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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Emma Johnson and Owen McPartland
Butte High junior Emma Johnson and Butte Central senior Owen McPartland are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after each helped their basketball teams pick up two crucial conference wins on the week.
The 5-foot-11 Johnson takes home the girls’ honor after coming off the bench to score 17 points as the Bulldogs avenged a road loss to Kalispell Flathead with a 70-40 rout of the Bravettes Saturday at the Butte Civic Center.
Johnson sank three 3-pointers as the Bulldogs went wire to wire for the victory that lifted the Bulldog record to 7-4 in the Western AA and 11-5 overall. She also grabbed five rebounds in the victory. One day earlier, Johnson scored five points to help the Bulldogs knock off Kalispell Glacier 52-45 at the Civic Center.
Johnson finished the weekend with four 3-pointers, giving her a total of six on the season. She has played in each of Butte High’s 16 games, scoring 76 points.
The 5-11 McPartland receives the boys’ nod after he scored a total of 64 points in an amazing two-game stretch as the Maroons avenged losses to Frenchtown and Hamilton.
On Thursday, McPartland scored 32 points to help Central to a 78-75 double-overtime win over Frenchtown as BC celebrated Senior Night at the Maroon Activities Center. (Note: the book had McPartland for 31 points, but BC coach Brodie Kelly reviewed the video and said he had 32.)
Two nights later, McPartland scored 32 points again, this time in a thrilling 58-55 win at Hamilton, lifting BC to 8-8 overall and 5-3 in Southwestern A play.
“He was unbelievable,” Kelly said of McPartland, who is averaging 18.9 points per game on the season. He scored 303 points in BC’s 16 games.
For the third year, Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
Photo of Johnson courtesy of Alycia Holland Photography. McPartland photo courtesy of Josie Trudgeon Photography.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of Feb. 17.
The season-ending double-elimination tournament for the Winter League will begin Feb. 24. The schedule for that tournament will be posted next Sunday.
Monday
7 p.m. — Parish vs. Poi Time
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Cook
9 p.m. — Cook vs. Washington GeneralsTuesday
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Someday StartersWednesday
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Washington Generals
8 p.m. — Someday Starters vs. Poi Time
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Butte High, Butte Central boxscores
Butte High’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams picked up their second Western AA sweeps in as many days Saturday. This time it was against Kalispell Flathead at the Butte Civic Center.
Butte High’s boys beat the Braves 75-67 before the girls completed the sweep with a 70-40 rout of the Bravettes.
Butte Central’s teams, meanwhile, went to Hamilton and split with the Broncs. Hamilton won the girls’ game before the BC boys avenged a home loss to the Broncs with a 58-55 victory.
Owen McPartland poured in 32 points to lead the Maroon in the boys’ battle. Hamilton star Canaan Magness scored 27. Ashlynn McKern’s 18 points paced Hamilton’s girls. Rylee Forbes led BC with 10.
Brityn Stewart hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 points to lead a balanced Butte High attack in the girls’ game. Emma Johnson came off the bench to sink three 3-pointers and joined Cadence Graham with 17 points.
In the boys’ game, Hudson Luedtke scored 22 points. But Braylon Larson was the star of the game. He scored a career-high 20 points while pulling down 14 rebounds.
We will have more on these games in Wednesday’s ButteCast SportsCap.
GIRLS
Butte High 70, Kalispell Flathead 40
KALISPELL FLATHEAD (2-13, 1-9) — Caitlin Converse 1 0-0 3, Sami Dalager 2 3-4 7, Ava Malmin 1 1-3 4, Grace Gall 2 3-5 8, Mattie Thompson 4 0-0 8, Makenna Aldrich 4 1-2 9, Teagan Flint 0 0-0 0, Gracie Mae Kilmer 0 0-0 0, Taylor Greene 0 1-2 1. Totals 14 9-17 40.
BUTTE HIGH (11-5, 7-4) — Dylann Bartoletti 0 0-0 0, Cadence Graham 4 9-19 17, Brityn Stewart 9 0-0 23, Addelei Hiatt 0 2-2 2, Franki Salusso 1 2-2 4, Emma Johnson 6 2-2 17, Allie Becker 1 0-2 2, Sidney Whitaker 1 0-0 3, Ellison Graham 0 0-0 0, Sage Grey 0 0-0 0, Gracie Jonart 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 16-20 70.
Flathead 7 8 8 17 — 40
Butte 19 19 18 14 — 70
3-point goals — Flathead 3 (Converse, Malmin, Gall), Butte 10 (Stewart 5, Johnson 3, C. Graham, Whitaker). Fouls — Flathead 11, Butte 13. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.Hamilton 40, Butte Central 25
BUTTE CENTRAL (5-11, 3-5) — Evyn Smith 1 1-2 4, Kenzie McQueary 0 2-2 2, Zayonna Otherbull 3 0-2 6, Rylee Forbes 5 0-0 10, Arika Stajcar 0 0-0 0, Braelynn Schelin 0 0-0 0, Jaedyn Maldonado 1 1-4 3, Marly Mansanti 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 4-10 25.
HAMILTON (5-11, 3-3) — Annalise Lewis 1 1-6 3, Meryn Leonardi 0 0-0 0, Ella Griffin 4 0-0 8, Ashlynn McKern 5 6-8 18, Mariah Domingo 1 0-0 2, Tricia Wilson 1 5-8 8, Elise Carroll 0 0-0 0, Loretta Hanson 0 0-0 0, Kassidee McKern 0 1-1 1. Totals 12 13-24 40.
Central 8 3 6 8 — 25
Hamilton 7 7 7 19 — 40
3-point goals — BC 1 (Smith), Hamilton 3 (A. McKern 2, Wilson). Fouls — BC 18, Hamilton 10. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.BOYS
Butte High 75, Kalispell Flathead 67
KALISPELL FLATHEAD (2-13, 0-10) — Jordan Griffin 7 1-5 17, Lyric Ersland 6 1-1 14, Noah Sonju 5 2-2 14, Colin Smith 1 0-0 2, Korbin Eaton 5 2-2 14, Cam Wells 0 0-0 0, Lance Schneller 0 0-0 0, Eli Coopman 0 0-0 0, Boston Case 0 1-2 1, Brodee Zahn 5 2-2 14, Ben Reicher 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 7-12 67.
BUTTE HIGH (11-5, 7-4) — Tocher Lee 2 2-2 7, Dylan Bache 4 5-6 13, Torre Tempel 2 0-0 4, Hudson Luedtke 7 6-9 22, Braylon Larson 7 6-6 20, Spencer Callaghan 2 0-0 6, Brady Hanson 1 1-1 3, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, Kyler Kjersten 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 20-24 75.
Flathead 14 18 18 17 — 67
Butte 22 19 14 20 — 75
3-point goals — Flathead 8 (Griffin 2, Zahn 2, Eaton 2, Ersland, Sonju), Butte 5 (Callaghan 2, Luedtke 2, Lee). Fouls — Flathead 18, Butte 12. Fouled out — Sonju. Technicals — none.Butte Central 58, Hamilton 55
BUTTE CENTRAL (8-8, 5-3) — Ryan Peoples 2 2-2 7, Josh Sutton 3 2-2 10, GG Fantini 0 0-0 0, Jaxon Hiatt 2 2-2 6, Owen McPartland 11 8-10 32, Noah Sutton 0 0-0 0, Patrick Stimatz 0 0-0 0, Cade Kelly 1 0-0 3. Totals 19 14-16 58.
HAMILTON (8-7, 4-3) — Kaeden Gum 1 2-2 2, Jake McCarthy 3 2-2 10, Landen Wetzel 1 3-6 5, Canaan Magness 11 2-4 27, Tyler Jette 3 1-5 7, Cahs Luckhart 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 10-19 55.
Central 18 17 5 18 — 58
Hamilton 17 9 12 17 — 55
3-point goals — BC 6 (J. Sutton 2, McPartland 2, Peoples, Kelly), Hamilton 5 (Magness 3, McCarthy 2). Fouls — 15, Hamilton 15. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.
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Butte High-Glacier boxscores
Butte High swept a Western AA basketball doubleheader with Kalispell Glacier Friday at the Butte Civic Center.
Butte High’s boys won the opener 71-65 before the Bulldog girls completed the sweep with a 52-45 victory. Cadence Graham scored 21 points to lead the Butte girls. Brityn Stewart added 17 points.
Hudson Ludtke’s 17 points led a balanced butte High attack in the boys’ game. Bryalon Larson scored 14, while Spencer Callaghan and Dylan “Bobby” Bache each tossed in 11. Tocher Lee and Torre Tempel scored nine apiece.
Butte High will host Kalispell flathead in a twin bill Saturday. The boys’ varsity game starts at 3 p.m., while the girls follow at 4:30.
GIRLS
Butte High 52, Kalispell Glacier 45KALISPELL GLACIER(7-7, 4-5) — Karley Allen 2 0-0 5, Allie Krueger 3 2-5 8, Madi Stevens 0 0-0 0, Reese Ramey 6 4-4 18, Cazz Rankosky 2 0-0 5, Rylee Bigelow 2 0-0 4, Lucy Holloway 2 0-0 5, Olivia Warriner 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 6-9 45.
BUTTE HIGH (10-5, 6-4) — Dylann Bartoletti 1 0-0 3, Cadence Graham 5 9-14 21, Brityn Stewart 4 7-8 16, Addelei Hiatt 1 1-1 3, Franki Salusso 1 0-0 2, Allie Becker 1 0-2 2, Emma Johnson 2 0-0 5, Ellison Graham 0 0-0 0, Sidney Whitaker 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 17-25 52.
Glacier 8 8 14 15 — 45
Butte 6 14 20 12 — 52
3-point goals — Glacier 5 (Ramey 2, Allen, Rankosky, Holloway), Butte 5 (C. Graham 2, Bartoletti, Stewart, Johnson). Fouls — Glacier 22, 10. Fouled out — none. Technicals — Ramey.BOYS
Butte High 71, Kalispell Glacier 65
KALISPELL GLACIER (5-9, 3-6) — Cooper Pelc 2 2-5 6, Liam Ellis 6 1-1 15, Asher Knopik 3 2-3 9, Slate Burrington 4 2-2 10, Dylan Banzet 3 0-0 6, Ethan Kastelitz 4 1-1 12, Easton Kauffman 0 0-0 0, Luke Nikunen 1 2-2 5, Ben Winters 0 0-2 2. Totals 24 10-16 65.
BUTTE HIGH (10-5, 6-4) — Tocher Lee 2 3-5 9, Dylan Bache 5 1-1 11, Torre Tempel 3 0-2 9, Hudson Ludke 6 4-8 17, Braylon Larson 5 4-6 14, Spencer Callaghan 4 1-2 11, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, Brady Hanson 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 13-22 71.
Glacier 15 15 18 19 — 65
Butte 22 20 8 21 — 71
3-point goals — Glacier 7 (Kastelitz 3, Ells 2, Knopik, Nikunen), Butte 8 (Tempel 3, Lee 2, Callaghan 2, Luedtke). Fouls — Glacier 22, Butte 13. Fouled out — Bache. Technicals — none.
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Butte Central-Frenchtown boxscores
Butte Central and Frenchtown split Southwestern A basketball games Thursday night.
Frenchtown’s girls knocked of the Maroons 58-19 in Frenchtown, while the BC boys held off the Broncs in a 78-75 double-overtime thriller at the Maroon Activities Center.
Owen McPartland scored 31 points, and Joshua Sutton added 23 to lead the BC boys to the win. Cooper Michaud scored 22 to lead the Broncs.
Mason Quinn scored 13 of her game-high 25 points in the first quarter to lead the Frenchtown girls. Rylee Forbes netted 10 points to lead the Maroons.
Central’s boys and girls will head to Hamilton for a doubleheader on Saturday.
BOYS
Butte Central 78, Frenchtown 75 (2OT)
FRENCHTOWN — Leighton Cyr 3 5-8 11, Jaxon Haynes 3 4-4 11, Cooper Michaud 8 3-4 22, Konnor Klimpel 0 1-2 1, Hank Smith 5 2-2 12, Trevor Smith 0 0-0 0, Brooks Day 0 0-0 0, Cole Pfahler 0 2-2 2, Brayden Ricci 7 2-4 16. Totals 26 19-26 75.
BUTTE CENTRAL (7-8, 4-3) — Ryan Peoples 3 2-2 10, Patrick Stimatz 1 0-0 3, Joshua Sutton 7 4-4 23, Justus McGee 1 0-0 2, Owen McPartland 11 6-10 31, Noah Sutton 0 0-0 0, Cade Kelly 0 0-0 0, GG Fantini 0 0-3 0, Jaxon Hiatt 2 5-8 9. Totals 25 17-27 78.
Frenchtown 17 15 15 12 9 5 — 75
Central 13 20 16 12 9 8 — 78
3-point goals — FT 4 (Michaud 3, Haynes), BC 11 (J. Sutton 5, McPartland 3, Peoples 2, Stimatz). Fouls — FT 24, BC 20. Fouled out — Cyr, Haynes, Smith. Technicals — none.GIRLS
Frenchtown 58, Butte Central 19
BUTTE CENTRAL (5-10, 3-4) — Evyn Smith 0 0-0 0, Kenzie McQueary 1 0-0 3, Zayonna Otherbull 1 2-6 4, Rylee Forbes 3 4-6 10, Arika Stajcar 0 0-0 0, Braelynn Schelin 0 0-0 0, Jaedyn Maldonado 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 6-12 19.
FRENCHTOWN — Mason Quinn 9 5-6 25, Ryan Lucier 2 0-0 4, Blake Hardy 3 0-0 6, Heather Haskins 2 0-0 4, Maya Skinner 4 4-5 13, Jezzy Palmer 1 0-0 2, Bailey Hansen 1 0-0 2, Macey Smith 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 9-11 58.
Central 0 2 14 3 — 19
Frenchtown 20 14 12 12 — 58
3-point goals — BC 1 (McQueary), FT 3 (Quinn 2, Skinner). Fouls — BC 12, FT 12. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.
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Podcast No. 245: Kenley Leary
Kenley Leary was a four-sport standout athlete when he roamed the hallways of Butte High School from 2018 through 2022.
He earned eight varsity letters with the Bulldogs. That includes two in football and three each in basketball and track. He also played American Legion Baseball, helping lead the Butte Miners to their first state title in 69 years in 2022.
In that magical summer of 2022, Leary was the MVP of the Southern A District tournament in Butte, the Class A State tournament in Belgrade and the Northwest Class A Regional tournament in Vernal, Utah.
I first covered Kenley when he was a third grader competing in the old Punt, Pass & Kick contest at East Middle School. From an early age, you could tell he was a competitor. He was a fierce competitor.
He was what we called the “Swiss Army Knife” of Butte High’s football team in 2021. He played every position except offensive line for the Bulldogs, helping lead Butte High to a 5-2 conference record and a trip to the playoffs.
He was a three-year contributor for the Butte High basketball team, helping lead the Bulldogs to the Class AA State tournament in each of those seasons.
Leary joined Butte Miners teammates Aiden Lee and Eric Hart to sign with Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
In Roseburg, though, Kenley found himself caught in a roster crunch that was aided, in large part, by the addition of extra years of eligibility to players during the pandemic. With a roster of more than 50 players, each athlete struggled for reps.
Eventually, Kenley decided to return home.
Today, Kenley is an assistant coach on the Butte High boys’ basketball team. He is hoping to help coach Matt Luedtke and the Bulldogs capture the school’s first basketball state title in 41 years.
He is also working at the family business, Casagranda’s Steakhouse, and planning a future business venture of his own.
Listen in to this podcast as Kenley talks about winning that state title with the Miners. Listen as he talks about competing in three sports for the Bulldogs. Listen as he talks about his conversation with coach Arie Grey when he considered quitting football after the death of his Grandpa Jim passed away during his senior season.
Listen to hear what it is like to coach players he used to play alongside.
Today’s podcast is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.
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Six wrestlers win titles on way to state; Lee comes through in clutch once again
Hunt, Hazlett, Stepan, Stepan, Blow and Abad crowned divisional champs
Five Butte High wrestlers and one Butte Central grappler claimed divisional titles to highlight the weekend as a total of 36 Mining City wrestlers qualified for the state tournament.
The State All Class Wrestling tournament begins Thursday afternoon at MetraPark in Billings.
Butte High will send 22 boys and nine girls. Central will send five boys to compete.
The Bulldog boys posted a very strong showing at the Western AA Divisional Friday and Saturday in Kalispell. Butte High placed second with 279.5 points, trailing only Kalispell Flathead’s 332.5. Missoula Sentinel took third at 236.5.
Senior Will Stepan, junior Keegan Hunt and sophomore Bode Hazlett took home divisional titles and will be the No. 1 seed from the Western AA at state.
Hunt won the title at 113 pounds, pinning teammate Renzy LeProwse in the championship match. LeProwse, an eighth grader, will continue his impressive season in Billings.
Hazlett rolled to the title at 144 pounds. He pinned Aiden Downing of Flathead in 1 minute, 39 seconds in the title bout.
Stepan is the divisional champ at 157 pounds after edging Luke Widman of Missoula Sentinel in a 12-8 championship battle.
Junior Ryder McEwen wrestled to second place in the 138-pound weight class, while a pair of Bulldogs placed third after beating teammates in the third-place match.
Freshman Reveles McEwen edged Bulldog teammate Bradey Doyle, a sophomore, in a thrilling 3-2 bout for third at 118 pounds. Junior Darryn Rossiter topped Butte High classmate Lincoln Zell in a 7-5 decision for third place at 126 pounds.
The top eight boys from each age group move on to state. That includes senior Ben Tierney (fourth at 110 pounds), sophomore Bridger Garrison (fourth at 138), senior Brayden Pierce (fourth at 190), senior Waylond Hicks (fourth at 215), senior Gavin Rowe (fourth at 285) junior Bridger Brancamp (fifth at 175), freshman Kuley Queer (sixth at 110), junior Joey Ward (sixth at 132), sophomore Jaeger Hansen (seventh at 144), sophomore Finn Wortham (seventh at 150), senior Jake Bailey (seventh at 157), sophomore Reece Cunneen (eighth at 165) and sophomore Kasen O’Keefe (eighth at 175).
On the girls’ side in Kalispell, juniors Jessica Blow and Mattie Stepan walked away with divisional titles for the Bulldogs.
Blow beat Glacier’s Mikaela Julius in a 9-4 match for the title at 120 pounds. Stepan stuck Flathead’s Elisa Bernabe in 57 seconds to win the 145-pound crown.
Bulldog junior Peyton Liva placed second in the 100-pound division, while sophomore Rylee Radcliffe took second at 190 pounds, and freshman Cheyanne Robinson finished second in the division with a 235-pound weight limit.
With the girls’ state tournament not being separated by classes, the number of wrestlers moving on from to the state tournament varies with each weight class. Other Bulldogs moving on include junior Allie Ballensky (third at 190 pounds) eighth grader Irelynn Cullen (fourth at 105), sophomore Brooke Johnson (fourth at 140) and eighth grader Sage Queer (fourth at 170).
Bulldog eighth graders Brooklyn Hettick (fourth at 100) and Deerea Smith (fourth at 125) and freshman Mattison Neighbor (fifth at 155) placed, but were squeezed out by the variable equation determined before the start of the meet.
Butte High placed third in team standings with 178 points. Flathead won with 363.5 points, and Missoula Big Sky took second at 184.5.
In Browning, Butte Central junior Marquis Abad claimed the Western A Divisional crown at 110 pounds. He pinned Brander McCullum of Ronan in 4:54 in the championship match.
Senior Devin Rossiter placed third at 126 pounds for the Maroons, and freshman Kelsen Brackett took fifth at 110. Also, senior James Holmes qualified with a seventh-place showing at 138 pounds, and sophomore Jack Holmes moves on after placing seventh at 126.
On the girls’ side, Butte Central sophomore Amira Gonzlales placed third at 125 pounds and will represent the Maroons in Billings.
Divisional meet results and real-time state results can be found at trackwrestling.com.
Click the links below for tournament brackets.
Class AA boys; Class A boys; Girls
‘Mr. Clutch’ delivers some déjà vu
If it seems like Butte High senior Tocher Lee has done this before, it is because he has.
Whether it is basketball, baseball, football or whichever sport Lee is playing at the time, he has long been known as player who comes through in the clutch.
The latest bigtime moment from Lee came Friday night in Butte High’s 61-57 victory over Missoula Hellgate at the Ross J. Richardson Gymnasium.
Lee took a pass from junior guard Hudson Luedtke and swished a 3-pointer with 18.5 seconds left. The shot put the Bulldog on top for good.
If it seems like that play looked familiar, it is because it does. The Bulldogs used basically the same play to set up Lee’s buzzer beater to give Butte High a 58-56 win over Kalispell Glacier on Saturday morning of the Western AA Divisional basketball tournament last March at the Butte Civic Center.
That shot sent the Bulldogs to the state tournament in Missoula.
In Friday’s thriller, the future Montana Tech football player hit the shot from almost the same spot on the court, behind the right elbow. Butte High trailed 57-56 when Lee let go of the ball.
This time, though, Lee wasn’t quite as deep as he was in the divisional game-winner, when he sank his shot from the old CBA 3-point line.
Lee and the Bulldogs also left a little more time on the clock, too. That, though, only lead to more theatrics as the Bulldogs closed out the huge Class AA victory.
Glacier called timeout with 2.5 seconds left after Lee’s bucket in March. Hellgate didn’t have a timeout, but the Knights raced down the court, only to be whistled for a traveling violation.
Hellgate didn’t have enough fouls to send the Bulldogs to the line in an effort to get the ball back. After two quick Hellgate fouls, Bulldog sophomore Braylon Larson broke free to catch an inbounds pass from Dylan “Bobby” Bache. Larson then threw home a two-handed dunk as time expired, sending the hometown crowd into delirium.
The dunk by the 6-foot-9 Larson was the first slam in a varsity game by the Bulldogs this season.
Luedtke finished the night with a game-high 24 points. Lee scored 14, while Bache joined Larson with 10. Butte Also got a. three out of Spencer Callaghan as the Bulldogs improved to 9-5 overall and 5-4 in conference.
Freshman Brady Hanson, junior Kendel Noctor and Torre Teampel also played for the Bulldogs in the win.
Easton Sant’s 17 points paced the Knights, who fell to 9-4 and 6-3.
Lee’s game-winning 3-pointer was his fourth trey of the game, he now has 10 through six games of a season that was limited first by a toe injury suffered a in football. Then, Lee suffered a concussion just after the Christmas break, forcing him to miss more time.
His latest game-winner was also his 100th career varsity 3-pointer for the Bulldogs, through 77 career games. Lee recently passed Kenley Leary (95 threes), Mike Hawbaker (94) and Trevyn Roth (93) on the school’s all-time list.
The only Bulldogs with more career 3-pointers than Lee are Ryson Lovshin (101) and Chad Jonart (115). Jonart and Lovshin both played 59 career varsity games, according to Butte High’s official team records.
Starting with this week’s home games against the Kalispell schools, Lee has five more home games then likely a playoff game and possibly the state tournament to pass Jonart for the top spot.
Of course, if Lee does eclipse the record, it might be a short-lived time in the top spot. Luedtke, who assisted on so many of his teammate’s threes, is hot on Lee’s tail with 87 made 3-pointers, including 29 this season.
The big win over Hellgate came two nights after Butte High fell 60-49 to Missoula Sentinel in Missoula. Luedtke scored 15 points to pace the Bulldogs in that game. Bache scored 13, while Larson tossed in eight, Lee netted seven and Temple scored six.
Bulldog girls split nail-biters
Butte High’s girls’ basketball team, meanwhile, played a pair of thrilling games last week.
The Bulldogs beat Missoula Sentinel 51-49 Tuesday at the Richardson Gym. Then they fell in a 54-52 contest Tuesday night at Missoula Hellgate, putting Butte High at 9-5 overall and 5-4 in Western AA play.
Sophomore Cadence Graham poured in 27 points to lead the Bulldogs in the home win over the Spartans. That included a huge 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to break a tie.
After a key rebound by junior Franki Salusso, Graham then hit two free throws to secure Butte High’s second victory in three nights. Graham made 9 of 10 shots from the free throw line in the win. She also buried four 3-pointers while scoring more than half of Butte High’s points.
Senior Brittyn Stewart scored six points, while eighth grader Ellison Grahm joined Salusso and junior Emma Johnson with five points.
The Bulldogs also got three form senior Dylann Bartoletti.
Peyton Size scored 12 points to lead the Spartans. Avery Ogren and Lucy Pfahler each scored 11.
In Missoula, Paisley Johnson and Shannon Kane each scored 13 points as the Knights avenged a 51-37 loss to Butte High Jan. 9 in Butte. Elly Reed scored 10 points.
Stewart scored a season-high 28 points to lead the Bulldogs, who fought until the end.
“I’m super proud of the girls,” Bulldog coach Bryan Arntson said. “They played tough. It just wasn’t in the cards.”
Cadence Graham tossed in 16 points for the Bulldogs, who got six from Salusso and two from senior Addie Hiatt. Bartoletti, Ellison Graham, Johnson, sophomores Autumn Clary and Allie Becker and junior Gracie Jonart also contributed to the Bulldog effort.
Glacier will be in town Friday to take on the Butte High boys and girls. Flathead will visit on Saturday. The girls will be featured in the nightcap of both doubleheaders.
Friday’s boys’ varsity game starts at 4:30 p.m., while the girls play at 6. Saturday’s games are set for 3 and 4:30.
Maroons overcome snow, sickness
A heavy winter snow storm and about with influence did not keep the short-handed Butte Central boys’ and girls’ basketball teams from winning — and winning big — in Southwestern A games against Stevensville.
The games were set for Friday, but moved back to Saturday after the heavy snow blanked the western half of the state.
In Stevensville, Butte Central’s boys jumped out to a 39-16 lead, and the Maroons rolled to a 78-34 victory.
Senior Owen McPartland poured in 25 points to lead the Maroons in the lopsided victory, which completed the season sweep of the Yellowjackets. Sophomore Cade “Buzz” Kelly added a varsity career-high 19 points.
BC also got 17 points from sophomore Joshua Sutton, seven from eighth grader Noah Sutton, six from senior Justus McGee and four from senior Patrick Stimatz. Sophomore GG Fantini and freshman Jaxon Hiatt also played for the Maroons, who evened their conference record at 3-3. Central is 6-8 overall.
BC played again without junior Ryan Peoples.
Central coach Brodie Kelly said his players were dropping like flies during the game. The Maroons finished the game with just six healthy players.
Healthy enough, anyway.
At the Maroon Activities Center, the Maroons beat the Yellowjackets for the second time this season. This time it was a convincing 43-17 victory, even though BC’s leading scorers — freshmen Kenzie McQueary and Zayonna Otherbull — stayed home.
Junior Arika Stajcar paced Central’s balanced attack with 11 points. In all, seven different BC players scored points.
Freshman Jaedyn Maldonado tossed in seven points, while freshmen Rylee Forbes and Evyn Smith joined sophomores Marly Mansanti and Meika Boyer with four points apiece.
Junior Caden Tippett, freshman Natalie Osterman and eighth grader Evyn Tippett also contributed for the Maroons.
Butte Central’s girls will hit the road for a pair of key conference games this week. BC plays at Frenchtown on Thursday before heading to Hamilton on Saturday.
Central’s boys, meanwhile, will celebrate Senior Night Thursday at home against Frenchtown. They will honor Stimatz, McGee, McPartland and their parents before the game. The BC boys will then join the girls for a doubleheader Saturday in Hamilton.
Michael Peck commits to Carroll
When Michael Peck entered high school, he was not even sure he was going to play football.
The Butte Central senior had so many other interests.
As it turns out, his stellar career in the trenches for the Maroons opened some eyes. That includes Carroll College football coach Troy Purcell.
Peck, the son of Josh and Mariya Peck, will officially sign an NAIA Letter of intent to play football at Carroll College on Wednesday. A signing ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. at the Butte Central Rotunda.
A two-year team captain and recipient of BC’s Last Man Standing Award, Peck was offered a spot on the Carroll team after a visit to the Helena school last week.
According to a statement, Purcell was drawn to Peck’s leadership, work ethic and strong character.
“We are excited to add Michael to our football program,” Purcell said of Peck, who started on offense and defense for the Maroons. “He is a hard worker, an outstanding young man, and possesses a great deal of promise as an athlete. He is a perfect fit for Carroll College.”
In addition to football, Peck is a dedicated student and a musician. He plays and sings for the Butte Central band. He also plays in the local band “Hesitation.”
He is the student council president, a member of the National Honors Society and a community volunteer. He mentors young students and supports the local theater productions.
Last summer, Peck was a participant at Boys State and then Boys Nation near Washington, D.C.
Family, friends, school staff and community members are invited to attend as Michael signs to continue his athletic and academic career with the Saints.
Peck made an appearance on the ButteCast in October.
Swimmers head to state
The Butte High and Butte Central swimming teams will close out the season at the state meet at the Great Falls High School pool.
Swimmers had to qualify for events during the season. The top 32 entries will compete in each event in the Class AA competition. The top 16 in each event in the Class A/B event. (Psych sheet)
In addition to relays, Butte High athletes to qualify in individual events were Bryher Fitzpatrick, Gracie Ferriter, Tatum Trefts, Nimalka DeAlwis, Gage Plum, Tucker Kissell, Olivia Thurmond, Sophia Fladger, Bella Corrales, Elgin Hoar, Ayvahn Mann, Gunner Benson, Nathan Stone, Blair Hamry, Grayson Lynch, Alex Cranny, Adalie Grochowski and Alex Sonnemann.
Individual qualifiers for Butte Central are Morgan Hardy, Jim Bradshaw, Shamus Peck and Connor Hardy.
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Tony Laslovich and Chris Shelton were rolling around in my head
The Snake Pit looks a lot different today than it did 25 years ago.
On March 25, 2000, the arena that is formally known as Memorial Gymnasium was dark, dingy and loud when former Eastern Washington basketball player Michael Lewis won a lackluster slam dunk contest at the 16th Annual Wayne Estes Northwest Basketball Championships.
A few years ago, my favorite gym underwent a facelift that turned out beautifully. In addition to the new court and improved seating, the wall on the west end was opened up, allowing for more light and a space for fans to watch the games from the baseline.
It also got a paint job and some new lights, and that really brightened up the place.
Overall, the renovations made the best gym in the state even better.
As I took the court in the Snake Pit for my first varsity game as a basketball official last week, I kept looking around the gym. I thought about how it used to look, and I thought about all the incredible games that took place there.
I looked over to where Shaughn McKeon and Rochie Estes almost came to blows after a hard foul in a Butte Central-Anaconda basketball game. I looked up to where I believed the infamous fight between fans of Anaconda and Dillon went down 35 years ago or so.
I remembered watching Todd Hildreth set Butte High’s school record with 40 points in a 2005 overtime win over the Copperheads. I remembered the night that Gwenn Abbott, Lexie Nelson and the Bulldogs beat Torry Hill, Lisa Laslovich and the Copperheads in an overtime thriller in which the officials accidentally used a boys’ ball instead of a girls’ ball.
That was the best high school basketball game I have ever seen.
As the band played and the players warmed up, I thought about the officials I used to see standing where I was standing — guys like John Monaco, Dan “Squeak” Laughlin, Mark Vukovich and Jeff Frank.
More than anything, though, I was thinking about Tony Laslovich and Chris Shelton back on that night of March 25, 2000.
Lewis won the dunk contest, mainly because Shelton did not come to town to defend his title. Tony, the public address announcer who made sure the contestants knew they were not performing up to the high standard of the previous dunk contests, thought Justin Lyons should have won after he jumped over a friend and threw down a two-handed slam.
Tony said the judging of that dunk contest was the worst had seen in his life, and he repeatedly told that to the judges over the sound system.
Then he turned to me and, with spit flying with each syllable, gave me the greatest quote of my writing career.
Here is how I put it in the next day’s Montana Standard:
“Chris Shelton would have rolled over in his grave,” Laslovich said of the still-living two-time champion who awed the crowd last year with a cartwheel dunk.
I can still see the look on Tony’s face as we sat next to each other on the old, cramped scorer’s bench.
It was the most Tony moment of a life filled with classic Tony moments.
That great Shelton quote was one that I actually misquoted when I wrote about Tony when he was battling cancer in 2013. He passed away on July 20, 2014, just nine days after his 57th birthday.
Instead of “would have rolled over in his grave,” I wrote that “Chris Shelton would be spinning in his grave” in that column for ButteSports.com.
The meaning, however, was still the same. And it is still the best quote I have ever published.
It is the best quote I will ever publish, and it makes me laugh every time I think about it. A quarter of a century later, Tony still has me laughing.
I met Tony about a year before that quote, and we became instant friends. We liked each other even though he was a huge Packers fan and I am a nutty Bears fan.
Every time I drove to Anaconda to cover a game, I would look for Tony. I would look for him whenever the Copperheads came to Butte to play.
I still look for him, even though it has been more than a decade since he passed away.
Sometimes when I’m officiating, I will look into the crowd and see a guy in a hoodie. For a second, I swear it is Tony.
I miss that guy so much because we had so many great conversations. Tony was the ultimate voice of reason. He always offered the greatest advice, and he made me laugh while doing it.
When a huge block/charge call did not go the way of the Copperheads when they played the Bulldogs in a game of No. 1-ranked teams at the Civic Center in 2008, Anaconda fans went crazy. An assistant coach of the Copperheads got a technical foul for jumping out and stopping the referee on his way back down the court.
Tony, sitting in the center of the Anaconda crowd behind the team bench, kept the call in perspective, even though his daughter, Lisa, was a starter on the Anaconda team.
I was at the scorer’s table not too far way, so I could hear Tony tell the crowd something to the effect of “Sure, it might have been a bad call. But we can’t all lose our minds over it.”
It didn’t stop the griping and yelling, but he calmed the crowed down a bit. Copperhead fans listened to Tony.
Nobody in the history of people had a better perspective on life than Tony. Nobody was a better sports official, either. I would put Tony up against any official who ever lived.
He was so good that he was selected to officiate 15 state basketball tournaments, and he usually had messy hair when he refereed.
You have probably noticed by now that 98.7 percent of the officials who get State tournaments have either perfect hair or they have shave all their hair off. They also typically wear size smedium shirts to show off their biceps.
I got that number, by the way, thanks to a scientific study. You cannot argue with science.
Tony had the muscles to show off, but he was also a “half bald guy,” as his brother Mike would say. The hair that he had left was usually shaped by the hat he wore to the gym, just like mine.
Tony also refereed 14 playoff football games and 17 state volleyball tournaments. He got those because he was known to be a great official who brought a great perspective to every game he ever worked.
He brought that great perspective into every life he touched as well.
Tony was exactly the referee I want to be. He was exactly the person I want to be.
Over the last three seasons, I have worked many subvarsity games at the Snake Pit. Each time I thought about Tony and what he would have said had he seen me in stripes.
This time, though, it seemed different, probably because my fellow officials made a big deal out of me working my first varsity game. They made it seem like a monumental night.
I got to work with a couple of great officials in Brianna Bernardino and Corey Cutler, and the game went off without a hitch.
That I worked that first game on Tony’s court made it a night that I will never forget.
There was only one thing that could have possibly made it better. I would have killed to work that game with Tony Laslovich.
It would have probably been even more fun than sitting next to him during that boring dunk contest.
— Bill Foley, who only wishes he could participate in a boring dunk contest, 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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Jurenic, Nichols win state Hoop Shoot
LIVINGSTON — Butte’s Ava Jurenic and Jerzi Nichols captured Elks Hoop Shoot state titles Saturday at Park County High School.
The two Butte girls — along with the other four state champions — will now head to the Regional Semi-Finals in Rapid City, South Dakota March 8 to complete with state champions from North Dakota and South Dakota. The regional champions will advance to the National Finals April 26 in Chicago, and the national champions will have their names digitally inscribed at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Jurenic won the state title in the girls’ 8-9 age group. She made 16 free throws, beating second-place Maesa Newman of Florence by two shots.
Nichols won the girls’ 10-11 division with 12 makes, edging Delanie Harper of Livingston by one shot.
Butte’s Tenley Osborne placed second in the girls’ 12-13 age group. She made 21out of 25, one less than champion Pressley Neumann of Florence.
Dawson Luedtke of Butte took fourth in the boys’ 8-9 group, making 14 shots.
Other state champions are Missoula’s Braxton Pickering (boys’ 8-9), Anaconda’s Tre Estes (boys’10-11) and Glendive’s Maverick Murphy (boys’ 12-13).
The state champions got their start by winning their local shoot and then a district shoot. Jurenic and Nichols won the local shoot at the Maroon Activities Center in November. They advanced to the State Shoot at the South District Hoop Shoot in Dillon.
Montana has sent 47 boys and 50 girls to the National Finals since the inception of the Elks Hoop Shoot program. That includes 10 Montanans who won national championships.
The most recent state champion from the Treasure State is Ellison Graham, an eighth grader at East Middle School who is a contributor for the Butte High varsity girls’ basketball team.
Graham won the girls’ 8-9 title for 2020. However, Graham, who was living in Belt at the time, won the title in a virtual shoot after a year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click the links below for complete results from the State Hoop Shoot and a history of Montana champions.
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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Butte Central swimmers
The 11 members of the Butte Central swimming team are this Week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come as the Maroons get ready for the state swimming meet in Great Falls. No matter how the BC swimmers do in the pool, they have already made some history.
This group makes up Butte Central’s first swimming team of the 21st Century. The Maroons had a handful of swimmers co-op with Butte High in the early 2000s, but this is believed to be the first full BC team since 1998.
Team members are senior Jim Bradshaw, junior Izzy Lopez, sophomores Joe Bradshaw, Robert Regester, Conan Holmes and Morgan Hardy, freshmen Arwen Regester and Kherington Adams, and eight graders Connor Hardy, Shamus Peck and Carolyn Lopez.
The Maroons are coached by Mariya Peck.
For the third year, Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 