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Copper Queen League 3-on-3 hoops registration now open
The Copper Queen 3-on-3 Girls Basketball League will be held again this fall, offering athletes in third through eighth grade the opportunity to develop their skills, compete and have fun in a team setting.
The league will run on three Sundays at the Maroon Activities Center: Nov. 2, Nov. 9 and Nov. 16. Three divisions will be offered: third and fourth grade, fifth and sixth grade, and seventh and eighth grade.
Cost is $200 per team, and the limit is five players per team. Each team must have a coach.
Registration is open now and will close Oct. 24. Click here or follow the QR code on the flyer to register. For more information or questions, call (406) 498-8246.
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Leskvoar Honda Athletes of the Week: Bradey Doyle and Gracie Jonart
Butte High’s Bradey Doyle and Gracie Jonart are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Doyle, a 5-foot-7, 155-pound junior defensive back, takes home the boys’ honor after scoring the lone touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 41-7 loss at Missoula Big Sky Thursday night. Doyle, who returned to the game after an injury took him out for a short time, picked off a pass and raced 67 yards for the score.
Then Doyle booted the point after touchdown. In addition to handling the varsity kicking duties for the second season, Doyle has emerged as a standout defensive back for a Bulldog defense that is much better than their scores might indicate.
Jonart, a 5-8 senior outside hitter, receives the girls’ honor after her strong all-around performance helped lead the Bulldogs to their first win of the season Friday, a three-set sweep of Glacier in Kalispell. She spiked 10 kills, served three aces, collected nine digs and registered a block.
On the season, Jonart leads the Bulldogs with 71 kills. She is ranked second with nine aces and third with 85 digs.
Jonart is also a standout on the Butte High softball team.
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.
Photos of Doyle and Jonart provided by Alycia Holland 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 Sept. 22.
Monday
7 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Ranchmens
8 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Jellyfam
9 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. HoopballasTuesday
7 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Rosary RattlersWednesday
7 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Rosary Rattlers
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Ranchmens
9 p.m. — Parish vs. HoopballasThursday
7 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Someday Starters
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Will McGree, Maroons place third at Hamilton Invitational golf
HAMILTON — Senior Will McGree led the way Saturday as the Butte Central golf team had a very good day.
McGree fired a 1-over-par 73 at the Hamilton Golf Club to place third at the Hamilton Invitational prep golf tournament. That round highlighted the day for the Maroons, who tied for third place with Frenchtown at 322.
McGree finished in the top 10 of a tournament for the second straight tournament. He placed sixth at the two-day Butte High Invitational that wrapped up on Friday. The Hamilton tournament featured 64 boys competing.
Corvallis won the boys’ team title at 295. Whitefish placed second at 319.
Central sophomore Beau McGree tied for sixth place at 76. Kelton Berger fired an 86 for the Maroons, while Connor Kachmarik shot an 87 and Drew Kachmarik shot a 94.
On the girls’ side, BC eighth grader Mya McGree shot a 105 to tie for 18th place. She is Central’s lone girl golfer.
Karlee Brown of Whitefish ran away with medalist honors with a 78. Briley Alberi of Dillon took second at 92, while Bigfork’s Keegan Campbell and Dillon’s Tatum Nagle tied for third at 93.
Whitefish won the girls’ title at 370, beating second-place Dillon by 11 shots.
The tournament was the final warmup before the Maroons head back to Hamilton on Friday for the Western A Divisional tournament. The State tournament is Oct. 3-4 in Sidney.
Complete results for the Hamilton Invitational can be found on the Golf Genius app using the passcode “HAM2025.”
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Choquette, DeShaw, McGree finish in top 10 at Butte High Invite
GREGSON — Butte High golfers Chase Choquette and Kate DeShaw joined Butte Central’s Will McGree in the top 10 of the leaderboards at the Butte High Invitational at Fairmont Hot Springs.
The 36-hole tournament concluded with 18 holes on Friday.
Choquette, a senior, improved two shots on his first-round score with a 75 on Friday. That put him at 152 for the total, good for fifth place.
Torren Murray of Kalispell Glacier took home medalist honors. He followed his 68 with a 73 for a 3-under-ar 141 total. Great Falls Russell teammates Jackson Hageman and Jack Pinski tied for second place with Jayce Beltzer of Helena Capital at 150.
McGree, a senior, followed his opening-round 81 with a 79. That was good for a tie for 10th place at 160. Sophomore Beau McGree followed a 79 with an 83 to place 15th at 162.
Glacier won the team title at 38 over par for the two days. CMR was second at plus 47, while Capital took third at 62 over. The Maroons placed fourth at plus 86, and Butte High placed ninth at plus 142.
Connor Kachmarik tied for 17th for BC, following an 82 with an 83 for a 165 total. Kelton Berger finished at 175 after hitting an 83 and a 92. BC teammate Drew Kachmarik finished at 188, following a 90 with a 98.
Beckham Kinsey finished at 187 for Butte High, improving three shots for a 92. Bulldog Braden Donnely followed at 188, hitting 95 after Thursday’s 93. Teammate Miles Choquette improved three shots for a 94 and a 195 total.
DeShaw, a junior, placed eighth in girls’ standings at 185. She followed a 91 with a 94.
Skylar LaPierre of Dillon and Lilia Troxel of Belgrade topped the leaderboard at 174. Glacier’s Kendall Tkachyk and Maggie Mitton tied for third at 178.
Butte High senior Keeley Johnston placed 11th at 193. She followed a 92 with a 101. Also for Butte High, sage Leber finished at 212 after a final-round 114, Baely Norris ended at 226 after a 112, and Julia DeShaw ended at 252 after a 125.
Central’s Mya McGree shot a 112 for a 217.
Glacier ran away with the girls’ team title at plus 156. CMR followed at plus 206, while Dillon took third at plus 225. Butte High slipped from second to fifth at plus 238.
Butte High’s golfers will head to the Western AA Divisional tournament next Thursday and Friday in Kalispell. The Class AA State tournament is Oct. 2-3 at the Butte Country Club. The Maroons are scheduled to play in a tournament Saturday in Hamilton.
Complete results for the Butte High Invitational are available on the Golf Genius app with the passcode “BUTTEINVITE25.”
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Podcast No. 291: Rob Cashell
Rob Cashell is a 1984 graduate of Butte High School. That year, he was a member of the boys’ basketball team that captured the Class AA State title in Missoula on St. Patrick’s Day.
Rob was a Longfellow Bomber and a “Muni kid.” That means he was one of the thousands of kids who grew up playing golf at the Highland View Golf Course in the Jack Crowley days.
After graduating from Western Montana College (now Montana Western) and kind of accidentally getting into the administrative side of higher education, Rob became the first full-time director of athletics at his alma mater. He then took over as the first full-time director of athletics at Eastern Oregon, in La Grande.
In April of 2012, Rob was named the commissioner of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, and he still holds that position today. He lives in Corvallis, where he and his wife, Heather, are only a couple of hours away from their youngest daughter Elizabeth and their granddaughter, Suki. They lost their daughter Hanna in an automobile accident in April of 2016. She was only 18.
Listen in to this episode as Rob talks about his family and how they dealt with the death of Hanna. Listen in as he talks about growing up in Butte, moving from East Butte to the Longfellow neighborhood and walking to the Muni with a sack lunch every day of the summer.
Listen in as Rob talks about how he wasn’t as good of a golfer as his brother Dave, who held the course record at the Muni until just a few years ago.
Listen in as Rob talks about playing on that 1984 championship team and how he said he lived for practice, where he had to battle with the likes of Scott Paffhausen and Mickey Tuttle every day.
Listen in to hear that Rob is still a Butte guy and a Muni kid at heart.
Today’s episode of the ButteCast is presented by the Jewelry Design Center. Let Brian Toone and Co. be your jewelers for life.
This episode is also available on YouTube:
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Bulldog girls sitting in second place at Butte High golf tourney
GREGSON — Butte High’s girls’ golf team sits in second place after the first round of the Butte High Invitational at Fairmont Hot Springs.
The Bulldogs fired a first-round 393 Thursday. Kalispell Glacier leads the way at 374. Great Falls Russell is holding down third place at 396, which is one shot better than Dillon.
Lilia Traxel of Belgrade shot an 84 to take the lead in individual standings. Skylar LaPierre of Dillon and Maggie Mitton of Glacier are tied for second at 85, while Brooklyn Hageman of Great Falls Russell is fourth at 88.
Butte High’s Kate DeShaw fired a 91, which is good for seventh place. She is one shot better than teammate Keeley Johnston, who is in eighth place at 92. Butte’s Sage Leber hit a 96 and sits in 11th place. Bailey Norris hit a 114.
Mya McGree, an eighth grader who is Butte Central’s only female player, shot a first-round 105.
On the boys’ side, a handful of Butte High and Butte Central players are in contention for a spot in the top 10 after the first day.
Torren Murry of Glacier lit up the course for a 4-under-par 68 to take the lead. Kalispell Flatheads’ Trygve Gislason is second at 71, followed by Jayce Belzer of Helena Capital at 72.
Butte High’s Chase Choquette shot a 77, which puts him in ninth place. BC’s Beau McGree hit a 79 to tie for 11th place, while Maroon Will McGree and Lane Lisac are tied for 13th at 81.
Glacier leads the team race at 296. CMR is second at 314, one shot better than Flathead.
Butte Central shot a 325, which is good for sixth place, and Butte High is in a tie with Dillon for eighth place at 346.
Konnor Kachmarik fired an 82 for the Maroons, finishing one shot better than teammate Kelton Berger. Drew Kachmarik hit a 90.
Braden Donnelly added a 93 for the Bulldogs. Beckham Kinsey shot a 95.
Friday’s final round begins at 10 a.m. Follow the results live on the Golf Genius app with the passcode “BUTTEINVITE25.”
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Peoples passes his way into history at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Houchin runs wild in Bozeman; Sprockets ready for home race
Ryan Peoples did not get much time to play on the turf of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
But the Butte Central senior quarterback certainly made the most of his opportunity on the University of Montana campus. Peoples tied a team record when he tossed five touchdown passes in the 40-0 win over Ronan.
According to records compiled by Brian Reed and the late Pat Kearney, Peoples tied the mark shared by his cousin Danny Peoples (2014 vs. Stevensville), Jack Keeley (2022 vs. Browning), Tomas McGree (2019 vs. Browning), Tanner Kump (2015 vs. Stevensville), Brady Tippett (2011 vs. Corvallis) and R.J. Olson (1993 vs. Browning).
Peoples also tossed five touchdown passes in a thrilling 37-34 win over Browning last season. This time, though, he did it all in one quarter.
The game was halted for a lightning delay just two minutes into the second quarter. Instead of waiting out Mother Nature, Ronan’s administration decided the lopsided score was enough. So, the game was stopped.
Now, Butte Central coaches were not about to play their quarterback the entire game with the score so out of hand. It is not coach Don Peoples Jr.’s M.O. to run the score up on any team. But Coach Peoples and his staff have a good understanding of history, so there is a good bet that Ryan Peoples would have tossed a record-breaking TD had the game been allowed to resume.
As it was, Peoples put on a class in efficiency in the win. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 174 yards. In the NFL, that would have translated into a nearly-perfect 156.25 passer rating.
The Maroons scored on all six of their possessions in the first quarter. Peoples hit Jack Nagle for a 26-yard score to open the game. He followed with TD strikes of 14 and 29 yards to Jaxon Hiatt and GG Fantini.
After a 26-yard TD pass to Henly Mansanti, Peoples threw a 36-yard score to Treigh Hollow.
Then the quarterback capped the scoring with a nine-yard run.
Behind an offensive line made up of J.J. Taylor, Burkley Lakkala, Colt Hassler, Jack Nylund and Bobby McCarthy, the Maroons ran for 93 yards on just nine carries.
Defensively, the Maroons held the Chiefs to minus 27 yards off offense and zero first downs.
Hiatt picked off a pass, while Danny McCarthy, Bobby McCarthy, Palmer Kellicut and Taylor each registered a sack.
“Our kids came out and played great football tonight and played with great focus and intensity,” Coach Peoples said. “I’m proud of how our staff and players prepared for this game.”
At 2-1, BC now has a week off. The Maroons are back in action Sept. 26 when they welcome Corvallis to the Bob Green Field for Homecoming.
Bulldogs look for another rebound
Butte High’s football team did not have a record-breaking Friday night when they took on Kalispell Glacier at Naranche Stadium. Instead, the Bulldogs ran into perhaps the best team in the state.
The Wolfpack took the lead early and never looked back in the 42-0 victory in the Western AA opener.
Glacier quarterback Jackson Presley showed why he is listed as a three-star recruit, completing 13 of 167 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. Asher Knopik ran for 121 yards and two scores on just two carries.
The Bulldogs are 1-2 overall. After dropping their home open to Gallatin, the Bulldogs went Billings Skyview for a convincing Thursday night win. They are hoping to do that again this Thursday when they head to Missoula to take on Big Sky in a 7 p.m. battle at Missoula County Stadium.
The Eagles are 3-0 with three convincing wins. They opened the season with a 41-3 home win over Billings Senior. They then went to Great Falls High for a 27-6 win over the Bison. Last week, the Eagles went to Helena to open Western AA play with a 38-0 romp over Capital.
Junior dual-threat quarterback Eli Kasberg leads the potent Eagle offense into battle. He has passed for nine touchdowns compared to just one interception through three games. He is also averaging 6 yards per carry, and he has three rushing TDs.
Senior receiver Cormack Batt is averaging 37.1 yards per reception. He has five TDs receiving on the young season.
The Bulldogs will head to Missoula looking for more consistency in all facets of the game. Senior tight end Hudson Luedtke is averaging nearly 100 years per game receiving, and senior Kaleb Celli has emerged as a go-to target for senior quarterback Brooks Vincent.
Senior Peyton Johnson is one game removed from a 97-yard performance.
Defensively, senior Mitch Verlanic leads the Bulldogs with 24 total tackles, two ahead of junior Jager Hansen. Gunnar Bushman, Bradey Doyle, Raeder Grey, Reece Cunneen and Luedtke also have double-digit tackles on the season. Cunneen, Sawyer Casey and Kadyn Sommer each have a sack. Hansen and Verlanic each have two picks on the season. Luedtke has one.
Junior linebacker Finn Wortham saw his most extensive time as a Bulldog, and he tied with Bushman and Verlanic to lead the team with seven total tackles.
The Bulldogs will be back at Naranche Stadium next Friday night to celebrate Homecoming against Missoula Sentinel.
Knights sweep Bulldogs
Missoula Hellgate swept a Western AA volleyball match with Butte High Friday night. Each set was a hotly-contested battle, but the Knights won 25-23, 25-20, 25-22. (Boxscore)
Cady Schneider, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, spiked 21 kills to lead the powerful Hellgate attack.
Gracie Jonart and Stella Callaghan each killed seven to lead the Bulldogs. Avery Barness added five, and Brittyn Klima killed four.
Cadence Graham led the Bulldog backcourt with 14 digs. She was followed by Ellison Graham and Callaghan with seven and Ellie Yates with six. Ellison Graham dished up 22 assists.
The Bulldogs are still looking to get into the win column. They will travel to Kalispell this weekend for a pair of Western AA matches. They will take on Glacier on Friday before battling Flathead on Saturday.
Butte High will play its Homecoming match a week from Thursday against Helena Capital.
Ronan sweeps past Maroons
Ronan beat Butte Central’s volleyball team in three seats Saturday in Ronan.
The Maidens won 25-12, 25-17 and 26-24.
Statistics for the Maroons are not available.
BC will play a pair of Southwestern A matches this week. The Maroons will travel to Stevensville on Thursday before playing host to Corvallis at the Maroon Activities Center on Saturday.
Houchin runs 15:33 in Bozeman
Butte High senior Camden Houchin has been putting up some times that are pretty rare when it comes to Bulldog runners. He’s been doing that for a while now.
What he did Saturday at the Bozeman Cross Country Invitation on the Bridger Creek Golf Course, though, is borderline ridiculous. (Results)
Houchin busted off a personal best time of 15 minutes, 33.40 seconds in the 5-kilometer race. That was good for eighth place in the talented field of 28 teams.
Bozeman’s Miles Halvorson won with a time of 15:05.37. Glacier’s Owen Thiel was second at 15:12.13, followed by Bozeman’s Taylor Neil at 15:14.35.
Houchin’s season-best time last year was 16:18.40. He beat that in all three races this season. His PR before Saturday was 16:11, which came Aug. 29 in Boulder.
Senior Levi Wiltsie placed 31st in the field with an impressive time of 16:38.31
That, too, was a personal-best mark and the second time Wiltsie went under 17 minutes. His previous best was 16:52.0 in Boulder.
Wiltsie will sign to run at the University of Providence in Great Falls on Thursday. A signing ceremony is set for 3:30 p.m. at Butte High.
Lincoln Zell finished in 17:43 for Butte High, while fellow senior Charles Killebrew crossed in 18:30, and junior Nathan Knopp finished in 18:45.
Also for running for the Bulldog boys were Jason Real (19:10), Johan Theiszen (19:19) and Colton Yoakum (19:26).
Bozeman won the boys’ team title with 45 points. Sheridan, Wyoming was second at 109, followed by Missoula Hellgate at 120. Butte High placed 16th at 409.
Bozeman also won the girls’ crown with 51 points. Gallatin was second at 119, and Helena High placed third at 155.
Butte High did not have enough girls for a team score.
Freshman Sophia Houchin paced the Bulldogs, crossing in 2019.94. Sophomore Penelope Luebke finished in 21:36, freshman Elsa Theiszen crossed in 21:57 and senior Kellie Jo Carpenter ran in 24:24.
The Bulldogs will get another serious test Saturday when they head to Missoula for the Mountain West Classic.
Butte Central will also send runners to the prestigious Missoula meet. On Saturday, BC sent four varsity runners to Corvallis. (Results)
Joe Bradshaw (22:53), Roman Terry (26:12) and Conan Holmes (26:24) ran for the BC boys. Ashley White (25:09) ran for the girls.
Copper Sprockets host race
The Butte Copper Sprockets youth mountain bike team will hold certified Montana Interscholastic Cycling League race Saturday in the Big Butte Open Space area.
The Copper Kings Classic, which is the fourth race of the season and will feature hundreds of riders, will begin at 9 a.m. at the trailhead just west of the Montana Tech campus.
Volunteers are needed to put on the race. Click here if you are interested in volunteering some time on Friday and/or Saturday to help the event run smoothly.
Looking ahead
Butte High’s soccer teams will hit the road this weekend looking for their first wins of the season.
The Bulldog teams will play at Kalispell Glacier on Friday. They will stay in Kalispell to take on Glacier on Saturday.
Butte High’s flag football team put on a crowd-pleasing halftime exhibition during the Butte High-Glacier football game Friday night. This Saturday, the Bulldogs will look to build on that momentum when they head to Missoula to take on Boulder and Missoula Sentinel.
The next home action for the flag football team is set for Sept. 27 against East Helena.
Butte High’s golfers will host a tournament Thursday and Friday. Play begins at 10 a.m. both days.
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Maroons third, Beau McGree fourth at East Helena golf
HELENA — Butte Central’s boys’ golf team placed fourth out of 11 teams at the East Helena Invitational golf tournament Tuesday at the Fox Ridge Golf Course.
Sophomore Beau McGree led the Maroons, tying for fourth place with Frenchtown’s Silaz Zetterburg with a 6-over-par 78.
Corvallis took the top three individual spots, and the Blue Devils rolled to the team title at 297. Frenchtown took second at 318, and the Maroons were next at 336.
Brady Powell and Tag Jessop of Corvallis each fired a 2-under-par 70. Teammate Tanner Sorenson placed third at 74.
BC’s Connor Kachmarik tied for 11th place at 82, and Will McGree finished in a tie for 16th at 84. Also for the Maroons, Kelton Berger shot a 92, and Cohen Stajcar carded a 96.
Dillon won the girls’ team title at 398. Hamilton took second at 405, and Frenchtown placed third at 448.
Cameron Burnett of Hamilton took medalist honors at 84, topping second-place Skylar Lapierre of Dillon by one shot. Dillon’s Briley Alberi took third at 92.
Butte Central did not send any girls to compete. The Maroons will be back in action Thursday and Friday at Butte High’s tournament at Fairmont Hot Springs.
Complete results for the East Helena Invitational can be found on the Golf Genius app with the passcode “EHHSINVITE25.”
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Podcast No. 290: Aaron Foster
Aaron Foster will be playing the Orphan Girl Theater in Butte on Friday, Oct. 3.
He bills himself as the former host of an HGTV show you don’t remember. He says he has made and starred in movies you’ve never seen. He says he is a comedian you’ve never heard of.
That, however, might be about to change.
Aaron is currently on a self-created theatre tour with his show “Mostly Jokes” that received rave reviews a at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June of 2024. He was awarded “Best Solo Show” at the Tucson Fringe Festival this past January.
Aaron has a darkly-honest approach to his standup. He tackles highly-personal topics like his own mental health (or lack thereof), his success as an actor in Hollywood (or lack thereof) and his ongoing mid-life crisis (no lack thereof). He says honest comedy is how he copes with the madness of our world.
Earlier today, I caught up with Aaron for a fun conversation over Zoom. So, this episode will also be available on YouTube.
Listen in as Aaron talks about his HGT show, “Freestyle,” and his years in Los Angeles. Listen as he talks about his acting career and his acting class that was very much like the HBO series “Barry.”
Listen as he talks about his tour and what to expect if you check out Aaron’s performance. I will not be able to go to the show in Butte because it conflicts with a Butte High’s home football game against Helena High. But I found out right after this conversation that Aaron will be playing in Helena on Saturday, Oct. 4. I will definitely be making the short drive to catch that show.
Click here to get tickets to Aaron’s show in Butte, Helena or anywhere on his tour.
Today’s episode is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the local’s eat.
This episode is also available on YouTube:
