-
Maroons ready for ‘gauntlet,’ while Bulldogs hunt a victory in Kalispell
Butte Central’s football team has been on a roll.
The Maroons have won four straight games, and the last three have been blowouts. They beat Ronan, Corvallis and Stevensville by a combined score of 133-35. At 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Southwestern A play, BC is off to its best start since before the COVID pandemic.
But things are about to get decidedly more difficult for the Maroons. Head coach Don Peoples Jr. called Central’s remaining schedule a “three-game gauntlet.”
That starts Friday when the Maroons hit the road to take on Frenchtown (5-1, 2-0). Next week, the Maroons play at Hamilton (4-1, 1-1) before returning home Oct. 24 to close the regular season against nemesis Dillon (1-4, 1-1).
After Friday’s 58-22 win over Stevensville on the Bob Green Field, though, BC is not about to back down from anybody.
Senior quarterback Ryan Peoples had another big game to lead the BC offense that has turned into a bona fide juggernaut. He threw touchdown passed of 42 and 75 yards to junior Joshua Sutton. He also hit Jack Nagle for a 26-yard score.
Peoples, Henly Mansanti, GG Fantini and Jaxon Hiatt ran for scores behind an offensive line made up of J.J. Taylor, Burkley Lakkala, Colt Hassler, Jack Nylund and Bobby McCarthy. Sutton added a kickoff return for a score.
On the season, Peoples has tossed 13 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. He is averaging 219 yards passing per game.
Taylor, Mansanti, Treigh Hollow and Parker Kellicut each have two sacks to lead the BC defense. Sutton picked off three passes, while Hiatt intercepted two. Fantini, Tony Stajcar and Manny Weang each have one.
Frenchtown enters the game with three straight wins following a 35-7 loss at Billings Central, which is destroying everybody. The Broncs rolled Florence-Carlton 23-8, beat Dillon 38-7 and edged Hamilton 21-14 in Hamilton.
A strong running attack leads the Broncs into battle. Senior Cole Johnson is averaging 122.7 yards per game. He ran for 100 yards four times in six games, and he found the endzone six times. Senior Bailey Corrett and Michael Rummel have each scored twice.
Junior quarterback Dawson Rodoni has passed for nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Senior Jordan Warner leads the team with five TD receptions.
Senior Konnor Klimpel leads the Frenchtown defense with 8.3 tackles per game. Classmates Henry Griffin and Jaxon Haynes each got in on three sacks, and junior Cooper Michaud picked off three passes.
Click here for a story and boxscore on BC’s win over Stevensville by Bruce Sayler on ButteSports.com.
Bulldogs head to Kalispell
Butte High’s football team just can’t seem to buy a break.
The Bulldogs dropped their fourth straight game Friday, falling in a 35-28 shootout against Helena High at Naranche Stadium. That followed a 10-7 loss on a last-second field goal to Missoula Sentinel the week before.
Butte (1-5 overall, 0-4 conference) will head to Kalispell to take on Flathead (1-4, 0-4) in a Western AA game at Legends Stadium. Flathead also enters the contest looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Braves fell 27-20 at Helena Capital on Friday. The week before, they dropped a 64-20 decision at home to Missoula Big Sky.
Senior quarterback Eli Coopman leads a strong Flathead running attack. He has racked up 572 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He has six touchdowns on the season He has also passed for six touchdowns compared to seven interceptions.
Senior Nolan Campbell and sophomore Leum Saisbury are also weapons in the running game. Both have scored a pair of touchdowns.
Senior Matthew Lewis, junior Oliver Rossenberg and Saisbury have each picked off a pair of passes to lead the Flathead defense.
Despite the tough loss, the Bulldogs had some bright spots to build on in the loss to Helena High. Junior quarterback Raeder Grey heated up in the fourth quarter and passed for 324 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 21 of 29 passes.
All-State senior Hudson Luedtke had another big game for the Bulldogs, hauling in 12 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. His receiving yards were a season-high for Luedtke.
Classmate Kaleb Celli caught four passes for 35 yards, and Koyde Kjersten hauled in two passes, including a 52-yard touchdown reception.
Senior Peyton Johnson averaged 4.0 yards per carry for the Bulldog running game. Senior Gunner Bushman ran for his first varsity score.
After a film review by coaches, senior Mitch Verlanic led the team with 10 tackles. Junior Jaeger Hansen collected nine, six of which were solo. Luedtke racked up three tackles for a loss.
The Bulldogs will be on the road again next week, taking on Missoula Hellgate Thursday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Bulldogs will then close the regular season Oct. 24 at home against Helena Capital.
Flag football season ends
Butte High’s flag football team bowed out of the State tournament last Wednesday with a first-round loss to Kalispell Glacier, which won another title in Hamilton.
The Wolfpack have won every title since the sport came to Montana high schools in 2022.
While the Bulldogs did not hoist the trophy, Butte High first-year coach John Stenson said he liked the progress his team made during the season.
“Overall, it was a great season,” Stenson said. “We didn’t get as many wins as we wanted, but the team learned a lot and grew by leaps and bounds throughout the season. We have a great group of girls coming back next season. We are excited to have a full offseason with camps and summer workouts. The expectations are high and the girls are excited. The sport is growing and it is great to see.”
Stenson said the team is really going to miss its seniors. They are Allie Ballensky, Megan Flanick, Charlee Griner, Laney Huizinga and McKenna LeCoure.
Other players on the Bulldog roster in 2025 are juniors Brooke Johnson, Jayda Gustafson, McKenna Ketchum, Alexis King, Jaydyn Mason and Mackenzie Read; sophomores Brylee Ballensky, Iszabella Dawson, Addisyn Lambrecht, Lilyi Malone, Audrey Moore and Chyanne Robinson; and freshmen Ellie Carey, Reaghan Denning, Rylee Erickson, Kolbie Erickson, Brooklyn Hettick, Jaydyn LaBuff, Kaydee O’Connor, Willow Rose, Bella Schrapps and Kynslee Wrampe.
Stenson is assisted by Mike McGurk, and Finley Gonzales is the manager.
Spartans sweep Bulldogs
Missoula Sentinel swept a Western AA volleyball match with Butte High Tuesday night in Missoula. The Spartans won 26-24, 25-12, 25-16. (Boxscore)
Senior Gracie Jonart’s seven kills paced the Bulldog attack in the loss Senior Audry McCafferty added five kills, while juniors Cadence Graham (11) and Ellie Yates (10) recached double digits in digs. Freshman Ellison Graham set 20 assists.
That came after the Bulldogs suffered a tough 25-22, 25-14, 19-25, 25-20 Western AA match to Missoula Big Sky Thursday in Missoula. (Boxscore)
The Bulldogs offered a balanced attack in the loss. Junior Avery Barsness led the way with seven kills. Jonart and junior Brittyn Klima each killed six, while junior Allie Becker put away five.
Cadence Graham’s 26 digs lead a balanced effort from the backcourt. Ellison Graham dug 22, while Becker followed with 21. Jonart added 11, and Yates dug 10. Ellison Graham set 23 assists.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs hosted a crossover tournament. The Dogs dropped a 2-1 decision to Bozeman. They fell 2-0 to Great Falls High, Great Falls Russell and Gallatin.
Butte High is back in action Thursday when the Bulldogs play host to Missoula Hellgate at the Richardson Gym.
Maroons set for Blocktober Classic
Butte Central’s volleyball team dropped a three-set home match to Dillon Thursday at the Maroon Activities Center.
The Beavers won 25-16, 25-17 and 25-22. No statistics are available for that match.
The Maroons will host the annual Blocktober Classic tournament Friday and Saturday at the MAC. Teams competing with BC are Anaconda, Big Fork, Billings Central, Browning, Colombia Falls, Miles City, Dillon, East Helena, Lewistown, Florence, Frenchtown, Hamilton, Hardin, Havre, Boulder, Laurel, Libby, Lockwood, Livingston, Polson, Deer Lodge, Ronan, Stevensville and Whitefish.
Pool play begins at 9 a.m. Friday, and bracket play is set to start at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Volunteers are needed run the tournament. Jobs needed filled include the scorebook, scoreboard and line judge. Contact Chad Petersen at chadpetersen@gmail.com or (406) 498-5000 if you can help.
Click here to for the tournament schedule and to follow along with the scores and standings.
Looking ahead
Butte High and Butte Central’s cross teams will compete in the Capital City 7 of 7 meet Saturday at Helena’s Bill Roberts Golf Course.
That meet will include 59 teams and multiple races. A walk through of course will be held at 11 a.m.. The varsity No. 7 boys and girls run at 1:45. Races start every half hour until the No. 1 runners in boys and girls run at 4:45 p.m.
Butte Central’s last action was the Hamilton Invitational at Daly Mansion. (Results)
The Maroons sent four boys to compete in that meet. Junior Jack Holmes led the way for BC, finishing the 5-kilometer course in 21 minutes, 53 seconds.
Eighth grader Roman Terry finished in 24:58. He was followed by Juniors Joe Bradshaw (25:09) and Conan Holmes (26:12).
Polson runner David DiGiallonardo won the race in 16:14. Drummond’s Dawson Parke placed second at 16:39, less than a second faster than Hamilton’s Benjamin Beare.
On the girls’ side, Morgan Delaney of Polson won in 19:05. Polson’s Quinn Delaney was second at 19:21, and Hamilton’s Aleigha Child placed third in 19:34.
Butte High’s soccer teams will play host to Missoula Hellgate Thursday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. The girls play at 3 p.m., and the boy play at 5.
Butte High’s teams played host to Helena High on Saturday before playing at Missoula Sentinel on Tuesday. Scores for those matches have not been provided.
The Bulldogs have three matches left in the regular season. After playing at Missoula Big Sky on Saturday, the Bulldogs will play host to Kalispell Glacier on Oct. 17.
-
Podcast No. 295: Kevin Barry
Kevin Barry is a well-known and highly-regarded name in Ireland, and beyond.
The most famous Kevin Barry was a young Irish Republican Army soldier who was executed by the British government during the Irish War of Independence. His life and death inspired the Irish rebel song titled Kevin Barry.
Another martyr for old Ireland, another murder for the Crown.
That, though, has nothing to do with today’s guest. This Kevin Barry was named after an uncle, and he is one of a great many men named Kevin Barry in Ireland.
This Kevin Barry, though, is the only one, to my knowledge, who has written a novel that was set in Butte in the 1890s. He has written a handful of novels, a few collections of short stories and some plays.
His latest novel is called “The Heart in Winter,” and it is a love story about a couple trying to escape Butte in 1891. Barry started research for this book in 1999. That is when he rolled off a Greyhound Bus from Seattle and made his first stop in the M&M.
After spending time in Butte doing research, he started writing his book. It did not click with him, so he put it aside for a couple of decades. Then, he came back and wrote a book he can be proud of.
Barry has been in Butte for almost a week now promoting his book. Earlier today, I caught up with him at the Knights of Columbus Hall for a fun conversation.
Listen in to hear about Barry’s travels, including his initial visit to the Mining City. Listen as he talks about growing up in Ireland and his career as a journalist and writer. Listen as he talks about why he chose Butte for the setting of his novel.
Listen as he talks about what it is like to come to Butte with an Irish accent, and listen as he tells us that he is not the martyr who fought to free Ireland.
Today’s podcast is presented by the Jewelry Design Center. Let Brian Toone and Co. be your jewelers for life.
Today’s episode is available on YouTube:
-
There are no tow trucks in Heaven
In the 1970s and 1980s, you could identify a family by the vehicle they drove.
My family could easily be recognized by our red 1976 Chevy Impala. There was nothing cool about that old car that had Neil Diamond’s greatest hits stuck in the 8-track player.
My uncle Jerry D’Arcy, whom we call Shordy (for some reason with a D), drove a blue-and-white Ford truck that I thought was cool, and my uncle Al Hansen drove a tiny, silver Toyota car that was barely bigger than he was.
Grandma Mary and Grandpa Jerry drove a brown Chevy Citation. My grandpa Bill and Grandma Jean had an orange, rusty-looking early 1970s model Impala.
I always thought my aunt Carol Kocher drove the coolest vehicle in the family. It was a big, brown truck. I am pretty sure it was a Ford, and it reminded me of the truck driven by Lee Majors every Friday night on my favorite TV show, “The Fall Guy.”
I will never forget the time I finally got to ride in Carol’s truck. It was my birthday in the early 1980s, and Carol picked me up at Grandma Mary’s house. We took the long drive to JC Penny, which was in the building where Murdoch’s now resides.
Carol, who passed away at the age of 85 over the weekend, bought me a shirt and had my name put on it. I don’t remember much about that shirt, but I remember riding in the truck with my mom’s awesome older sister.
I had wanted to ride in that truck for a long time. It was so much cooler than our Impala. I felt like Colt Seavers as I sat in the passenger seat as Carol drove that truck and talked to me with a cigarette dangling from her lips.
I don’t know what ever happened to that truck, but it was long gone by the time the 1990s rolled around. Had she still been driving that truck into the 2000s, however, one of the biggest — and funniest — controversies of our family never would have happened.
It was probably 10 or 12 years ago when my now late uncle Al called a tow truck on Carol, his long-time sister-in-law. While she was in church, no less.
By this time, Carol was driving the same car as probably 200 other people in our town of 30,000. Nowadays, you cannot tell a family by a vehicle. Whatever you drive, you can bet that dozens of people in town drive the same make, model, year and color that you do.
So, Al did not realize that was Carol’s car blocking his driveway by St. John’s Church that Sunday morning. That was his story, anyway, and he stuck to it.
Carol parked there because the church parking lot was full, and she thought the Hansen family was out of town. She did not know Al was still home, by himself.
She also figured people in your family still knew you by your car. So, when Carol walked out of church and saw the tow truck at her car, she was surprised, to say the least. She was also not happy about it. She thought Al called the tow truck on her on purpose.
Now, a tow truck can be quite the comforting sight when you are stranded on the highway or you need your vehicle taken to the repair shop. But it can be the most enraging sight you can possibly see when it is not wanted. People immediately go from happy to furious when they surprisingly see their car being lifted by a tow truck.
That is why so many tow truck drives get screamed at as they simply try to do their job.
Now, I am about 93 percent sure he would not have called the tow truck if he had known it was Carol’s car. Carol, though, could not be convinced otherwise. Al, she thought, knew it was her car and he was having it towed.
She was livid, but the incident made the rest of us laugh. That Carol wasn’t laughing made it even more funny.
Being the instigator I usually am, I could not help but tease her about it every time I saw her. “Hey lady,” I would say. “You’re parked in my spot. I called the tow truck.”
Carol would smile and say, “Oh, you.” For the first few years, she would also get mad again thinking about the situation. She would again tell me that Al did it on purpose.
Eventually, she started to see the humor in the situation, and she would just laugh when I told her to move her car — even though I could not identify her car in a police lineup.
Luckily, I got to see Carol a lot during those years because her granddaughter, Jenna, competed in volleyball, swimming and softball for Butte High. Carol went to watch the competitions, and I went to all the home action to take photos and write stories about the Bulldogs.
Every time I would see Carol, I would tell her that she parked in my spot. When I saw her at a family function or the grocery store, I would tell her that her car was about to be towed.
On Sept. 27, my family held an 80th birthday party for Shordy at the East Side Athletic Club. Carol was the first person I saw as I walked in. I got to meet her brand-new great-granddaughter, and I got to inform her one last time that she was parked in my spot.
“Hey, smartass,” Carol said. “I haven’t driven in a year.”
Then we again laughed about that crazy situation. It was great to see her. She was on oxygen and needed a walker to get around, but I thought she looked pretty good. I did not think it would be the last time I would tell her to move her car.
Less than a week later, Carol passed away in her sleep, and we are all going to miss her so much. Carol was smart, quick and funny. She was also so very caring. That is what I will remember about her the most.
She worked for decades as a nurse at St. James Hospital, where she made the lives of sick and injured people much easier. She was always there to offer a soothing hand when it was needed the most.
Even after she retired, Carol was always there to offer care when needed.
When my cousin Jerry died in an accident at the age of 20 in 1988, our family converged on Grandma Mary and Grandpa Jerry’s house. We were all in shock, and nobody knew what to say in the midst of the unbearable sadness.
We were numb as we gathered in the kitchen of the old house. That is when Carol stepped up with some comforting words I will never forget.
“Teddy,” she said, “will show Little Jerry around Heaven.”
Teddy was Carol’s son and the cousin I never knew. He died a little more than a year before I was born.
In the darkness of the evening of Nov. 30, 1972, Teddy was hit by a car while he rode a saucer sled on the Oregon Avenue overpass, right at the intersection of Oregon Avenue and B Street. He was transported to Missoula, where he stayed until his death on Jan. 3, 1973.
He was only 7 years old.
While Carol was devastated by the tragedy, she continued her job of comforting others. She continued to make us laugh, even when she did not mean to. That, of course, is when we laughed the hardest.
Now, Carol is with Teddy. He can show her around Heaven along with Little Jerry, Grandma Mary and Grandpa Jerry, her sister Joanie, sister-in-law Laura a many other loved ones who have passed.
The romantic in me believes that right now Carol is parked in Al’s driveway, knowing there is nothing he can do about it this time.
There is no way they allow tow trucks in Heaven.
— Bill Foley, who would kill to drive Carol’s old brown truck, 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.
-
Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Joshua Sutton and Elsa Theiszen
Butte Central junior football player Joshua Sutton and Butte High freshman cross country runner Elsa Theiszen are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Sutton takes home the boys’ honor after a huge performance helped Butte Central win its fourth game in a row Friday, a 58-22 beating of Stevensville on the Bob Green Field.
Sutton scored three touchdowns in the win. He caught scoring passes of 42 and 75 yards from Ryan Peoples. He also scored on an 84-yard kickoff return to open the second half.
On the game, Sutton hauled in four passes for 132 yards. Sutton is also a standout basketball player for the Maroons.
Theiszen takes home the girls’ honor after her best race of the season. She placed third in a race Friday at the Headwaters Golf Course in Three Forks.
Theiszen finished the 5-kilometer race in 20 minutes, 15 seconds. That broke her personal record by more than a minute and a half.
Off to an impressive start to her career with the Bulldogs, Theiszen has finished in under 22 minutes in all five races she has run so far this season. Theiszen and the Bulldogs will run at the Capital City 7 of 7 meet Thursday in Helena.
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 to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
Photo of Sutton courtesy Alycia Holland Photography. Photo of Theiszen provided by Ashley Choquette.
-
KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of Oct. 6.
Monday
7 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Hoopballas vs. RanchmensTuesday
7 p.m. — Kenworthy vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Ranchmens
9 p.m. — Someday Starters vs. HoopballasWednesday
7 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Washington Generals
8 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Parish
9 p.m. — Parish vs. Rosary RattlersThursday
7 p.m. — Kenworthy vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Rosary Rattlers
-
McGree brothers tie for 13th at State A
SIDNEY — Butte Central brothers Will and Beau McGree are All-State golfers.
The McGrees both rallied on Saturday’s final round of the Class A State golf tournament at the Sidney Country Club to tie for 13th place on the boys’ leaderboard with a two-day total of 162 on the par-72 course. (Results)
The top 15 players earn All-State recognition.
Will, a senior, improved six shots from his opening round 84 for a 78 on Saturday. Beau, a sophomore, improved eight shots from his 85 on Friday for a 77 on Saturday.
Colin Jensen of Billings Central lit up the course for a 66 on Saturday to take medalist honors. Jensen, who shot an opening-round 75, finished with a 3-under 141 total. Caleb Fornsshell of Billings Central placed second at 144, while first-round leader Max Milton of Polson tied for third with Corvallis’ Brady Powell at 145.
Corvallis improved four shots for a 305 and a 614 total to win the team title. The Blue Devils edged Billings Central by two shots. The Rams shot a 300 on Saturday.
On the girls’ side, Anna Lende of Livingston shot matching 77s for a 154 total to win the State title. Jordan Nielsen of Billings Central placed second at 162, followed by teammate Berkley Park at 163.
Dillon’s Skylar LaPierre placed fifth at 166. Teammate Briley Alberi tied for eighth at 181.
Butte Central eighth grader Mya McGree finished at 213. She followed a 102 with a 111.
Billings Central won the girls’ team title at 687. Whitefish took second at 733, and Dillon placed third at 762.
(Pictured above in the courtesy photo, Beau McGree, left, and Will McGree are shown with their All-State medals.)
-
Wiltsie and Bulldog boys win Headwaters Cross Country meet
THREE FORKS — The Butte High boys’ team won the Headwaters Invitational Cross Country meet Friday, defeating second-place Jefferson 28-64. (Results)
Bulldog senior Levi Wiltsie won the individual title in 16 minutes 21 seconds, beating Cascade’s Peyton Johnson by 17 seconds. The victory comes a couple of weeks after Wiltsie signed to run cross country at the University of Providence in Great Falls.
The entire varsity team ran personal bests with Lincoln Zell finishing sixth in 16:56, Isaac Zell eight in 17:34, Bridger Luebke ninth in 17:35, Charles Killebrew 12th in 17:50 and Colton Yoakum 23rdin 18:34.
The varsity girls’ team also performed well, finishing third behind Jefferson and Manhattan and having all runners with personal best times. Elsa Theiszen led the Bulldogs finishing third in 20:15, she was followed by Pipi Luebke seventh in 20:32, Addie Thompson 26th in 22:54, Wakely Buerlson 29th in 22:59, Kellie Jo Carpenter 31st in 23:08.
The Butte High junior varsity boys also captured fisth place in both the team and individual competition. Ryan Hansen and Jason Real finished first and second with times of 18:33 and 18:53. They were followed by Johan Theiszen sixth in 19:40, Brian Moen 11th in 20:35, Sawyer Howell 20th in 22:04, Jack Taylor 22nd in 22:31, Alex Cranney 23rd in 22:33, Lyric Haston 31st in 24:12, Case Richardson 32nd in 24:42, Brian Poole 34th in 25:54, Zach McLarnon 35th in 25:54, Emmet Hedval 37th in 27:07, Caelum Moore 38th in 27:52, and Kyle Van Elsberg 39th in 28:17.
Kherington Adams captured first place in the girls’ JV race. The Bulldogs placed third as a team.
Adams was followed by Cambree O’Neill ninth in 25:40, Lynn Wiltsie 26th in 30:14, Lainee Walsh-Hill 30th in 33:55, Evelyn Hardman 32nd in 34:02, and Hayden Hiltunen 33rd in 34:27.
Siblings Camden and Sophia Houchin sat out the race while recovering from a cold.
Next up for the Bulldogs is the Capital City 7 on 7 meet, which is Thursday in Helena.
(In the courtesy photo above, Levi Wiltsie sits with University of Providence cross country coach Tony Arntson.)
-
Bengals hold off Bulldogs
Peyton Lorenz ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns to lead Helena High to a 35-28 win over Butte High in front of a smallish Silver B’s Night crowd Friday at Naranche Stadium.
It was a kickoff return, a fake punt and trick play, though, that broke the Bulldogs back.
Butte High led 14-7 at halftime before Sean Gibson returned the opening kick of the second half 96 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
After Lorenz put the Bengals on top with his second TD, this one for 27 yards, Brayden Garza threw a 58-ayrd strike to Seth Kiser on a trick play to make it a 28-14 Helena lead.
That play came right after a fake punt gave Helena a first down.
The Bulldogs did not go down quietly, though. Junior quarterback Raeder Grey threw fourth quarter TD passes to Koyde Kjersten for 52 yards and Hudson Luedtke for 9 yards.
Garza, though, punched in an 11-yard run in between those Butte scores.
Grey completed 21 of 29 passes for 324 yards and three TDs. He also hooked up with Luedtke for an 8-yard strike in the first quarter.
Luedke had a monster game, catching 12 passes for 180 yards Fellow senior Kaleb Celli caught four passes for 35 yards. Brady Walsh grabbed three for 53 and Kjersten hauled in two for 56.
Senior Peyton Johnson ran for 48 yards, while Gunner Bushman punched in a 2-yard touchdown run.
Noseguard Waylond Hicks intercepted a pass and returned it 43 yards to set up Butte’s first touchdown. Jaeger Hanson led the defense with 13 tackles, while Mitch Verlanic added 11 and Finn Wortham got in on 10.
Bridger Brancamp registered a sack. He also recovered a fumble that was forced by Wortham.
The Bengals improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in conference. The Bulldogs fell to 1-5 and 0-4. Butte High will play at Kalispell Flathead next Friday.
-
McGrees in the hunt at State A golf
SIDNEY — Butte Central siblings Will, Beau and Mya McGree will be looking for All-State honors Saturday as the Class A State golf tournament closes at the Sidney Country Club.
They have some work to do, however.
Senior Will McGree shot an 84, while sophomore Beau McGree hit an 85 during Friday’s opening round. (Results)
That puts Will in a tie 20th place and Beau in a tie for 26th at the halfway point. The cut off for the top 15 and All-State is 82 after the first day.
Max Milton of Polson leads the boys’ race with a 3-under-par 69. Brady Powell of Corvallis is second at 72. Sawyer Gentry, Caleb Fornshell of Billings Central and Dylan Wirt of Corvallis are tied for third at 74.
Corvallis leads the boys’ team race at 39=09. Polson and Billings Central are tied for second at 316.
On the girls’ side, eighth grader Mya McGree shot a 102 and is tied for 23rd place.
Ann Lende of Livingston leads the way at 77. Barkley Park of Billings Central and Karlee Brown of Whitefish are tied for second at 81.
Billings Central’s 349 leads the girls’ standings. Whitefish is second at 372, followed by Dillon at 385. Skylar LaPierre leads the Dillon girls with an 84, which is good for sixth place.
The tournament concludes with 18 holes on Saturday.
-
Bulldog golfers just miss All-State
Butte High golfers Chase Choquette, Kate DeShaw and Keeley Johnston finished just out of the running for All-State honors Friday at the Class AA State tournament. (Results, use pass code “STATEAA25.”)
Helena Capital’s John Gilbert claimed boys’ medalist honors in dramatic fashion. He drained a long birdie putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat Missoula Sentinel’s Jack Schaefer for the state title.
Gilbert and Schaefer both finished with a 1-over-par 141, shooting a 72 on Thursday and a 69 Friday on the par-72 course.
Jack Prinski of Great Falls Russell placed third at 144.
The top 15 players earn All-State honors, and Choquette missed that by just one shot. He followed a 76 with an 81 for a 157 to place 18th. The four players just ahead of him tied for 14th.
Lane Lisac, who is an eighth grader at East Middle School, was the only other Bulldog boy to play at State. He improved four shots for an 81 and a 166 total.
On the girls’ side, Billings Senior’s Payton Tryan took home medalist honors at 153. She shot a 77 after an opening-round 76. Heidi Huber of Bozeman took second at 160, followed by Kira Connell of Bozeman at 162.
Bulldog junior Kate DeShaw improved four shots for a 93 and a 190 total and 18th place. She missed the top 15 and All-State by two shots.
Butte High senior Keeley Johnston followed a 92 with a 99 for a 191 total and 19th place.
Missoula Sentinel won the boys’ title, and Bozeman claimed the girls’ crown.
