Wetzel’s side of the story.
No matter what Wetzel said, there was no reason for him to be kicked, punched and spit on. Nobody deserves that, and the “he called me a name” defense will not fly in any court of law.
So good luck with that.
Is this incident and the complaint that followed the reason Wetzel was told the next week that he would not be able to coach with the Bulldogs this season? Again, we do not know because the school district is not saying anything.
If there is another reason why Wetzel was removed as an assistant coach, the school district could have made an easy statement to clear things up without talking about any specific personnel matter.
They could have said, “No alleged incidents at a youth basketball tournament in Anaconda have impacted any hiring decisions by School District No. 1.”
Pretty simple. Then they could have gone back to hiding behind the former coach’s privacy.
When school administrators ignore questions from the media, they are ignoring the public that pays their salaries. Even more, they are making it seem like Wetzel is being punished for being part of an altercation in which he was clearly the victim of a physical attack.
Observers of the security footage at Anaconda’s Memorial Gym told me that the video, which has been sent to Anaconda police, shows Wetzel being attacked. They said it was “bad.”
Of course, if the altercation was not the reason he was removed, we would have many more questions. Did the district violate its own policy by allowing Wetzel to coach in the weeks leading up to the incident, if he was not approved ahead of time?
We would wonder why Wetzel, a coach the players seem to adore, was not allowed to coach this year when he was allowed to coach in previous years. He has not been charged with any felonies since his last background check.
Is it because they do not like some of his political posts on Facebook? Or does his chill attitude just seem to rub some people the wrong way? Or is it something else?
Why are we holding our volunteer assistant basketball coaches to higher standards than we hold our teachers, principals, administrators and school board members? Are principals and teachers removed from their jobs because someone high up in the district personally dislikes them?
Those are questions, and many more, that are brought up by the silence of the district administration. That silence has made a bad situation worse and more confusing.
Two weeks ago, I wrote about the incident involving Wetzel, and it went viral. Wetzel has been on multiple television stations, and I was asked to join the Nate Brown Show on FOX Sports Radio in Rapid City, South Dakota to talk about it.
The column has had more than 132,000 views on Facebook. It included so many shares and comments that it is almost impossible to keep up with.
Not one comment that I saw, however, was negative toward Wetzel. He is enjoying a nearly 100 percent approval rating on this issue. It seems like everyone is supportive of the official who was allegedly attacked, and they do not like the alleged attacker.
In the wake of the column, everyone seems to be in support of all youth sports officials. I have not seen that kind of unity in America since Sept. 12, 2001. People who wear a red tie were in complete agreement with those who wear a blue one.
Wetzel’s popularity around the Treasure State certainly helped with that. That is why I call him the “Mayor of Montana.”
While Wetzel will likely not be rejoining a Bulldog team that just might be the best Butte High team since John Thatcher’s glory days from 2004 through 2007, there is definitely a silver lining to this story.
Wetzel talked about the incident publicly. He did it even though it hurt him emotionally. He did it even though he was embarrassed. Doing that was brave, and it will benefit youth officials around the country.
The story went so far and wide that the next time a mom or dad gets heated at a youth basketball game, they just might think about the Wetzel situation.
Maybe they will put themselves in Wetzel’s shoes. Moreover, many more will think about how that former soccer coach tarnished her own reputation with the alleged attack and complaints about the guy she allegedly attacked.
Charges or not, nobody wants to be in her shoes right now.
That, I believe, is something we can all count on.
— Bill Foley, who will not be wearing any shirts or hoodies with Wetzel’s mug on them, 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: Renzy LeProwse and Mattie Stepan
Butte High wrestlers Renzy LeProwse and Mattie Stepan are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after a solid weekend for Butte wrestling in Missoula.
LeProwse, a freshman, takes home the boys’ honor after winning the 103-pound division at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic at Missoula Sentinel. He pinned Dylan Coulson of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 1 minute, 49 seconds in the championship match.
LeProwse finished third in that weight class two weeks earlier at the Tom LeProwse Invitational in Bozeman. He took fifth at 103 pounds at the Class AA State meet last February in Billings.
Stepan receives the girls’ honor after winning her weight class at the Hellgate Girls’ Wrestling Invitational. She beat Ronan’s Leona Dodson Howe in a 13-9 thriller in the championship match.
The title comes after Stepan placed fourth in her weight class at the State meet last February. She is also a standout for the Butte High softball team. Stepan played soccer for the first time for the Bulldogs last fall.
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 LeProwse and Stepan were provided by Alycia Holland Photography.
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Bulldogs, Maroons impress in pool
GREAT FALLS — Butte High and Butte Central swimmers put some impressive marks Saturday at a meet with schools from Great Falls, Bozeman, Helena and Belgrade.
The Bulldog boys placed fifth at the event, while he Butte High girls captured sixth.
Freshman Adalie Grochowski and senior Tatum Trefts had the best day of all the Bulldog swimmers. Trefts won the 100 breaststroke, while Grochowski placed second in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 backstroke.
Junior Alaina Grochowski placed third in the 100 breaststroke, and senior Olivia Thurmond finished eighth in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
Bella Corrales took seventh in the 50 freestyle. Trefts, Thurmond and the Grochowskis took third in the 200 medley relay.
Senior Nathan Stone paced the Bulldog boys in the meet. He placed fifth in the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke.
Freshman Alex Sonnemahttps://www.leskovarhonda.comn posted a best time in he 100 backstroke to place fifth.
Junior Gage Plum posted a personal record in the 200 freestyle, placing sixth. He also had a PR in the 500 freestyle to capture eighth.
Sophomore Grayson Lynch placed eighth in the 100 backstroke to place eighth. Classmate Gunnar Benson dropped 8 seconds from his best 100 butterfly time to place 10th.
Plum, Ayvahn Mann, Stone and Sonnemann placed fifth in the 200 medley relay. Butte High’s team of Jorden Sonneman, Elgiin Hoar, Benson and Sam Cunneen took 10th in the same event.
Sonnemann, Lynch, Tucker Kissell and Stone took third in the 200 freestyle relay. Kissell, Mann, Lynch and Plum took seventh in the 400 freestyle relay.
“Everyone competed hard today,” Bulldog coach Lynn Shrader said. “Almost every swimmer had a best time. They have been working hard in practice, and it is showing.”
Butte Central sent six swimmers to the meet, and three scored.
Junior Morgan Hardy placed eighth in the 500 freestyle and ninth in the 100 backstroke for the BC girls. Tia Thompson placed 13th in the 200 individual medley.
On the boys’ side, freshman Shamus Peck. Took ninth in the 100 butterfly and 10th in the 200 individual medley. Classmate Connor Hardy took 10th in the 100 backstroke.
The Butte swimmers will compete at the Mining City Invitational Saturday at the YMCA.
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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. 19.
Monday
6 p.m. — ButteSports vs. Poi Time
7 p.m. — ButteSports vs. HoopballasTuesday
7 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Hoopballas vs. Kenworthy
9 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Someday StartersWednesday
7 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Washington GeneralsThursday
7 p.m. — City Boys vs. Kenworthy
8 p.m. — City Boys vs. Someday Starters
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LeProwse, Stepan bring home titles as Bulldogs impress on Missoula mats
MISSOULA — Saturday was a good day for the Butte High wrestling teams.
Butte High’s boys placed third at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic at Missoula Sentinel. Across town, the Bulldog girls finished a close second at the Hellgate Girls’ Wrestling Invitational at Missoula Hellgate.
Freshman Renzy LeProwse brought home a boys’ title, while senior Mattie Stepan won a girls’ crown to highlight the day for the Bulldogs.
Mead, Washington won the team title at the two-day Rocky Mountain Classic with 267.5 points. Flathead took second at 212, and Butte High finished third at 212.
LeProwse pinned Dylan Coulson of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in 1 minute, 49 seconds to win the 103-pound division. That came just two weeks after LeProwse placed third at the Tom LeProwwse Invitational in Bozeman.
Bulldogs Keegan Hunt and Ryder McEwen placed second in their weight classes, Hunt at 110 pounds and McEwen at 150. Bridger Garrison took third at 157 pounds, and Darryn Rossiter took fourth at 126.
Also, Reveles McEwen took fifth at 118, and Bulldog teammate Bradey Doyle placed fifth at 132.
At Hellgate, Ronan edged the Bulldogs 169 to 168.5 to win the team title. Flathead placed third at 160.
Stepan beat Ronan’s Leona Dodson Howe in a 13-9 thriller in the championship match of the 155-pound division.
Teammate Peyton Liva placed second at 100 pounds, while Adalie Hazlett took third at 120 pounds.
Bulldogs Alli Ballenski, Jessica Blow, Loretta Matteson and Sage Queer placed fifth in their weight classes.
Butte High’s boys will head to the Class AA Duals next Saturday in Great Falls. The next action for the Butte High girls’ varsity squad is a Jan. 29 dual with Missoula Sentinel in Butte. The Bulldog Girls will head to the Big Sky AA Duals on Jan. 31.
Full results from the Rocky Mountain Classic and Hellgate Girls’ Wrestling Invitational can be found on trackwrestling.com.
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Maroons split in Hamilton
HAMILTON — Butte Central’s varsity basketball teams split a boys-girls doubleheader with Hamilton Saturday afternoon.
The Maroons won the boys’ game 48-36 before Hamilton held off the Central girls 35-31.
Central’s teams will play another Southwestern A doubleheader Thursday in Dillon.
GIRLS
Hamilton 35, Butte Central 31
The Maroons ran out of time.Central outscored Hamilton 21-13 in the second half, but Hamilton built a 22-8 lead before the break.
Anna Lewis scored 12 points to lead three Broncs in double figures in the win. Meryn Leonardi scored 10.
Rylee Forbes poured in 12 points to lead the Maroons. She scored six points in each half. The Maroons. Braelynn Schelin scored six points, while Jordyn Samson and Kenzie McQueary each tossed in four, Zayonna Otherbull tallied three, and Luci Fantini scored two. Arika Stajcar, Evyn Smith and Jaedyn Maldonado also contributed to the BC effort.
“We played really well,” BC coach Quinn Carter said. “I’m proud of them for getting back into the game.”
BUTTE CENTRAL (3-6, 1-2) — Jordyn Samson 1 2-2 4, Zayonna Otherbull 1 1-2 3, Rylee Forbes 5 2-3 12, Braelynn Schelin 2 0-0 6, Arika Stajcar 0 0-0 0, Kenzie McQueary 2 0-0 4, Evyn Smith 0 0-0 0, Jaedyn Maldonado 0 0-0 0, Luci Fantini 0 2-2 2. Totals 11 7-9 31.
HAMILTON — Anna Lewis 5 2-6 12, Meryn Leonardi 3 2-2 11, Elise Carroll 0 0-0 0, Loretta Hanson 0 0-0 0, Ashlynn McKern 3 2-6 10, Nellie Dickemore 0 0-0 0, Kassidee McKern 0 0-0 0, Raryn Hochhalter 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 6-14 35.
Central 6 4 11 10 — 31
Hamilton 15 7 8 5 — 35
3-point goals — BC 2 (Schelin 2), Hamilton 5 (Leonardi 3, A. McKern 2). Fouls — BC 13, Hamilton 12. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.BOYS
Butte Central 48, Hamilton 36
On Tuesday, the Maroons shot lights out. On Saturday, they struggled to buy a bucket. BC connected on just 2 of 16 shots from 3-point range.Still, BC pulled out a hard-fought victory that kept them undefeated against Class A competition.
GG Fantini and Jaxon Hiatt each scored 12 points to lead the way for BC, which improved to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in Southwestern A play. Ryan Peoples and Joshua Sutton each scored eight points for the Maroons, while Cade Kelly scored four, and Noah Sutton joined Burkley Lakkala with two.
Kelly also grabbed eight rebounds for central. Fantini pulled down six.
Trevyn Bakken led the Broncs with 12 points, while Cartier Ferguson scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
BUTTE CENTRAL (8-1, 3-0) —Ryan Peoples 3 1-3 8, Cade Kelly 2 0-0 4, Joshua Sutton 3 1-1 8, GG Fantini 6 0-0 12, Jaxon Hiatt 6 0-0 12, Noah Sutton 1 0-0 2, Henly Mansanti 0 0-0 0, Burkley Lakkala 1 0-2 2, Gunnar O’Brien 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 2-6 48.
HAMILTON (3-7, 1-1) — Kaeden Gum 0 0-0 0, Jake McCarthy 2 0-0 2, Easton Hollis. 1 0-0 2, Trevyn Bakken 5 0-0 12, Cartier Ferguson 4 2-2 11, Taylor Doleac 1 0-2 3, Cash Lockhart 2 2-4 6, Cooper Weston 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 4-8 36.
Central 12 14 8 14 — 48
Hamilton 6 10 10 10 — 36
3-point goals — BC 2 (Peoples, J. Sutton), Hamilton 4 (Bakken 2, Ferguson, Doleac). -
Bulldogs take two from Bengals
Butte High’s varsity basketball teams picked up Western AA wins over Helena High Saturday.
The Bulldog boys knocked off the Bengals 75-65 at the Richardson Gym, bouncing back from their lone loss of the season. In Helena, Butte High’s girls made it look easy with a 74-41 victory.
Butte High’s teams will take on Missoula Hellgate on Thursday. The girls will hit the road, while the boys play at the Richardson Gym.
BOYS
Butte High 75, Helena High 65
Hudson Luedtke poured in 35 points as the Bulldogs bounced back from Thursday’s loss at Helena Capital in a big way.Luedtke reached that big number despite not scoring a point in the first quarter. He scored 15 in the second quarter, seven in the third and 13 in the fourth. He hit 13 of 15 shots from the free throw line, including a 9-for-11 effort in the final frame as the Bulldogs held off the Bengals.
Brady Hanson added 12 points, and Cayde Stajcar scored 10 for Butte High, which improved to 8-1 overall and 3-1 in conference. Rhett Arntson came off the bench to score nine points, Josh Liston netted seven, and Mitch Verlanic scored two.
James Pearson, Kendel Noctor and Ryan Hanson also contributed for Butte High.
Tyse Todorovich scored 22 points to lead the Bengals, who fell to 5-3 and 2-2. Chase Foster came off the bench to score 20, and Gracen Silvonen scored 13.
HELENA HIGH (5-3, 2-2) — Pacer Lybert 0 1-2 1, Reece Silvonen 1 0-0 2, Seth Lieberg 3 0-2 7, Gracen Silvonen 4 3-4 13, Tyse Todorovich 8 2-4 22, Chase Foster 6 5-55 20, Cayden OneSpot-Danforth 0 0-0 0, Kale Day 0 0-0 0, Brayden Garza 0 0-0 0, Seth Kiser 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 11-17 65.
BUTTE HIGH (8-1, 3-1) — Cayde Stajcar 4 2-5 10, Hudson Luedtke 10 13-15 35, Mitch Verlanic 1 0-0 2, Josh Liston 2 1-4 7, Brady Hanson 4 4-4 12, Rhett Arntson 2 3-4 9, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, Ryan Hanson 0 0-0 0, James Pearston 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 23-32 75.
Helena 8 19 13 25 — 65
Butte 11 19 20 25 — 75
3-point goals — Helena 10 (Todorovich 4, Foster 3, G. Silvonen 2, Lieberg), Butte 6 (Luedtke 2, Liston 2, Arntson 2). Fouls — Helena 27, Butte 17. Fouled out — R. Silvonen. Technicals — none.GIRLS
Butte High 74, Helena High 41
HELEN — Allie Becker, Cadence Graham and Elli Graham combined for 51 points as the Bulldogs won their fourth straight game — this time in convincing fashion.Becker scored a career-high 21 points to lead the way. Eli Graham came off the bench to sink four 3-pointers and scored 16 points, and Cadence Graham tallied 14 in the win.
Eight different Bulldogs scored in a Butte victory that was never in doubt. Saege Grey scored eight for the Bulldogs, who got six from Autumn Clary, four apiece from Franki Salusso and Emma Johnson and one from Stella Callaghan.
Reese Johnson, Avery Barsness and Kendallyn Schad also contributed for the Bulldogs, who rolled their record to 4-0 in conference and 6-3 overall.
Lauryn Lieberg’s 16 points pace Helena, which fell to 1-3 and 3-6.
BUTTE HIGH (6-3, 4-0) — Allie Becker 8 3-3 21, Cadence Graham 4 5-8 14, Autumn Clary 3 0-0 6, Franki Salusso 2 0-0 4, Emma Johnson 1 2-2 4, Elli Graham 5 2-2 16, Saege Grey 3 2-4 8, Kendallyn Schad 0 0-0 0, Avery Barsness 0 0-0 0, Reese Johnson 0 0-0 0, Stella Callaghan 0 1-2 1. Totals 26 15-21 74.
HELENA HIGH (3-6, 1-3) — Lauryn Lieberg 5 6-7 16, Dakota Lieberg 2 2-6 7, Alexa Lundstrom 2 0-0 5, McKenna Pipinich 1 0-0 2, Kortney McKay 1 0-0 3, Emmie Bermingham 0 0-0 0, Izzy Lundstron 0 0-0 0, Maddie McCullough 1 0-0 3, Presley Swenson 0 0-0 0, Jessie Leland 0 0-0 0, Cassidy Smith 1 1-2 3, Greta Peterson 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 9-17 41.
Butte 22 16 21 15 — 74
Helena 8 10 8 15 — 41
3-point goals — Butte 7 (E. Graham 4, Becker 2, C. Graham), Helena 4 (D. Lieberg, Lundstrom, McKay, McCullough). Fouls — Butte 15, Helena 16. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 