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Four post perfect scores in Week 5
Dave Vicevich, Doug Rentz, Lane St. Clair and Riley Rigby each posted a perfect score of 50 out of 50 during Week 5 of the Butte Trap Club’s Fall League.
Ryan Moodry, Jake Dennehy, Wade Malyevac, Josh Bridgeman and Beau Powers each shot a 49 on the night, while Seth Duclos, Tim Cassidy, Lyle Reynolds, Rayelynn Brandl and Dawn Raiser shot a 48.
Brandl and Raiser topped the women’s standings. Mindy McClernan followed with a 46, while Gillian Clark and Kim McClafferty shot 44, and Anna Ledden shot a 43. Vicevich’s 50 topped wobble shooting.
Through five weeks, Wolverine Systems leads team scratch standings at 945. Arc Electric is next a 938, followed by Cooney’s Locksmith at 931 and Baker Auto at 923.
Butte Trap Club – 2025 Fall League – Week 5 Standings
Team Scratch Standings
Wolverine Systems – 945
Arc Electric – 938
Cooney’s Locksmith – 931
Baker Auto – 923
Burn – 903
Lost Art Builders – 891
Northwest Clay Busters – 888
S & S Plumbing – 881
Lockmer Plumbing – 878
Poker Montana – 876
Archibald Co. – 873
Sundance Plumbing – 872
Clay Howery Construction – 862
WET 2 – 819
Bar D-M Ranch – 804
Daddy’s Girls – 783
In Control Wildlife Services – 754
Maloney’s/Harrington’s Pepsi – 753
WET 1 – 747
Triple S Construction – 746
12 G Girls – 730
PMS – 686
Shotgun Shenanigans – 665
Superior Title – 647High Individual Scores
Dave Vicevich – 50×50
Doug Rentz – 50×50
Lane St Clair – 50×50
Riley Rigby – 50×50
Ryan Moodry – 49×50
Jake Dennehy – 49×50
Wade Malyevac – 49×50
Josh Bridgeman – 49×50
Beau Powers – 49×50
Seth Duclos – 48×50
Tim Cassidy – 48×50
Lyle Reynolds – 48×50
Rayelynn Brandl – 48×50
Dawna Raiser – 48×50High Lady Scores
Rayelynn Brandl – 48×50
Dawna Raiser – 48×50
Mindy McClernan – 46×50
Gillian Clark – 44×50
Kim McClafferty – 44×50
Anna Ledden – 43×50High Wobble Trap Scores
Dave Vicevich – 50×50
Rayelynn Brandl – 48×50
Seth Duclos – 47×50
Mark Powers – 47×50 -
Señor Pomroy saw the best in us, even when we showed him the worst
This is a shameful, yet uplifting story that I thought I would secretly take with me to my grave.
The story from the fall of 1990 haunts me to this day, yet it completely explains why I think the world of Tom Pomroy Sr., who passed away last week at the age of 91.
We called him Señor Pomroy, and I was a sophomore at Butte Central when I tried to cheat in his Spanish class. I knew it was wrong, but I also knew I had no chance of passing that test on my own that day. Spanish took a ton of work, and I did not put in the work.
Plus, Spanish is just something that I struggled to learn. I had to take Spanish at the University of Montana, and it took me three semesters to pass the required two semesters for my journalism degree. Both passing grades were GPA-killing five-credit C’s.
I had Spanish the first period of the day at BC, and I wrote out some cheat notes on a piece of paper that morning. We had to take out another sheet of paper and write down the answers to the questions Señor Pomroy asked us as he walked around the room.
The cheat sheet was right below the test paper, and if I pushed down on the paper, I could kind of read the notes to help me get the answers.
Señor Pomroy apparently saw what I was doing, and he stopped the test a couple of questions in to tell us a story. He told of a time he saw a student cheating on a test. He told the class how the student set cheat notes in the book rack of his desk, and it was just visible enough for him to cheat.
After he finished the story about why we should never cheat, Señor Pomroy turned around and took a long, slow walk back to his desk so I could get rid of the cheat sheet. There was no question that he did that for me, and my heart pounded as I grabbed the sheet and crammed it into my backpack.
Getting caught cheating would have been a huge deal. It might not have been like a “Scent of a Woman” big deal, but it would have meant an automatic F in the class, among other punishment at school. More than anything, it would have exposed me as a cheater.
Other than on that one incident, I was not a cheater.
But Señor Pomroy just slowly walked back to the front of the class and resumed the test as if nothing had happened. My grades and reputation were saved.
A couple of weeks later, he caught another student in the class cheating. This boy had some notes on his lap as he tried to cheat on the test.
Señor Pomroy saw him, and he again stopped the test to tell a story of another time he caught a student cheating. This time, when he told the class how this student cheated, he was telling exactly how I tried to do it.
Ater the story, Señor Pomroy turned around and took a long, slow walk back to his desk so the student could get rid of the notes.
Señor Pomroy never said word to me or the other student about the cheating attempts. He must have figured that we learned our lesson, and he was right in my case. I put in the work the rest of the semester, and I got an honest C.
He never treated me differently. When I would see him playing handball at the Elks, Señor Pomroy would always seem to be genuinely happy to see me. He remembered me as a student he liked, not one who tried to cheat in his class.
Early in 2019, I called Señor Pomroy on the phone. It was the first time I had talked to him in a couple of decades, and I was trying to officially tell him that he was elected to the Butte Sports Hall of Fame. I tried to tell him, and I tried to tell him, but I had a hard time getting a word in.
“Bill Foley,” he said. “I know you, Bill Foley.”
I called him Señor Pomroy, and he told me how he remembered me as one of his students. He told me that he always read my stories in the newspaper. He even threw out a few Spanish questions to see if I remembered, and, surprisingly, I did.
I told him the weather was “hace frio,” and that I was “muy bueno.” That means it was cold outside and I was doing very good, for all you monolingual dummies out there.
Eventually, I was able to get around to tell Señor Pomroy why I called. He was going to be inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in June. I told him the names of the people he was going to be inducted with, and he was so happy to hear he was going in with his cousin, Kathy (Bender) Means.
During the Green Jacket Ceremony, Señor Pomroy received his Green Jacket from his sons, Tom and Steve, and his daughter, Teri. Later, Señor Pomroy went back on stage as the surprise Green Jacket presenter to Kathy.
I know he was happier for her than he was for himself. Señor Pomroy’s ear-to-ear smile as Kathy walked on the stage made the entire weekend.
Tom Pomroy Jr. was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, and his father probably should have been inducted at least at the same time. His résumé spoke for itself.
Señor Pomroy was a heck of a running back for Coach Swede Dahlberg at Butte High. He led the Bulldogs in rushing yards during a 61-0 win over Butte Central in 1951. The next year, he played halfback for the Montana Grizzly Cubs, a freshman team that went undefeated.
He was a standout in track and baseball. He pitched for Butte’s runner-up American Legion team in 1951, and he was a star for the Miners Union team that won the Copper League title in 1953. He pitched for the 1954 Montana Grizzlies Skyline Conference championship team.
Señor Pomroy was also a great handball player, winning multiple City titles. That includes a handful of doubles crowns with his son, Tom.
Eventually going into the Hall of Fame at the age of 85 was not a case of better late than never for Señor Pomroy. He was just so thriller to be there. His happiness extended to everyone lucky enough to be a part of that great Butte Sports Hall of Fame weekend. It was impossible for it to not.
With tears in my eyes, I read Señor Pomroy’s obituary online the other night. The following sentence jumped off the screen.
“Tom was a wonderful person who was liked by all.”
Yes, Señor Pomroy was liked by all. That is because he liked all. He will be dearly missed by all who ever met him, and he will be remembered fondly.
Señor Pomroy will be remembered as an incredibly kind man who was always willing to help anybody. He will be remembered for making other people happy. It was practically impossible to be in a bad mood after an encounter with Señor Pomroy.
For me, Señor Pomroy will long be remembered for his amazing ability to see and bring out the best in everybody.
Even when they were trying to cheat on one of his tests.
— Bill Foley, who remembers very little Spanish, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74 or Bluesky at @foles74.bsky.social. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Ryan Peoples and Penelope Luebke
Butte Central senior quarterback Ryan Peoples and Butte High sophomore cross country runner Penelope Luebke are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Peoples receives the boys’ honor after a monster first quarter in BC’s 40-0 win over Ronan at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.
Peoples passed for five touchdowns and ran for another — all in the first quarter — as the Maroons put the Chiefs away early.
Peoples completed 6 of 8 passes for 174 yards. He threw TD strikes to Jack Nagle, Jaxon Hiatt, GG Fantini, Henly Mansanti and Trey Hollow. Peoples also scored on a 9-yard run.
With Peoples leading the way, BC scored a touchdown on all six of its possessions in the first quarter. Ronan’s school administration decided to call the game when it was delayed by lightning early in the second quarter.
Luebke takes home the girls’ award after posting a personal-best time at the Bozeman Cross Country Invitational Saturday at the Bridger Creek Golf Course. She finished the 5-kilometer race in 21 minutes, 36.1 seconds.
That came eight days after Luebke, whom coaches and teammates call “Pippi,” matched her old PR of 21:46 at the Run BXC Invitational in Bozeman. Luebke also ran 21:50 for the Bulldogs at last year’s State meet in Missoula.
Bulldog coaches nominated Luebke for the honor, citing her hard work.
Luebke will look to improve on that personal record Saturday when the Bulldogs head to the Mountain West Classic in Missoula.
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 Peoples courtesy Josie Trudgeon. Photo of Luebke provided by Ashley Choquette.
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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. 15.
This is the first week of the fall league. Teams can still sign up by contacting Dan Boyle at (406) 491-2529.
Monday
7 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Poi Time
8 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs HoopballasTuesday
7 p.m. — Someday Starters vs. Rosary Rattlers
8 p.m. — Hoopballas vs. JellyfamWednesday
7 p.m. — Parish vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Washington GeneralsThursday
7 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Rosary Rattlers
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Glacier-Butte High stats
Kalispell Glacier beat Butte High 42-0 Friday night in a Western AA football game at Naranche Stadium.
Jackson Presley passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those TD passes went to Asher Knopik, who racked up 121 yards on eight receptions.
Cooper Pelk ran for 142 yards and one touchdown on just four carries.
Hudson Luedtke hauled in seven passes for 65 yards to highlight the Butte High offense. Finn Wortham, Gunner Bushman and Mitch Verlanic were each credited with seven tackles to lead the Bulldog defense. Jacob Galle and Colt Stenson combined or a sack.
Glacier improved to 3-0 overall with the win in the Western AA opener for both teams. The Bulldogs fell to 1-2. Butte High will play at Missoula Big Sky next Friday.
We will have more on this game in the weekly ButteCast SportsCap.
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BC football stats vs. Ronan
MISSOULA — The only thing that could stop the Maroons Thursday night was the lightning.
Ryan Peoples had a hand in all six Butte Central touchdowns and the Maroons beat Ronan 40-0 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Peoples passed 174 yards and five touchdowns in the win. He hit five different receivers for TDs — Jack Nagle, Jaxon Hiatt, GG Fantini, Henley Mansanti and Treigh Hollow. Peoples also ran for a score.
He did it all in just 14 minutes of play, too.
The Maroons scored 40 points before lightning halted the game with 10 minutes left to play in the second quarter. Instead of resuming the game after a delay, Ronan’s administration decided to just call the game because of the lopsided score.
BC is off next week. We will have more on this game in the weekly ButteCast SportsCap.
Scoring plays
BC — Jack Nagle 26 yard pass from Ryan Peoples (kick blocked)
BC — Jaxon Hiatt 14 yard pass from Peoples (Nagle kick )
BC — GG Fantini 29 yard pass from Peoples (Nagle kick)
BC — Henley Mansanti 26 yard pass from Peoples (Nagle kick )
BC — Treigh Hollow 36 yard pass from Peoples (Nagle kick)
BC — Ryan Peoples 9 yard run (Kick failed)
BUTTE CENTRAL STATISTICS
PASSING —Ryan Peoples 6-8-0-174.
RUSHING —Ryan Peoples 2-23, Henley Mansanti 1-53, Danny McCarty 2-7.
RECEIVING — Jack Nagle 2-52, GG Fantini 1-29, Jaxon Hiatt 1-14, Henley Mansanti 1-26, Treigh Hollow 2-53. -
Podcast No. 289: Flyin’ Brian Vaughns
Today, we start Season 4 of the ButteCast with one of my childhood heroes, “Flyin’” Brian Vaughns.
Vaughns was a superstar for the Montana Tech men’s basketball team in the mid 1980s. The 6-foot-7 center from Camden, New Jersey played on two Frontier Conference championship teams. He averaged nearly a double-double with points and rebounds in his time with the Orediggers.
He also led the world in electrifying dunks. That is what led Montana Standard Sportswriter Jim Edgar to coin the name, “Flyin’ Brian.”
Oredigger head coach Kelvin Sampson left Montana Tech for a job as an assistant at Washington State following the 1985 season. That is when Vaughns left the great moniker behind and transferred to NCAA Division I University of California Santa Barbara.
He played one season at Santa Barbara, and he led the team with 13.9 points per game. Because of a strange NCAA rule at the time, the redshirt season he had to sit out as a transfer robbed him of his senior season.
Vaughns, though, was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the fifth round of the 1987 NBA draft. Vaughns never played in the NBA, but he fell in love with the game during a professional career that took him around the world.
That career took him to Australia, and he now lives in Melbourne. In the Land Down Under, Vaughns is a legendary basketball coach, and his son, Marcus, is committed to play hoops at Louisiana State University. The younger Vaughns will join LSU in January, after he finishes high school in November.
Now that he is no longer flying, the soon-to-be 61-year-old Brian Vaughs might just end up with a new nickname, Peyton Manning style. Today, he is “Writin’ Brian,” and his second book is about to be released.
The title of the book is great. It’s called, “Basketball Used to Be My Girlfriend. Now She’s Just a Lady I Know.”
Listen in to this episode as Brian talks about the first time he heard the name “Flyin’ Brian,” and how that name never followed him when he left the Mining City.
Listen to how he was a late bloomer, not seeing the court at all as a freshman in high school. Listen as he describes his first dunk. Listen in to hear that a letter from Coach Sampson telling him he wanted to play basketball at Montana Tech changed his life and led him on his incredible journey.
Listen in to hear to so many stories of that journey and see why you will definitely want to buy his book. I will share links on how to order the book once it is officially released.
Today’s podcast is presented by Thriftway Super Stops. Download the TLC app and start saving today.
This episode of the ButteCast is also available on YouTube:
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Choquette, DeShaw crack top 10 at Kalispell Invitational
KALISPELL — Scores all around rose on Thursday as the Kalispell Invitational moved from the Northern Pines Golf Club to the challenging Buffalo Hill Golf Club.
The scores, though, were still plenty impressive, and that includes the Butte High Bulldogs.
Two Bulldogs, Kate DeShaw on the girls’ side and Chase Choquette on the boys’ side, cracked the top 10 on the leaderboards filled with talented golfers from 14 teams.
Choquette placed ninth in boys’ standings with a 3-over-par 145 total. After shooting a 5-over 75 at Northern Pines on Wednesday, the senior carded a 2-under 70 at Buffalo Hill.
Polson star Maxwel Milson captured medalist honors with a 5-under 137. He followed a 66 with a 71. Glacier’s Torren Murray and Luke Nelson tied with Capital’s John Gilbert for third place at 138. Murry and Nelson both shot a final-round 72 after a 66 on Wednesday. Gilbert followed a 63 with a 75.
Jack Muhlestein placed 15 for the Bulldogs. He shot a 71 and an 80 for a 151 total. Teammate Teagan Yelenich placed 17th at 153. He shot a 72 and an 81. Bulldog Lane Lisac shot a 75 and an 85 to place 24th at 159, and Braden Donnelly hit 86 and 85 for a 171.
Missoula Sentinel won the team total at 580, hitting 302 after Wednesday’s 278. Glacier took second at 582, followed by Capital at 584 and Polson at 605.
Butte High placed fifth at 608. Butte shot a 315 Thursday after a 293 on Wednesday.
DeShaw, a junior, shot a 90 each day to place eighth on the girls’ side at 180.
Hamilton’s Cameron Burnett won medalist honors at 163. She shot a 79 and an 84. Whitefish’s Karlee Brown placed second at 168, while teammate Rhylee Scott took third at 170.
Whitefish ran away with the team title at 727, shooting a 364 and a 363. Hamilton was second at 751, followed by Glacier at 755.
Butte High placed sixth at 802, following a 399 with a 403.
Keeley Johnston placed sixth for the Bulldogs at 197, hitting a 97 and a 100. Sage Leber finished 19th at 201 with a 98 and a 103.
Also for Butte High, Julia Norris finished at 229, one shot better than teammate Baely Norris finished.
The Bulldogs are back in action next Thursday and Friday when they host the Butte Invitational at Fairmont Hot Springs. Complete results for the Kalispell Invitational can be found on the Golf Genius app with the passcode “KALISPELLINVITE2025.”
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Nagle, Luedtke bring up names from past as Maroons, Bulldogs win
Bulldogs spikers fall in five; runners impress in Belgrade
After Jack Nagle booted the 32-yard field goal to give Butte Central a thrilling 17-16 win over Hardin Friday night on Montana Tech’s Bob Green Field, many Maroon faithful were asking each other the same question.
“When was the last time the Maroons had a game-winning field goal at the buzzer?”
If they asked an Anaconda Copperhead, they would have gotten their answer. Rob Johnson could have told them, too.
Johnson, the Maroon legend who went on to play Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinal, kicked a 22-yard field goal in overtime as Butte Central came from behind to beat Anaconda 24-21 in a Southwestern A game Oct. 20, 2000 at Mitchell Stadium.
Since it was a Butte Central game in Anaconda, the ending did not come without controversy. The Copperheads, who missed a long field goal in their possession of the Montana overtime, blocked Johnston’s attempt at a 27-yard field goal.
However, the Copperheads were flagged because the player launched off the back of one of his teammates. That moved the ball five yards closer and gave Johnson another try.
“I’ve always dreamed of making the game-winning touchdown or kick,” Johnson said after the game. “My dream came true.”
That game, by the way, came one week after BC’s controversial 13-10 loss at Dillon.
That was the night that the Maroons moved the ball from their own 35-yard line to the 45-yard line on four downs. However, the chains and lines did not match up, and the Beavers took over possession after the officials reversed their call multiple times.
Thanks to Johnston’s clutch kick, however, the Maroons got to end that 2000 campaign on a winning note.
Nagle’s kick just might help propel the Maroons to a strong season as they bounced back from their season-opening loss at Lockwood.
Senior quarterback Ryan Peoples led the Maroons into field goal range with clutch passes to senior receiver GG Fantini and junior running back Danny McCarthy. Peoples and Fantini hooked up for a 54-yard completion to put the Maroons on top 70 in the second quarter. BC made it 14-0 on a 7-yard run by freshman Henly Mansanti in the third. Nagle booted the extra point on both TDs.
Hardin quarterback D.J. Lefthand hit Colvin Wiles for an 11-yard reception 2 minutes later. He ran in the 2-point conversion.
Lefthand scored on a 3-yard run and punched in the to give the Bulldogs a 16-14 lead with 1 minute, 35 seconds left on the clock. Instead of leading to a second BC loss, however, it led to Maroon heroics.
Peoples passed for 184 yards on the night. Fantini, Nable, Mansanti, McCarthy, senior Joshua Sutton, senior Manny Weang and sophomore Treigh Hollow caught passes.
The Maroons will need to clean things up if they are going to build on the victory. They committed 15 penalties for 138 yards. Hardin was flagged 15 times for 150 yards.
Central will play on Thursday this week. The Maroons will take on Ronan at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. Ronan heads to Missoula at 0-2. The chiefs fell 51-0 at home to Hamilton and 46-2 on the road against Browning.
Click here to read a full story and boxscore from the BC-Hardin game by Bruce Sayler of ButteSports.com.
Luedte, Bulldogs bounce back in Billings
Butte High’s football team bounced back in a big way last week as well.
Six nights after dropping their season opener to Gallatin at Naranche Stadium, the Bulldogs left no doubt with a 33-13 win over Billings Skyview Thursday night at Daylis Stadium.
Senior receiver Hudson Luedtke was a huge factor in Butte High’s lopsided win. The three-time All-State player caught 14 passes from classmate Brooks Vincent. Luedtke turned that in to 175 yards, many after the catch, and three touchdowns.
The receptions and touchdowns were career highs for Luedtke. His night also ranks highly on Butte High’s all-time school records in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
The 14 receptions ties Bryce Armstrong’s 14-catch performance against Missoula Big Sky in 2012 for third place in school history. Butte High great Dalton Daum holds the school records with 20 catches for 286 yards. He did that in 2013 against Kalispell Glacier.
Kiley Caprara, who went on to play for Montana Tech, caught 15 passes against Helena High in 2015.
Luedtke’s 175 yards ranks ninth in school history, right behind the 184-yard playoff performance he put last year at Glacier.
The three receiving touchdowns scored ties Daum, Rueso Batterman (2023), Dylan Snyder (2021) and William Brennan (1921) for second on the Bulldog all-time list. A.J. Leyba set the Bulldog record with four TDs against Billings Senior in 2009.
Daum score three receiving TDs in three four different times, three times in 2013 and once in 2014.
Luedtke was hardly the only Bulldog with a big performance at Skyview. Vincent overcame three interceptions to complete 19 of 32 passes for 210 yards.
Butte High’s running game also got on track behind starting offensive linemen Gannon Sullivan, Keegan Swisher, Mason Swanson, Kadyn Sommer and Max Pearston. The Bulldogs racked up 158 yards on 34 carries.
Senior Peyton Johnson ran for 97 yards on 20 attempts. He punched in a touchdown from 7 yards out. Junior Miner Lee ran for 57 yards on nine carries. He also caught two passes for 15 yards. Senior Kaleb Celli and junior Koda Schleeman also caught passes.
Seniors Gunner Bushman and Mitch Verlanic and junior Jaeger Hansen led a salty Bulldog defense, each with five tackles. Bushman added a blocked punt, while Hansen returned an interception 60 yards for a score. Verlanic picked off two passes.
Junior Bradey Doyle and Sommer got in on four tackles, while senior Grady Foley, junior Kasen Snyder, Luedtke and Lee each got in on three.
Sommer, junior Reece Cunneen and sophomore Sawyer Casey registered a sack.
The Bulldogs are back at Naranche for a 7 p.m. showdown with Glacier on Friday. Beating the Wolfpack will be no short order. The team that advanced to the Class AA State championship game last year will come to town after winning 14-10 at Billings West and 62-21 at home against Bozeman.
Senior quarterback Jackson Presley passed for 199 yards, and the Wolfpack racked up 234 yards on the ground. Presley threw a TD pass to three different receivers.
Ronan boys, Frenchtown girls run to wins at Fairmont
Ronan’s boys’ team and the Frenchtown girls’ squad ran to team victors at the Frenchtown Invitational cross country meet Tuesday at the Fairmont Hot Springs Golf Course. (Results)
Ronan scored 33 points take the boys’ title. Livingston followed at 44, while Frenchtown took third at 56 and Anaconda placed fourth at 84.
Fin Schretenthaler of Livingston was the top boy runner, finishing the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 44 seconds. Devon Big Medicine of Ronan was second at 18:28. He was followed closely by teammate Jhett McDonald.
Butte Central did not have enough runners for a team score. Three Maroons competed, led by junior Joe Bradshaw at 24:22. Classmates Jack Holmes and Conan Holmes followed at 28:35 and 28:36.
Eleanor Rheinhardt of Frenchtown won the girls’ title in 21:01. Teammate Savannah Langley placed second at 22:00, and Anaconda’s SheaLee Novak finished third in 22:20.
Freshman Ashley White was the lone BC runner. She crossed in 27:09.
Frenchtown’s 20 points led the team standings. Ronan was second at 46, and Anaconda took third at 65. The Maroons will run again Saturday in Corvallis.
Houchin, Bulldog boys second at Run BXC Invite
Butte High senior Camden Houchin placed second at the Run BXC Invitational cross country meet Friday in Bozeman. (Results)
Houchin finished the 5-kilometer race hosted by Belgrade in 16 minutes, 15 seconds. That was just three seconds behind Billings West senior Kye McAbee, who crossed in 16:12. Emerson Hamma of Great Falls Russell placed third in 16:52.
Butte High senior Levi Wiltsie placed sixth in 17:13. Classmate Lincoln Zell placed 12th in 17:46. Also for the Bulldogs, Bridger Luebke finished in 18:22, Isaac Zell crossed in 18:34, Ryan Hanson ran in 19:23 and Nathan Knopp finished in 19:47.
Billings West won the meet with 59 points. Butte High took second at 71, and Belgrade placed third at 80.
In the boys’ freshman race, Jason Real placed third in 19:58.
On the girls’ side, the Bulldogs were particularly impressive in the freshman race. Bulldog Sophia Houchin took second with a time of 20:57. Billings West’s Jane Allen won in 20:30. Butte’s Elsa Theiszen took third in 21:45.
Riana Wachob of Cody, Wyoming, won the girls’ varsity/junior varsity race in 19:59. Sophomore Penelope Luebke led the Bulldogs, placing 21st in 21:46. Kellie Jo Carpenter (24:34), Adelaide Thomson (25:07), Wakely Burleson (26:11), Cambree O’Neill (26:23), Cambria Zahn (30:24), Carlynn Wiltsie (33:46) and Lainee Walsh-Hill (39:4) also ran the varsity/JV race for the Dogs.
Gallatin edged Cody 39-42 to win the team title. West took third at 1000. Butte High finished eighth at 220. The Bulldogs will be back in Bozeman for a meet on Saturday.
Spartans top Dogs in five
Butte High’s varsity volleyball team is still searching for its first win of the season. The Bulldogs, though, have definitely showed that they will not go down without a fight.
That was evident Tuesday night as the Bulldogs dropped a five-set thriller to Missoula Sentinel. The match was the Western AA opener for the Dogs.
After Sentinel won 25-21 and 25-15 to open play, Butte battled back with a pair of 25-22 wins to force a fifth set. Sentinel escaped the Richardson gym with a 15-12 victory. (Stats)
Senior Gracie Jonart led the Bulldog attack with 15 kills on the night. Senior Audrey McClafferty added nine kills, while sophomore Stella Callaghan followed with eight, and freshman Saege Grey killed six.
Junior Cadence Graham collected 25 digs. Grey added 21, and freshman Ellison Graham dug 18. The younger Graham also dished up 34 assists.
Butte High, which competed in a crossover tournament Saturday in Belgrade, will play at Missoula Hellgate on Friday.
Bulldog girls’ soccer team shows improvement
On the soccer pitch, the Butte High soccer teams are both 0-3 after losses Tuesday at Missoula Hellgate. The Knights won the boys’ won a 5-0 battle, and Hellgate beat the Butte girls’ 9-0.
First-year Butte girls’ coach Geno Liva pointed out that Tuesday marked the first game of the season in which the Bulldogs went the distance, and it was against a really good team, too.
Butte fell 10-0 to Helena Capital Saturday in Butte.
“On Saturday the girls showed much improvement,” Liva said. “We stayed in formation better and made Capital earn their goals. Our seniors are doing a great job holding the team together and teaching the young girls how to battle.”
Butte’s senior girls are Jessie Trudgeon, Peyton Liva, Mya Murphy, Jessica Blow, Chloe Salusso, Lydia Revenaugh and Mattie Stepan.
Butte High’s boys’ also fell 10-0 to Capital on Saturday. In last week’s 7-1 opener against Helena High, senior Ziggy Okrusch scored for the Bulldogs.
Butte High will be back at home to take on Missoula Sentinel on Thursday. The boys play at 3:30 p.m., while the girls will battle at 5:30. Both those varsity matches will be played at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.
Flag football team competes in Boulder
After playing at Naranche Stadium last Wednesday, Butte High’s girls’ flag football team went to Boulder for some action on Saturday. Butte High fell 12-0 to Boulder and 6-0 to Three Forks.
Bulldog coach John Stenson pointed out that the game with Boulder was scoreless with less than 2 minutes left in the game. A crucial pick 6 crushed the Butte victory hopes.
Against Three Forks, Stenson the Bulldogs just “couldn’t find the end zone.” He pointed to great runs by junior Mackenzie Read and big catches by freshman Kaydee O’Connor and junior Jaydyn Mason. He said junior McKenna Ketchum played great on both sides of the ball. Kynslee Wrampe, Chyanne Robinson and Charliee Richter picked off passes.
Izzy Dawson, Reagan Denning and Bella Schrapps intercepted passes in JV play.
The Bulldogs played Tuesday night in East Helena. Results from that action were not available in time for this report.
Butte High will play host to Billings Skyview and Billings Senior on Thursday.
Maroons ready for action
After playing in a tipoff tournament for the second weekend in a row, Butte Central’s volleyball team is ready for matches that count in standing.
This past weekend, BC competed in the Southwest vs. Southeast Tipoff at the Maroon activities Center. Central split with Livingston, but dropped two-set matches to Frenchtown, Billings Central, East Helena, Lockwood and Hardin.
First year coach Karina Mickelson, said the Maroons are ready for the season. They hit the road Saturday to play Ronan.
“We went 1-1 against Park, but technically won on point differential,” Mickelson said. “We played hard against Hardin and Billings Central actually, we were on par with Frenchtown against Billings Central.”
The coach sited the standout play of setter Presli Smith, middle hitter Rylee Forbes and outside hitter Zayonna Otherbull.
Looking ahead
Butte High’s golf teams will be in action Wednesday and Thursday at the Kalispell Invitational tournament. Buffalo Hill Golf Club will set the scene for the tournament, which begins at 10 a.m. each day.
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If Thursdays are good for the refs, they should be good for the fans
If you have never heard my friend Josh Peck cheer at a football game, you really should.
There is no way to describe his unbridled enthusiasm for the Maroons as he cheers from the opening kickoff until the final horn. You just have to witness it for yourself.
On Friday night, a few of us laughed at one point because it sounded like Josh was saying something else about the Hardin team when he chanted, “Go Maroons! Stop the Bulldogs!”
Of course, saying something negative about the opposition is not in Josh’s character. He was unrelenting and 100 percent positive, and that was refreshing to hear because not every fan is positive when cheering on high school boys playing football.
Since I started watching games in the stands instead of from the sidelines three years ago, I have heard a lot of not-so-positive fans yelling at teenage boys. That is one of the reasons I watch Butte High games from up high in the end zone seats at Naranche Stadium.
I also try to get away from the kind of people who bring cowbells to football games.
Josh was in full force as the Maroons beat Hardin in a 17-16 thriller Friday night on the Bob Green Field at Montana Tech. He was by far the loudest fan in stadium full of loud fans, from Butte Central and Hardin.
I do not know if Josh is like that for every game, but I suspect is probably is. He probably loses his voice until at least the next Wednesday.
The reason I do not know is that Friday marked the first time I was able to attend a Butte Central football game in at least two years. I would attend more, but my son plays football for Butte High.
So, I am usually sitting in the Naranche end zone or traveling around the state to watch the Bulldogs play when the Maroons are in town. That is a shame because, for as long as I can remember, I loved watching both Butte teams play.
In 1981, I was 7-years-old as I cheered my heart out for Butte Central to beat Butte High in that classic overtime game won by the Bulldogs. A week later, I was back at the same stadium with my dad and brother to cheer just as hard for the Bulldogs as they played the Anaconda Copperheads.
If it were up to me, I would never miss a Butte High or Butte Central football game. I am hardly alone in that.
That was evident in the large crowd that watched the Maroons beat Hardin at Tech. It was a huge crowd for a regular-season Class A football game, and it was not just because BC and Hardin both had a big turnout.
Many fans who would otherwise be watching the Bulldogs play also took in the game to cheer on the Maroons. Led by Josh, the crowd was a factor until the very end, and the Maroons fed off that energy.
When Hardin’s D.J. Lefhand ran for a touchdown and punched in a 2-point conversion to put Hardin up 16-14 with 1 minute, 35 seconds left on the clock, the fans and the Maroons did not back down.
BC drove down the field, and senior Jack Nagle booted a 32-yard field goal as time expired to give the Maroons the thrilling victory. It was the biggest 3-pointer at Butte Central since Dougie Peoples hit the trey to lift the Maroons to the Class A State basketball title in 2022.
It was Central’s first walk-off field goal since Rob Johnson and the Maroons booted the Copperheads for a 24-21 overtime win in Anaconda in October of 2000.
Unfortunately, Friday’s thriller will likely be the last Butte Central game I will be able to attend this year. In the regular season, anyway.
I was able to go to Friday’s game because Butte High played Thursday night at Billings Skyview. Butte High plays next Thursday at Missoula Big Sky, but the Maroons are off that week.
Both teams celebrate homecoming on Sept. 26, and they both play at home again the next Friday. Both teams are home on Oct. 24.
This has been a problem since Butte High reopened Naranche Stadium toward the end of the 2011 season.
The teams used to share Bulldog Memorial Stadium. On weeks when both teams had home games, Butte High would play on Friday night. BC would play on Saturday. Central’s coaches were never big fans of that because it meant that they were playing on a short week the next game, while their opponent was not.
BC was not able play on Naranche when it reopened because the grass field would not hold up. The Bulldogs could not even practice on the grass that just never wanted to grow where our gridiron heroes used to notoriously play on dirt.
So, the Maroons started playing on the artificial turf of the Bob Green Field in 2013. When Butte High put a similar turf on Naranche a few years later, the Maroons stayed at Tech because they were getting a pretty good deal.
That led to Friday nights when Butte sports fans had to choose between the Bulldogs and the Maroons. Butte High usually wins that battle because way more people graduated from the public school.
Some have pushed for the Bulldogs and Maroons to play doubleheaders at Naranche on Friday nights when they are both home. That would be great.
However, it has not always been easy to get the Maroons and Bulldogs to work together on logistics. For one thing, Butte High never let BC have its own concessions when the Maroons played at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. Tech lets the Maroons sell their own food, snacks and drinks.
So, that is probably never going to work out. The Bob Green Field will likely be BC’s football home for years to come.
That, though, should not mean we cannot all watch the Maroons and Bulldogs on weeks when they are both playing home games. The solution is easy. It is Thursday night lights.
Thursday nights are a great opportunity for high school players. When they play on Thursdays, the teams are kind of showcased around the state. They are one of just a few games — maybe even the only one — playing that night, so football fans from every corner of the state are at least paying attention.
That includes college coaches looking to fill out their future rosters.
The reason we have Thursday games, though, is not to showcase the student-athletes. It is because we have a shortage of officials. We simply do not have enough officials to go around to cover all the games, especially in places like Missoula and Billings, where the pools have so many schools to cover.
Well, if we can adjust the schedules for the officials, then we can certainly do it for the fans.
It seems so simple, really. But so did the plan to play doubleheaders, which they do in other Montana cities.
When the schedules work out so Butte High and Butte Central both play at home the same week, we should play one of the games on a Thursday night. There is no reason we cannot start doing that this year, either.
Then we could alternate which team gets the Thursday night lights and the benefits that come with them. It would be great for the players, but even better for the fans who like to cheer on the Bulldogs and Maroons.
We would also get to see if Josh Peck cheers like that every game.
— Bill Foley, who certainly does not need more cowbell, 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.
