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KC basketballs schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of Jan. 13.
Monday
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. ParishTuesday
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Poi Time
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Someday StartersWednesday
7 p.m. — Cook vs. Poi Time
8 p.m. — Cook vs. Washington GeneralsThursday
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Someday Starters
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Butte High-Sentinel girls’ boxscore
MISSOULA — Butte High doubled up Missoula Sentinel for a 44-22 Western AA victory Saturday night.
Senior Brityn Stewart buried four 3-pointers and scored 16 points to lead the Bulldogs, who improved to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in conference. Cadence Graham scored 12 points.
We will have more on this victory in Wednesday’s ButteCast SportsCap.
Butte High 44, Missoula Sentinel 22
BUTTE HIGH (6-1, 2-0) — Dylann Bartoletti 0 1-2 1, Cadence Graham 4 1-2 12, Brityn Stewart 6 0-0 16, Franki Salusso 1 0-0 2, Emma Johnson 4 0-0 8, Ellison Graham 0 0-1 0, Sidney Whitaker 0 0-0 0, Sage Grey 0 0-0 0, Autumn Clary 2 1-2 5, Addie Hiatt 0 0-0 0, Gracie Jonart 0 0-0 0, Allie Becker 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 3-7 44.
MISSOULA SENTINEL — Andrin Reimers 1 1-4 3, Peyton Size 4 0-0 9, Kaitlyn Hammett 1 0-0 2, Callie Crass 0 0-0 0, Shay Casagrande 2 1-6 5, Nina Sammaury 0 0-0 0, Avery Ogren 0 0-0 0, Olivia Reynolds 0 0-0 0, Kenzie Cline 0 0-0 0, Lucy Pfahler 1 0-0 2, Ryen Hobbs 0 1-2 1. Totals 9 3-12 22.
Butte 16 7 15 6 — 44
Sentinel 8 3 2 9 — 22
3-point goals — Butte 7 (Stewart 4, C. Graham 3), Sentinel 1 (Size). Fouls — Butte 9, Sentinel 11. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.
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Sentinel-Butte High boys’ boxscore
Missoula Sentinel went wire to wire to beat Butte High Saturday afternoon at the Richardson Gym.
Lincoln Rogers, a 6-foot-7 junior guard, scored 24 points to lead the Spartans in the win. His day included four 3-pointers and a dunk in traffic. Dylan “Bobby” Bache scored 11 points to lead the Bulldogs. Hudson Luedtke scored 10.
We’ll have more on this game in Wednesday’s ButteCast SportsCap. Butte High’s girls’ team plays later Saturday night at Missoula Sentinel.
Missoula Sentinel 53, Butte High 37
MISSOULA SENTINEL — Lincoln Rogers 10 0-0 24, Beau O’Reilly 4 0-0 11, Tyler Stanton 0 2-2 2, Kade Robinson 0 0-0 0, Carson Towe 5 0-0 14, Jace Koshatka 0 0-0 0, Aaron Parks 0 0-0 0, Kane Szalay 0 0-0 0, Brayden Burke 0 0-0 0, Jayson McLennan 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 2-2 53.
BUTTE HIGH (4-2, 0-1) — Spencer Callaghan 0 0-0 0, Dylan Bache 5 0-0 11, Torre Tempel 2 0-0 6, Hudson Luedtke 3 3-4 10, Braylon Larson 2 0-0 4, Koda Schleeman 0 0-0 0, Raeder Grey 0 0-0 0, Brady Hanson 0 0-0 0, Kyler Kjersten 0 0-0 0, Rhett Arntson 2 1-1 6, Josh Liston 0 0-0 0, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 4-5 37.
Sentinel 15 17 4 17 — 53
Butte 5 11 12 9 — 37
3-point goals — Sentinel 11 (Rogers 4, Towe 4, O’Reilly 3), Butte 5 (Tempel 2, Arntson, Bache, Luedtke). Fouls — Sentinel 13, Butte 6. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.
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Butte Central-Anaconda boxscores
Butte Central swept past Anaconda in a non-conference basketball doubleheader Friday night at the Maroon Activities Center. They did it in historic fashion, too.
After the Maroons beat Anaconda in a 46-43 double-overtime thriller in the opener, the BC boys connected on 19 3-pointers in a 76-31 win in the nightcap.
According to Montana High School Association stats, that is the third most made 3-pointers in a game by a team in Montana History. Manhattan Christian and Melstone are tied for the record with 22, according to the MHSA.
Central’s previous record was 14 in 2008 against Lewistown.
Sophomore Joshua Sutton tied Dougie Peoples’ school record with eight 3-pointers and scored 30 points to lead the Maroons. Peoples hit eight treys in 2023 against Corvallis. Luke Stajcar (1999), Shaughn McKeon (2006) and Jonathan Richards (2009) each hit seven 3-pointers in a game.
Sutton hit seven of those threes and scored 25 points before halftime, too.
Ryan Peoples hit four threes and scored 14 points for the Maroons. Eighth grader Noah Sutton sank three, and Patrick Stimatz and Owen McPartland each buried two.
Freshman Zayonna Otherbull scored 19 points to lead the BC girls in their intense victory. Meela Mithcell scored 21 for the Copperheads.
We will have more on these games in the ButteCast SportsCap next week.
BOYS
Butte Central 76, Anaconda 31
ANACONDA — Jesse Jones 2 0-0 5, Shane Schalk 2 1-2 5, Brody Galle 2 0-0 4, Travis Dye 1 0-0 2, Carson Lacey 0 0-0 0, Treyton Patrick 1 0-0 3, Kyson Patrick 0 1-2 1, Ryder Anderson 4 0-0 11. Totals 12 2-4 31.
BUTTE CENTRAL (3-4) — Ryan Peoples 5 0-0 14, Patrick Stimatz 2 0-0 6, Joshua Sutton 10 2-2 30, GG Fantini 0 0-0 0, Owen McPartland 3 1-1 9, Noah Sutton 3 0-0 9, Cade Kelly 0 0-0 0, Burkley Lakkala 1 2-3 4, Jaxon Hiatt 1 0-0 2, Justus McGee 1 0-1 2, Xandar Strand 3 1-1 9. Totals 26 5-7 76.
Anaconda 6 8 12 5 — 31
Central 25 20 14 17 — 76
3-point goals — Anaconda 5 (Anderson 3, Jones, Patrick), BC 19 (J. Sutton 8, Peoples 4, N. Sutton 3, Stimatz 2, McPartland 2). Fouls — Anaconda 18, BC 8. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.GIRLS
Butte Central 46, Anaconda 43 (2 OT)
ANACONDA — Addi Case 0 0-0 0, Cianna Chor 1 1-4 3, Addie Olson 2 3-4 5, Rian Daniels 1 6-10 8, Quincy Saltenberger 2 1-4 6, Meela Mitchell 7 6-8 21.
BUTTE CENTRAL (2-5) — Evyn Smith 1 0-0 3, Kenzie McQueary 2 5-12 9, Zayonna Otherbull 6 4-6 19, Rylee Forbes 4 0-0 8, Braelynn Schelin 1 0-0 3, Jaedyn Maldonado 1 0-0 2, Arika Stajcar 1 0-0 2, Mieka Boyer 0 0-2 0. Totals 16 9-20 46.
Anaconda 13 6 7 7 5 5 — 43
Central 6 5 9 13 5 8 — 46
3-point goals — Anaconda 2 (Saltenberger, Mitchell), BC 5 (Otherbull 3, Smith, Schelin). Fouls — Anaconda 15, BC 23. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.
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Butte High-Hellgate boxscores
Butte High’s basketball teams split with Missoula Hellgate Thursday night. Butte High’s boys fell to the Knights in a 76-74 double-overtime thriller in Missoula, while the Bulldog girls knocked of their old nemesis from Hellgate 51-37 at the Richardson Gym.
Sophomore Cadence Graham poured in 33 points to lead the Bulldog girls in the win. That ties Butte Sports Hall of Famer Deanna Dugdale as the seventh-highest scoring game in Butte High girls’ history. Lexie Nelson holds the school record with 39 points against Billings Skyview in 2010. Butte High senior Brityn Stewart, who scored nine points Thursday, scored 36 points in a divisional tournament game against Helena Capital in 2023.
Dugdale also had a 35-point game, and Nelson had two 34-pont games. Debbie Silk (1981) also scored 34 points in a game.
In Missoula, Hudson Luedtke poured in 31 points in a loss that saw the Bulldogs lose senior guard Torre Tempel to an injury in the second quarter. Butte High was again without senior Tocher Lee, who hit his head on the floor in last Thursday’s win over Bozeman.
Luedtke, a junior, surpassed the 900-point total for his career. He now has 925 career points. He trails just John Dawson (1,022 points) and Chris Rasmussen (969) on the Bulldog boys all-time scoring list.
We will have more on these games next week in the ButteCast SportsCap.
BOYS
Missoula Hellgate 76, Butte High 74 (2 OT)
BUTTE HIGH (4-2, 0-1) — Spencer Callaghan 2 0-0 6, Dylan Bache 4 0-0 10, Torre Temel 2 1-2 7, Hudson Luedtke 9 9-10 31, Braylon Larson 9 0-0 18, Brady Hanson 1 0-0 2, Koda Schleeman 0 0-0 0, Raeder Grey 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 20-12 74.
MISSOULA HELLGATE — E. Sant 7 0-0 15, P. Link 6 3-6 16, Z. Gillhouse 7 2-2 17, S Wayland 2 0-0 5, C. McNulty 5 1-2 11, L. Dick 0 2-4 2, J. Finch 1 0-0 2, B. Schnieder 0 0-0 0, E. Pyron 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 8-14 76.
Butte 16 15 11 19 8 5 — 74
Hellgate 15 8 21 17 8 7 — 76
3-point goals — Butte 10 (Luedtke 4, Callaghan 2, Bache 2, Tempel 2), Hellgate 9 (Link 3, Gillhouse 3, Sant, Wayland, McNulty). Fouls — Butte 13, Hellgate 13. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.GIRLS
Butte High 51, Missoula Hellgate 37
MISSOULA HELLGATE — Paisley Johnson 2 0-04 4, Elly Reed 1 3-4 5, Lucy Hutchins 2 1-2 5, Shannon Kane 1 0-0 2, Gianna Passucicio 5 2-2 5, Savanna Shepherd 0 0-2 0, Ryan Meservy 1 0-0 3, Alexandria Miller 0 0-0 0, Maria Saerz 1 0-0 3. Totals 13 6-14 37.
BUTTE HIGH (5-1, 1-0) — Dylann Bartoletti 1 0-0 2, Cadence Graham 11 5-9 33, Brityn Stewart 4 0-0 9, Franki Salusso 1 0-0 2, Emma Johnson 1 0-0 2, Sidney Whitaker 0 0-0 0, Autumn Clary 0 1-4 1, Addie Hiatt 1 0-0 2, Gracie Jonart 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 6-13 51.
Hellgate 7 11 8 11 — 37
Butte 11 12 10 18 — 51
3-point goals — Hellgate 5 (Passucicio 3, Meservy, Saerz), Butte 7 (Graham 6, Stewart). Fouls — Hellgate 19, Butte 16. Fouled out — Johnson, Kane; Johnson. Technical — Kane.
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Butte Central girls’ subvarsity report
Following are the Butte Central girls’ basketball subvarsity reports for the December portion of the Maroons’ season, as provided by coaches.
FROSH
Butte Central 27, East Helena 26
Evyn Tippett poured in 10 points, and the Maroons edged East Helena in a nail-biter in the Dec. 6 season opener at the Maroon Activities Center.In all, seven Maroons scored in the victory. Ashley White netted five points, while Cambri Cambell scored four, and Harper McGree tossed in three. Also, Lilly LaRonde and Alex Morey each scored two, and Natalie Osterman tossed in one.
Butte Central 29, Anaconda 28 (OT)
The Maroons slipped past the Copperheads in the Dec. 16 thriller at the MAC.Natalie Osterman’s 10 points scored 10 points to pace BC in the win. Evyn Tippett and Isla Bengston each added for for the Maroons, who got four points from Alex Morey, two from Kodee Badovinac and Harper McGree, and one from Karla Fetters.
Butte Central 22, Livingston 9
The Maroons made it 3 for 3 with a 13-point victory over the Rangers Dec. 17 at the MAC.Evyn Tippett’s nine points led the way for BC, which took a 3-0 record into the Christmas break. Karla Fetter and Cambri Campbell each scored four points in the win. Natalie Osterman scored three, and Harper McGree tossed in two.
JV
East Helena 48, Butte Central 24
The Vigilantes doubled up the Maroons in the season opener Dec. 6 at the MAC.Alex Morey’s eight points led the Maroons in the game. Caden Tippett scored six points, while Jaedyn Maldonado finished with five. Central also got two points apiece from Isla Bengston and Natalie Osterman, and one point from Meika Boyer.
Butte Central 42, Livingston 14
The Maroons bounced back with a convincing victory Dec. 17 at the MAC.Jaedyn Maldonado and Meika Boyer reached double figures in scoring to lead BC in the victory. Maldonado tallied 15 points, while Boyer netted 11.
Also for the Maroons, Evyn Smith scored eight points, Alex Morey tossed in six, and Isla Bengston added two.
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Butte High girls’ subvarsity report
Following are the Butte High girls’ basketball subvarsity reports for the the first week of January, as provided by coaches.
The report includes last Thursday’s games against Bozeman and Saturday’s games against Butte Central. The Butte High teams went a combined 5-0 on the week.
Butte High JV 53, Bozeman JV 31
Eight different Bulldogs scored points as Butte High handed the Hawks a convincing loss.Ellison Graham’s 14 points led the way for the Bulldogs. She buried a pair of 3-point shots in her game-high performance.
Kendllyn Schad, the Junkyard Dog of the game, joined Autumn Clary with eight points. Saege Grey, Gracie Jonart and Avery Barsness each scored six points, and Allie Becker and Reese Johnson both scored five.
Lauren Keim’s eight points paced the Hawks. Liv Weedin and Charli Scott each added six.
Butte High sophomores 40, Bozeman sophomores 19
Brittyn Klima’s 14 points paved the way as the Butte sophomores cruised to a win. She was one of three players to score in double digits for the Bulldogs.Stella Callaghan sank two 3-poitners to join Reese Johnson with 10 points for Butte. Kate DeShaw, who was named Junkard Dog of the game, scored four points, and Ellie Yates tossed in two.
Butte High freshmen 36, Bozeman freshmen 29
Evie Smith was the top offensive play maker around the basket and a beast on the boards, leading Butte High to the victory. She scored a game-high 13 points.Berki Salusso and Ava Bryson each poured in eight points in the win. Wakely Burleson added four points, and Sage Leber netted three.
Butte High junior varsity 46, Butte Central junior varsity 18
Saege Grey and Ellison Graham each scored 10 points as the Bulldogs ran away from the Maroons at the Civic Center. Grey’s effort led to her taking home Junkyard Dog honors.In all, nine different Butte High players dented the scorebook in the victory. Kendallyn Schad scored eight points, and Allie Becker netted four. Butte High also got four points from Avery Barsness, three from Autumn Clary and two apiece from Gracie Jonart, Reese Johnson and Brit Klima.
Jaedyn Maldonado’s 11 points led the Maroons. Natalie Osterman scored three for BC, while Evyn Tippett score two, and Caden Tippett, Alex Morey and Meika Boyer each tossed in one.
Butte High freshman 33, Butte Central freshmen 19
A great all-around performance by Berki Salusso and Milee Stillwagon led the Bulldogs to victory in the game that opened the City Championship series at the Civic Center.Salusso scored 11 points, while Stillwagon followed with 10. Coaches also credited Evie Smith and Ava Bryson for doing an outstanding job boxing out and cleaning up on the boards.
Smith scored seven points, while Bryson scored four. Wakely Burleson added one point for Butte. Salusso took home Junkard Dog honors.
Ashley White hit a pair of threes and scored 10 points to lead the Maroons. Evyn Tippet scored four for BC, while Lily LaRonde and Olivia Scott each scored two, and Natalie Osterman tossed in one.
Cambri Campbell was a defensive force for BC.
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Podcast No. 238: Wes Plate
Back before my body broke down and I could still run marathons, I used to say that if you can run a 5-kilometer race, you can run a half marathon. If you can run a half marathon, you can run a full marathon.
I made it seem easy, when a marathon — or even a 5K — is anything but easy.
Well, Wes Plate takes that to another level. He makes an ultra-marathon seem like a piece of cake.
Plate is a native of Marysville, Washington, and he has deep roots in the Mining City. This June, he is directing the first official Copper Kings 100. That is a 100-mile race that will start at the Belmont Mine and include a giant loop around the Mining City.
Plate, the founder of the race and the designer of the course, said he started the race in an effort to pay tribute to his family roots in Butte.
He also makes it seem like anybody can run it. After all, he said ultra-marathoners often hike about 20 percent of a race. That leaves just 80 miles of running before the cutoff time of 40 hours.
Yes, JUST 80 miles of running.
Wes and some friends actually ran this race the past two summers. It wasn’t an official race, though, because they didn’t have permits. As we learn in this podcast, they call that a “fat ass.” That means it was free of charge, there are no large groups, and no manned aid stations.
This year, the race will officially be official. It will start at 4 a.m. on June 27, and the cutoff time to finish will be at 8 p.m. on June 28. The race includes 63 miles on the Continental Divide Trail. It will include an aid station next to the Our Lady of The Rockies statue.
The race is limited to the first 100 runners who sign up. As of Wednesday, Wes said about 65 people have registered, so you better hurry if you are planning to run the original, non-fat ass, Copper Kings 100.
Go to CopperKings100.com to register to run. You can also visit the website to sign up to be a volunteer. The event will need about 100 volunteers to pull off the race that will definitely be a boon for our local economy and something really cool to see and be a part of.
I will not be running or hiking the race because I wore out my hips and lower back running those marathons. But it will certainly be entertaining to watch as 100 people take that 100-mile run around the Holey City. Ten years ago, I just might have tried it myself.
Today’s podcast is presented by Thriftway Super Stops. Download the TLC app and start saving today.
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Tommy takes home the Payton as Bulldogs sweep past Maroons
By Bill Foley
As Butte sports fans packed the Butte Civic Center for the hardwood showdown between Butte High and Butte Central, the loudest ovation went to a Montana State football player.
During the boys’ portion of the City Championship series Saturday night, public address announcer Tom O’Neill interrupted action with some breaking news. Butte High graduate Tommy Mellott won the 2024 Walter Payton Award.
Mellott is the second Montana player to win the trophy, which is billed as the Heisman of the FCS. Great Falls native Dave Dickenson took home the Payton after leading the Montana Grizzlies to the NCAA I-AA national title in 1995.
Mellott received the award Saturday night at a banquet in Frisco, Texas, home of the NCAA FCS national championship game. Two nights later, Montana State saw its bid for its first national title in football in 40 years end with a 35-32 loss to North Dakota State.
Photo of Tommy Mellott courtesy Blake Hempstead. The Mighty Bison won their 10th championship in 14 years, an incredible run that continued after NDSU held off a ferocious comeback by Mellott and the Bobcats.
Mellott lived up to his long-established nickname, “Touchdown Tommy,” by having a hand in three second half touchdowns for the Bobcats. That included a handful of his patented “did-you-see-that” plays.
The senior completed 13 of 24 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He ran 14 times for 135 yards. That includes a lightning-fast 44-yard touchdown run by the former Bulldog.
Mellott closed his remarkable MSU career with 55 touchdowns passing and 43 more rushing. That includes 31 passing scores and 15 rushing TDs this season
Shortly after the game, star MSU receiver Taco Dowler tweeted, “I already miss Tommy.” He’s hardly alone. Tommy will go down as one of the greatest Bobcats of all time, and he will likely have multiple opportunities to continue his football career at the professional level.
Bulldog boys hold off Maroons
Butte High knocked off Butte Central for the second straight season, but the game was better than many people might have suspected going in.
The undersized Maroons put up a fight before the Bulldogs escaped with a 62-51 victory. Butte High led most of the way, but BC was in striking distance until the very end.
Junior guard Hudson Luedtke scored 22 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to lead that Bulldog charge.
He passed a couple of Butte High legends on the school’s boys’ points leaderboard along the way. Luedtke moved into third place on the all-time list with 894 points. In the win over BC, he passed Gary Kane (883) and Doug Edwards (874).
That leaves just John Dawson (1,022) and Chris Rasmussen (969) in front of Luedtke, who has been a starter since his freshman season. By the way, Rasmussen was a junior when Butte High won its last Class AA State title in 1994. Luedtke’s grandpa, Mickey Tuttle, was a senior on that team, by the way.
Senior Dylan “Bobby” Bache was also a force in the second half for the Bulldogs. He scored 12 of his 18 points after the break. The Bulldogs got seven points apiece from Spencer Callaghan and Braylon Larson and five points from Torre Tempel.
Kyler Kjersten, Koda Schleeman, Brady Hansen and Raeder Grey also played for the Bulldogs, who improved to 4-1 on the season.
Senior Tocher Lee missed the game after hitting his head on the floor two nights earlier. That was his first game back after undergoing foot surgery during the football season.
Butte Central stayed in the game thanks in large part to the 3-point line. The Maroons connected on 10 shots from behind the arc.
Senior Owen McPartland drained five threes and scored 21 points to lead the Maroons, who fell to 2-3. He was one of seven Maroons to dent the score book.Sophomore Joshua Sutton hit three 3-pointers and scored 16 points. Of those, 15 came in the second half.
Jaxon Hiatt scored four points, Noah Sutton and Ryan Peoples each scored three, and Patrick Stimatz and Cade Kelly each tossed in two. GG Fantini also contributed for the Maroons.
Butte High and Central both picked up big wins in the nights leading up to Butte’s big game. The Bulldogs knocked off Bozeman 70-64 Thursday at the Civic Center, while the Maroons went to Livingston to trounce the Rangers 70-23 on Friday.
The Maroons, who didn’t get back in town until early Saturday morning, scored the game’s first 36 points. Peoples went 4 for 4 from 3-point land and scored 18 points to lead BC in the win. Joshua Sutton scored 12 points, while Noah Sutton, an eighth grader, poured in 10.
Central also got nine from McPartland, seven from Fantini and Hiatt, a freshman, four from Stimatz and three from Kelly.
Luedtke scored 31 in the win over Bozeman. He was followed by Bache with 20 and Larson with 10. Temple scored four points in that win, and Lee sank a three. Or, as Bulldogs fans say, “T for Three!”
The Bulldogs open Western AA play Thursday at Missoula Hellgate. They return home Saturday to take on Missoula Sentinel. (Butte High schedules)
Butte Central’s boys only have one game this week, but it is a big one. The Maroons take on Anaconda Friday night at the Maroon Activities Center. (Butte Central schedules)
Butte High girls run away from Central
A game that was tied at 6 early did not stay close for long.
Butte High (4-1) outscored Central 23-1 in the second quarter, and the Bulldogs coasted to their seventh straight win over the Maroons.
Sophomore Cadence Graham hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points to lead three Bulldogs in double figures. Classmate Autumn Clary scored 13 points, and senior Brityn Stewart scored all of her 10 points in the first half.
The Bulldogs also got nine points from Franki Salusso, six from Dylann Bartoletti, and two apiece from Addie Hiatt and Allie Becker. Ellison Graham, Sidney Whitaker, Saege Grey and Gracie Jonart also contributed in the Butte High win.
Sophomore Rylee Forbes scored eight points to lead Central (1-5). Kenzie McQueary and Zayonna Otherbull each scored three points, while Braelynn Schelin tossed in two.
Evyn Smith, Marly Mansanti, Jaedyn Maldonado, Arika Stajcar and Meika Boyer also contributed for the Maroons, who fell 56-36 the night before in Livingston.
Otherbull, a 5-foot-9 freshman, scored 17 points to lead BC that night. Central also got six from Forbes, three from Schelin, Stajcar and Smith, and two from McQueary.
Central will play Anaconda in the opener of Friday’s doubleheader with the Copperheads at the MAC.
Butte High, which plays host to Hellgate Thursday before traveling the Sentinel on Saturday, beat Bozeman 47-39 Thursday night at the Civic Center.
Graham’s 21 points led the Bulldogs on that night. Bartoletti and Salusso each scored nine, while Stewart tossed in five, Clary scored two and Hiatt netted one.
Hunt wins title at Tom LeProwse Invitational
Junior Keegan Hunt was the lone title winner as the Butte High wrestling teams went to Bozeman to compete at the Tom LeProwse Invitational Friday and Saturday at Gallatin High School.
The tournament is named after the late Butte High Bulldog and Butte Sports Hall of Famer who went on to become a coaching legend in Bozeman.
Senior Will Stepan and sophomore Bode Hazlett each finished third in their respective weight classes.
Hunt went 5-0 with four pins to claim the top spot at 103 pounds. He beat Jesse Grossman of Hardin in a 13-5 major decision in the championship match.
Hazlette advanced to the semifinals at 144 pounds before battling back to third. He topped Korbyn Barent of Billings West 5-2 in the third-place match. Stepan took third at 150 pounds. He beat Connor Lamping of Helena High 9-6 in his final match.
Butte High placed eighth in the field of 37 teams with 150 points. West took the team title with 269 points. Kalispell Flathead was second at 219.5, while Great Falls High took third at 181.5.
Other wrestlers who scored points for the Bulldogs were Ben Tierney (110 pounds), Reveles McEwen (118), Bradey Doyle (126), Joseph Ward (132), Bridger Garrison (138), Jake Bailey (157), Reece Cunneen (165), Garrett Henson (215) and Waylond Hicks (285).
Complete results are available at trackwrestling.com.
In the girls’ half of the LeProwse, Butte High placed 18th out of 34 teams with 60 points. Billings Senior won with 269.5. Flathead took second at 208, and Billings Skyview finished third at 172.
Four Bulldogs placed in the top six in their weight classes.
Junior Peyton Liva placed fifth at 100 pounds, while freshman Chyanne Robinson took fifth in the division with a 235-pound limit. Junior Mattie Stepan took sixth at 145 pounds, and sophomore Rylee Radcliffe placed sixth at 190.
Other Bulldogs who scored points were Morgan Merrick (120), Baely Norris (145) and Sage Queer (170).
Butte High will be home Friday to take on Helena High and Helena Capital. The Bulldogs will celebrate Senior Night when the battle the Bruins at the old Butte High gym.
Both teams will be in Missoula to compete in the Hellgate Mixer on Saturday.
Butte High hosts swim meet
The Butte Family YMCA will set the scene Saturday when the Bulldogs host the Butte Invitational swim meet.
The event will be Butte’s first home action since competing in Missoula on Dec. 21. After heading to Great Falls on Jan. 18, the Bulldogs will again host meets on Jan. 25 and Jan. 31.
Butte Central’s new swimming team will compete at all three Butte meets. The Maroons will compete in the Class A Divisional in Hardin on Jan. 18.
The State meet is Feb. 13-15 in Great Falls for both Butte teams.
Bears battle past Oredigger men, women
Rocky Mountain College swept a basketball doubleheader with Montana Tech’s men’s and women’s teams Saturday at the Fortin Center in Billings.
Rocky’s women beat Tech 56-36 before the men completed the sweep with a 63-55 victory. The games were the Frontier Conference openers for both teams.
Tech’s men fell to 12-2 overall, while the Oredigger women dipped to 9-5.
Both Tech teams will play a pair of home games this week. The Orediggers welcome MSU-Northern for a doubleheader Thursday at the HPER Complex. The women’s game begins at 5 p.m., and the men play at 7.
Carroll College comes to town for a matinée Saturday. The twin bill begins with the women’s game at 2.
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Coach Arntson will be truly missed
In 2003, the head coaching job for the Butte High girls’ basketball team was not very appealing.
It was so unappealing that I’m not sure the school got more than one person to apply for the job after Tom Pomroy Jr. decided to give up coaching and focus more on his growing family in June.
Butte High only expected one varsity player back from the previous team that won a playoff game but fell just short of a state tournament berth. However, Sonja Rogers moved with her family to Lewistown between the school years.
Rogers, who was a star in her two years at Butte High, helped lead Lewistown to back-to-back Class A State titles before going on to a standout career playing for Robin Selvig at the University of Montana.
Her leaving town meant the cupboard was completely bare for the Butte High girls’ basketball program.
While the team was usually competitive, the Bulldog girls had not played in the Class AA State tournament since 1994. With a bunch of players with virtually no varsity experience making up the varsity roster, it did not look like Butte High was even close to beginning to think about making a trip to state.
Any coach who was looking to win right away knew not to apply.
The Bulldogs needed someone who was willing to put in the time and build a program from scratch. They needed a coach who was taking the job for all the right reasons.
They needed Jeff Arntson.
Coach Arntson, who was beloved as a teacher, was a coach’s coach. While he took over the program with head coaching experience at Outlook and Hot Springs, Arntson was a longtime assistant coach at Butte High. He served stints as an assistant in the boys’ and girls’ programs with the Bulldogs.
The hiring of Arntson could not have sparked a ton of enthusiasm with Bulldog fans who did not know the coach well. Jeff was a quiet, unassuming man who was probably known more for being Arch’s brother.
With larger-than-life character John Thatcher leading the Bulldog boys’ program, Jeff Arntson seemed like a pretty boring hire at the time.
At least that is how I viewed the hiring of Jeff, a guy I had gotten to know and really like as a young sportswriter at The Montana Standard.
Thatcher was a fiery coach in the mold of Bobby Knight. Arntson was more like Tom Landry.
Arntson’s run with the Bulldogs, though, was anything but boring. In fact, the next 10 years coving the Butte High girls’ basketball team was part of the most exciting run of my writing career.
Those Bulldogs turned into a must-see show.
After a slow start, Butte High went 135-100 in those 10 seasons under Arntson. The Bulldogs qualified for the Class AA State tournament eight straight years from 2006 through 2013. They played in the State Championship game three times — in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
Their run to the championship in 2006 was a Cinderella story. The Bulldogs beat Great Falls High in a nerve-racking 24-21 semifinal game, thanks to a huge 3-point shot by sophomore Brianne McClafferty in overtime.
Butte High, though, fell to a 20-win Bozeman team in the championship game and finished the season with the second-place trophy and a 10-14 record.
After that, the Bulldogs really took off. They returned to the championship game in 2008 and 2009, only to see their title hopes fall short to Missoula Big Sky and the Tinkle sisters, Joslyn and Elle.
Before Arntson took over the Bulldog program, the Butte High girls had never played in a State Championship game.
Butte High held the No. 1 ranking in the Class AA many weeks over that span. Perhaps the highlights of the era came on back-to-back seasons when the Bulldogs beat Class A Anaconda in jam-packed arenas.
On Feb. 8, 2008, the night Leo McCarthy launched Mariah’s Challenge at the Civic Center, Butte High beat Anaconda 56-41 in a battle of No. 1 teams.
It was the first time that I ever saw the girls upstage the boys in a game. Even the Butte High and Anaconda boys’ players seemed like they were in a hurry to just get to the girls’ game already when they played first that night.
A year later, when both teams were ranked No. 3, the Anaconda officials mistakenly used a boys’ ball during the rematch in the Snake Pit in Anaconda. Butte High escaped with a 57-55 overtime win. To this day, that is the greatest girls’ basketball team I have ever watched.
It might be the greatest basketball game I have ever seen, period.
Butte High games were exciting from start to finish in those days. The Bulldogs would win the jump, and Gwenn Abbott would score seconds into the game almost every game.
It was such a sure thing, that I could write that down in my play-by-play notes before the game even tipped off. They played a full-court game, and Arntson would get nearly every girl on the roster in every game.
Arntson’s tenure with the Bulldogs saw Lexie Nelson become the school’s all-time leading scorer — boy or girl. It was the coach who helped keep track of that record to make sure Nelson got the proper recognition, too.
Nelson went on to become a star at Eastern Washington before playing pro ball overseas.
Several other Arntson players went on to stellar college careers. That includes Natalee Faupel at MSU-Northern, Joey O’Neill at Weber State and Carroll College, Kabri Emerson at College of North Idaho and Montana Tech, Hattie Thatcher and McClafferty at Montana Tech and Kalli McCloskey at Rocky Mountain College.
Abbott could have played college ball, but opted for track at the University of Montana instead.
No coach ever won more games with the Bulldog girls than Arntson. Only Harry “Swede” Dahlberg, Bob Rae and Pat Foley won more games with the Butte High boys.
Counting his stints in Outlook and Hot Springs, Arntson won more than 400 games in his career.
When I think of the Butte High girls’ basketball glory days under Arntson, though, it isn’t the wins that stand out. It isn’t the big games or the championship appearances.
What I remember are the post-game interviews.
Again, they weren’t exciting. Coach Arntson was never flashy. His demeaner never changed, win or lose. But he was always classy.
Never once did he take credit for a victory. Those were all about the players.
Never once did he deflect the blame following a loss. Those were all about him.
When travel coaches tried to take the credit for the team’s success, Jeff never said a word. He just went about coaching his teams.
“I truly enjoyed my time,” Arntson told me when he retired as head coach in June of 2013. “I tried to make it the best basketball program possible. I enjoyed working with the kids and the assistant coaches, and I’m proud of the teams we built.”
Before the 2021-22 season, Arntson’s son, Bryan, was named head coach of the girls’ program. That meant that Jeff was back on the bench as an assistant. He would take the bench with Bryan during varsity games and with his daughter Courtney Schad during subvarsity games.
It was great to see Coach Arntson back where he always seemed to belong. Coaching basketball.
He missed the 2022-23 season while his wife, Terri, battled Leukemia. She passed away shortly after that campaign.
Jeff was back on the bench last season. But you could tell he was heartbroken, and you could see that he wasn’t feeling well.
You could also tell he still loved the game. He still loved the players.
He eventually lost a leg because of diabetes, and he was missed as this season started while he was in a nursing home trying to rehab.
Coach Arntson passed away two days after Christmas at 67. He will be sorely missed, but his memory will live on and on.
He will be remembered as one of the greatest basketball coaches this town has ever seen. He will also be remembered as one of the nicest people to ever coach any sport.
More than anything, the unassuming Arntson will long be remembered as the coach who did his job for all the right reasons.
— Bill Foley 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.
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 