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Bulldogs meet Eagles in playoff
BC opens Western A Divisional; Johnston takes game to Dickinson
The season comes down to one game for the Butte High boys’ basketball team.
Missoula Big Sky will come to town for the second time in seven days to take on the Bulldogs. This time, it is do or die for both teams.
The Western AA playoff game tips off at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Ross J. Richardson Memorial Gymnasium.
Butte High is looking for its third win over the Eagles, who come to town at 8-11. The Bulldogs won 62-54 Jan. 27 in Missoula. They completed the regular-season sweep by overcoming a double-digit deficit and knocking off Big Sky in a 66-63 overtime thriller last Friday at a rocking Ricardson Gym.
The winner or Round 3 moves on to play in next weeks’ Class AA State tournament in Billings. A Butte High win would mean the Bulldogs open the State tournament against Great Falls Russell at noon next Thursday.
The Bulldogs finished the regular season at 15-4 overall. That is the most regular-season wins for Butte High since 2007, when the Bulldogs advanced to the Class AA State championship game. At 10-4 in conference, the Bulldogs finished with the No. 3 seed from the Western AA.
The top teams automatically advanced to the State tournament, and the bottom two teams see their season come to an end. At 5-9 in conference, the Eagles finished with the No. 6 seed.
On Friday, the Eagles connected on nine 3-pointers as they jumped out quickly against the Bulldogs.
Junior Eli Kasberg and freshman Jack McGowan each scored 12 points to lead Big Sky in that game. Senior Cole Silberstein hit three 3-pointers and joined classmate Josiah Boone with nine points.
That is the kind of balance the Eagles have experienced all season. Only Boone averaged in double figures scoring on the season. McGown, Silberstein and Kasberg all averaged between 8 and 9 points per game.
Senior Hudson Luedtke scored 15 of his game-high 30 points after the third quarter to lead the Bulldogs in the win. He averaged 24.7 points per game during the regular season. He also led the Class AA in assists.
Classmate Josh Liston hit four 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the victory. Senior Rhett Arntson came off the bench for seven points, and senior Mitch Verlanic scored eight points. Brady Hanson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, scored six.
Senior Cayde Stajcar, a defensive and rebounding force for the Bulldogs, scored two points in a game that saw seniors James Pearston, Kendel Noctor, Kaleb Celli and Ryan Hanson contribute.
Juniors Raeder Grey, Brady Walsh and Koda Schleeman and sophomores Koyde Kjersten and Noah Powers also saw varsity time for the Bulldogs this season.
Senior Jaxon Williamson played his first varsity game against the Eagles. He underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow in the fall. That injury will rob him of his senior baseball season, but he now has the chance to contribute for the Bulldogs in the basketball postseason.
Williamson served the team as a manager until he was medically cleared.
Butte High, which dropped a home playoff game to Missoula Sentinel last year, is looking to book a trip to the Class AA State tournament for the sixth time in seven years under head coach Matt Luedtke.
Indians up first for Maroons
Butte Central’s boys’ basketball team will open the Western A Divisional the same way they opened the season. They will play Browning. (Bracket)
The Maroons and Indians will meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday on Hamilton’s Dale Berry Court. Central beat Browning 67-55 in a tipoff tournament Dec. 12 in Frenchtown.
Junior Joshua Sutton scored 25 points to lead three Maroons in double figures scoring in that win. Sophomore Jaxon Hiatt scored 18, and junior GG Fantini added 14.
Shayde St. Goddard scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Indians. Reis Reevis added 11 points, and Josh Skunkcap scored nine.
Skunkcap and Royce Madplume each average 10.1 points per game to lead the Indians. Royce Reevis averages 9.6 points, and St. Goddard, a 6-8 senior, adds 8.7 points and 9.9 rebounds.
Browning finished the regular season at 11-7 overall. The Indians secured the No. 3 seed from the Northwestern A with an 8-4 conference record. The Indians closed the season with convincing wins over Libby and Polson. Those wins, though, followed a three-game losing streak, with losses coming to Bigfork, Ronan and Columbia Falls.
The Maroons head to postseason play at 15-3 overall. At 8-2 in conference, they tied for first place in the Southwestern A with Dillon and Frenchtown. After a three-way tiebreaker, Frenchtown took the top seed. BC finished second, and Dillon takes the No. 3 seed.
Sutton averaged 19.8 points per game in the regular season. He connected on 45 percent of his 3-poitn attempts, sinking 55.
Ryan Peoples, a 6-2 senior, averages 11.9 points per game. He surged toward the end of the season as he adapted to a bit of a different role for the Maroons. He is relying less on 3-point shooting and taking the ball to the hoop more.
Hiatt, a 6-foot sophomore, adds 9.9 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds to the BC lineup, which is rounded out by juniors Cade Kelly and Fantini.
Junior Burkley Lakkala and freshmen Henly Mansanti are the first off the bench for the Maroons.
Juniors Gunnar O’Brien, Grady Button and Teghan Sparks also see time for the Maroons.
The Maroons are in the same side of the bracket as Ronan (15-3) and Hamilton (7-12), who play at 5 p.m. Thursday. The winners play in Friday’s 5 p.m. semifinal.
On the top half of the bracket, Columbia Falls (14-4) meets Dillon (12-6) at 9 a.m., and Frenchtown (14-4) battles Polson (10-10) at 10:30.
The top four teams move on. Central is looking to return to the dance after a rare year off.
In 22 seasons under head coach Brodie Kelly, the Maroons have qualified for the Class A State tournament 18 times.
Bulldog girls have week off
Butte High’s girls’ basketball team is getting ready to play in the Class AA State tournament.
This will mark the first consecutive trips to state for the Bulldog program since the late Jeff Arntson led to them to the dance eight straight seasons from 2006 through 2013.
At 12-7 overall and 10-4 in conference, the Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed from the Western AA. They will open the Class AA State tournament at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, at MetraPark First Interstate Arena.
Their opponent remains to be seen.
If Billings Senior beats Bozeman Thursday in Billings, the Bulldogs will take on the Broncs in the first round. If Bozeman wins, the Bulldogs will take on the winner of the Great Falls Russell-Billings Skyview game.
That game will be played Thursday in Great Falls.
Johnston signing with Dickinson
Butte High golfer Keeley Johnston will take her talents to Dickinson State.
The Bulldog senior will sign to play golf for the Blue Hawks at 9 a.m. on Wednesday at Butte High’s Richardson Gym.
The signing will come after Johnston’s outstanding senior season for the Bulldogs. She placed 19th at the Class AA State tournament at the Butte Country Club in October, missing out on All-State recognition by just three shots.
A week earlier, Johnston tied for 10th place at the Western AA Divisional tournament in Kalispell.
Early in the season, Johnston hit a hole-in-one the 115-yard hole No. 8 at The Ranch Colf Club in Missoula. That shot helped her tie for third place at the Missoula Invitational.
Keeley Johnston poses for a photo after hitting a hole-in-one at the Missoula Invitational in August. -
Irish blowout Big Horns, win state title
BILLINGS — The 14U Butte Irish hockey team entered the State Tournament at the Centennial Ice Arena as the No. 5.
The team returned home as the undisputed state champion.
Butte’s boys and girls beat the Helena Big Horns 7-1 Sunday for a convincing victory during the championship game. The Irish came out focused and relentless, controlling the pace from the opening puck drop as they made a statement with the lopsided win.
The victory avenged a tournament-opening loss to the Big Horns. In that Thursday game, the Irish fought back from a 5-2 deficit and fell in an 8-7 heartbreaker.
Despite the loss, though, the Irish showed that they would not go down without a fight.
In a 7 a.m. Friday game against top-seeded Miles City, the Irish rolled to an impressive 6-2 victory. In that win, the Irish held league points leader Christian Hogan to one goal, and the confidence continued to build for the Butte boys and girls.
Butte dominated Billings for a 7-0 victory on Saturday morning, showcasing balanced scoring, disciplined defense and stellar goaltending.
Butte finished No. 2 in its pool, pitting the Irish against the Missoula Bruins, who entered as the sixth-ranked team but emerged as the No. 1 team from its pool, in the semifinals.
In that battle, Butte wasted little time. The Irish delivered on of their most complete performances of the tournament, pitching a 4-0 shutout and punching the ticket to the title game.
Butte Irish team members are Brayton “Bea” Burleson, Maverick “WWE” White, Calvin “John John” Johnson, Ryan Byrne, Carly “Roxy” Ryan, Gaige Davis, Kaden Malkovich, Vera Peterson, Jerdon Harned, Lane “Linda” Batterman, Nick D’Amico, Kelton “Hot Rod” Dennehy, Ryan “Rhino” Ferriter, Kevin “Big Kev” Nielsen, Dawson Lambrecht, Kynsie Evans, Robert Wheeler, Danny Richards and Tyler Christensen.
Jeff Dennehy and Zach Woods coach the Irish. Corbin Roberts is the team manager, and Rory Burleson is the equipment manager.
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KC spring league eyes March 9 start
The Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s spring basketball league will begin on Monday, March 9.
The four-man league will run for 10 weeks an conclude with a double-elimination tournament. Games will be played Monday through Thursday nights at the Felix Madrazo Gym.
Cost is $125 per team, and teams can sign up at the KC or by contacting Dan Boyle at (406) 491-2529.
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Podcast No. 328: Tytan Rosencrans
If you went to school with Tytan Rosencrans, you already know he is funny. Even most of his teachers and principals will agree with that.
If you did not go to school with Tytan, you can see just how funny he is Saturday night in the ballroom of the Thorton Building in Uptown Butte.
The 2021 Butte High graduate is back in the Mining City to entertain his hometown. He is based out of Chicago, where he has been doing big things ever since he left Butte High. Tytan will have a show at 7 p.m. and one more at 10. Cost is just $20, and that includes an open bar. Donations for the drinks are accepted, but not mandatory. Click here to buy tickets to the 7 p.m. show. Click here for tickets to the 10 p.m. show.
Even if you already bought at ticket for the Dusty Slay show at the Motherload Theatre, you can still head over a few blocks and catch Tytan’s second show. Both shows include opening acts before you get a full hour from Tytan, a former Kennedy Crusader, West Buffalo, East Bullpup and Butte High Bulldog.
I first heard of Tytan when he popped up in my reels with a great bit about the strange case of the legs found north Butte. He has a great sense of comedy, and he likes to work on the blue side.
Earlier today, I met with Tytan inside the Vault at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill for a fun conversation. Listen in as he talks about how much he always loved school because that is where the audience was.
Listen as he talks about how instrumental the Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre was in his life and how he knew he wanted to be a standup comedian from a very young age.
Listen in to hear why you definitely want to catch one of Tytan’s shows on Saturday.
Today’s episode 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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We will never forget Hudson Luedtke
Charlie Merrifield walked up to me with a purpose that night three years ago.
It was just a couple of weeks before the iconic Butte coach passed away at the age of 90, and he had something to say. He read a story I wrote about Butte Central star Dougie Peoples passing Maroon legend “Jumpin’” Joe Kelly for the most points in the history of the BC boys’ basketball program, and he figured I left something out.
As he shook my hand with that legendary iron grip, Charlie let me know that Kelly, who jumped for the Maroons in the late 1930s and early 1940s, did not have the benefit of the 3-point line. If he did, Charlie said, Dougie would not be anywhere near Kelly’s mark. At least not yet.
Charlie’s wife Betty agreed. They both were lucky enough to watch Kelly play, even though they were very young at the time. They still swore by the man with one of the best nicknames in Mining City sports history. Kelly could jump, and he could score when playing basketball.
They were not trying to diminish Peoples in any way. They just wanted to make sure Kelly was not shortchanged. To them, “Jumpin’” Joe Kelly still walked on water.
They figured it was their responsibility to stick up for a legend from their time. If you got to watch a player like “Jumpin’” Joe Kelly, you tell people about it. You feel a need to remind people of his greatness.
They had a point, too. The 3-point line was not introduced into high school basketball in Montana until the 1986-87 season, and that completely changed the game. I don’t know how many threes Kelly would have made, but the Merrifields swore it would have been a lot.
Peoples, who never scored a varsity point as a freshman, made a lot of 3-poitners — including a legendary one the fans from Lewistown will never forget. But he finished his career with 1,683 points, which was 279 more than Kelly’s 1,404.
When I was about the age Charlie was when he watched Kelly, I thought Marc Murphy, Tom Kenney, John Sullivan, Mickey Tuttle and Chris Rasmussen walked on water. They still do.
To me, they always will. That is how we remember our sports heroes.
That is how a lot of today’s young girls feel about Cadence Graham and Brooke “The Assassin” Badovinac. It is how the young boys look at the great Hudson Luedtke.
Luedke has one more game in Butte and then, hopefully, a few games in the Class AA State tournament left in his high school basketball career. He enters that stretch with 1,640 points.
That is 43 points shy of Peoples and 56 less than Lexie Nelson, who finished her career in 2010 with 1,696 points. That is the most points any high school player from Butte has scored, boy or girl.
Luedtke is a lock to be an All-State basketball player for the fourth straight season, and he is a top candidate to win the Gatorade Montana Boys Basketball Player of the Year award. With 469 points for an average of 24.7 points per game this season, Luedtke finished seven points behind Missoula Sentinel star Lincoln Rogers for his second straight Class AA regular-season scoring title.
Luedtke finished in the top 10 in the Class AA in scoring in all four of his years at Butte High. He was ninth as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore.
What sets Luedtke apart for other scorers, though, is he led the Class AA in assists the last three seasons. He was third in assists as a freshman.
Luedtke is not caught up in stats. He wants to win, and he has this year’s Bulldogs at 15-4. That is the most regular-season wins for a Butte High team since 2007. Butte High might not be the favorite to win the Class AA State title, but nobody wants to play the Bulldogs right now.
Nobody wants to see Hudson Luedtke on the other side when their season is on the line.
At 6-foot-2, Luedtke is about 2 inches shorter than Peoples and six inches shorter than Rogers. But he can score inside and outside. Luedtke is the master of the midrange. The way he can create space and hit shots with hands in his face makes him virtually impossible to guard.
He is also no slouch on the defensive end of the court.
Another thing that separates him from other basketball stars is that Luedke is also a four-time All-State football player. That is rare at any level of high school. It is ridiculous in the Class AA.
That puts Luedtke on the short list with guys like Bob O’Billovich, Todd Ericson and Tommy Mellott as the top male athlete in Butte High history. (Remember, I said “guys like.” I’m sure there are others I am missing. I am just going off the top of my head.)
When he started at Butte High, Luedke was known as Mickey Tuttle’s grandson. As Hudson enters the final stretch of his remarkable career, Mickey, a star on Butte High’s last state title team in 1984, is now known as Hudson Luedtke’s grandpa.
Luedtke has football offers from big football schools pouring in, but he wants to continue playing basketball at that level. Someday the right offer is going to come in, and a college coach is going to get an unbelievable steal.
Nobody outworks Luedtke, who has gotten up early almost every day of his life to shoot baskets. He hardly ever gets a second of rest during a game.
Perhaps my favorite thing about Luedtke, though, has nothing to do with how many points he scorers or assists that he hands out. Rather, it is his humility that separates him.
When I told him he was closing in on the point totals of Peoples and Nelson last Friday night, Hudson had no idea. While he appreciated the knowledge, I could also tell that he did not really care.
He does not care if he wins the Gatorade. He wants to win a state title. A team title.
He did not care that he scored 30 points in that overtime win over Missoula Big Sky. He did not care that he scored 15 of those points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
He cared that he missed four free throws in that game, and he cared that those misses could have cost his team. He was happier that classmate Josh Liston hit four 3-pointers. He was happier that Rhett Arntson had a big game off the bench and that Cayde Stajcar had a huge basket, rebound and block.
He cared about talking to the Bulldog fans who sought him out after the game. That includes Bulldog fans who never heard of his grandpa and those who were already old when his grandpa climbed up and sat on the rim after the Bulldogs won the title on that 1984 St. Patrick’s Day in Missoula.
If the Bulldogs beat Missoula Big Sky again Thursday and advance to the Class AA State tournament next week in Billings, Luedtke has a great chance to pass up Peoples and Nelson on the Mining City’s all-time scoring list.
Graham, who is in the first class of players who were allowed to play varsity in the eighth grade, might make a run at them next year. Joshua Sutton could join the conversation at Butte Central next year, too.
Years from now, some boy or girl just might come along and score more points than all of them.
When a writer points out the new player is about to become the highest scoring player in Butte history, though, some old man and woman who were lucky enough to watch this generation of players just might speak out like Charlie did.
They will tell that writer about a player named Hudson Luedtke and how he walked on water.
— Bill Foley, who can barely swim in water, 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: Saege Grey and Cayde Stajcar
Butte High basketball players Saege Grey and Cayde Stajcar are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after the Bulldogs closed out the regular season and look to begin postseason runs.
Grey, a 5-foot-8 freshman guard, takes home the girls’ honor. She scored 11 points as Butte High clinched a berth in the Class AA State tournament with a 54-28 win over Missoula Sentinel Tuesday in Missoula.
Three nights later, Grey again poured in 11 points as the Bulldogs dropped a 47-41 decision at first-place Missoula Big Sky. That game did not affect standings or postseason seeding for the Bulldogs or Eagles.
Grey is in her second year contributing for the Butte High varsity program. She averaged 6.3 points and more than 6 rebounds per game during the regular season. Grey is also among the team leaders in assists and steals.
The 6-3 Stajcar takes home the boys’ honor after helping the Bulldogs close the regular season with a pair of home wins over Missoula Sentinel and Missoula Big Sky.
He had a particularly big game as the Bulldogs beat Sentinel 71-65 on Tuesday, avenging a 41-point loss to the Spartans in Missoula. Stajcar scored nine points while grabbing a game-high eight rebounds in the contest.
Three nights later, Stajcar had a huge bucket late in the game to help the Bulldogs pull out a 66-63 overtime win over Missoula Big Sky. He also grabbed a couple of clutch rebounds and blocked a shot in the final minutes.
After not playing basketball as a sophomore and junior, Stajcar returned to the court this season and is a big reason the 15-4 Bulldogs have a home playoff game on Thursday.
For the fourth year, Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales staff that always has your back, 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 Grey and Liston were provided by Alycia Holland Photography.
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Broncs edge BC girls in play-in game
HAMILTON — Butte Central fell one bucket short of the Western A Divisional girls’ basketball tournament.
Hamilton edged BC in a 29-28 in a Western A play-in game Saturday on the Dale Berry Court. The win sends the Broncs (8-11) to the Western A Divisional tournament next Thursday through Saturday in Hamilton.
The Maroons, who beat Stevensville Thursday in Butte to advance to the game, close their season at 7-12.
Anna Lews scored 10 points to lead the Broncs, who outscored BC 17-10 in the second half. A surge in the second quarter gave BC an 18-12 lead at halftime. The Broncs erased that lead in third quarter, sending the game to the final 8 minutes tied at 23.
Ashlynn McKern added seven points for Hamilton. Meryn Leonardi and Elise Carroll each scored four points, and Taryn Hoccholter tossed in two.
Zayonna Otherbull’s eight points paced the Maroons. Kenzie McQueary, who buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cut the lead to one, and Rylee Forbes each scored six points. Luci Fantini scored five points, and fellow eighth grader Jordyn Samson tossed in three.
Braelynn Schelin and Arika Stajcar also contributed for the Maroons.
The loss closes the book on the prep basketball careers of Stajcar and fellow senior Caden Tippett.
Hamilton will open the Western A Divisional tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday against Bigfork, the top seed out of the Northwestern A.
BUTTE CENTRAL (7-12) — Kenzie McQueary 2 1-2 6, Zayonna Otherbull 3 0-0 8, Rylee Forbes 2 2-2 6, Braelynn Schelin 0 0-0 0, Arika Stajcar 0 0-0 0, Luci Fantini 1 2-4 5, Jordyn Samson 1 1-1 3. Totals 9 6-9 28.
HAMILTON (8-11) — Anna Lewis 4 4-6 10, Mery Leonardi 1 1-4 4, Nellie Dickemore 0 0-0 0, Elise Carroll 2 0-0 4, Ashlynn McKern 3 0-0 7, Taryn Hoccholter 1 0-0 2, Kassidee McKern 0 0-2 0, Tayleigh Bakken 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 5-12 29.
Central 6 12 5 5 — 28
Hamilton 6 6 11 6 — 29
3-point goals — BC 4 (Otherbull 2, McQueary, Fantini), Hamilton 2 (Leonardi, A. McKern). Fouls — BC 14, Hamilton 10. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none. -
Luedtke, Bulldogs nip Eagles in OT; girls drop tough one in Missoula
Butte High split Class AA varsity basketball games with Missoula Big Sky Friday night.
Butte High’s boys battled back from a double-digit deficit to knock off the Eagles 66-63 in an overtime thriller at the Richardson Gym. The Bulldog girls, meanwhile, dropped a 47-41 decision to Big Sky in Missoula.
The Butte High girls already wrapped up their trip to the Class AA State tournament, which is March 12-14 in Billings. Butte High’s boys will have to beat Big Sky again in a playoff game to move on.
Big Sky and Butte will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Richardson Gym for the loser-goes-home game. Friday’s game did not change the playoff bracket at all, but it had a playoff atmosphere throughout.
BOYS
Butte High 66, Missoula Big Sky 63 (OT)
Hudson Luedtke picked a pretty good way to celebrate his 19th birthday.The Bulldog senior guard scored 30 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 66-63 victory in overtime. He scored 15 of those points after the third quarter, including seven of Butte High’s 11 points in the four-minute extra frame.
That capped a wild victory for Butte High, which found itself in a double-digit hole in the third quarter.
While Luedtke led all scorers, he got lots of help in the clutch department. Rhett Arntson hit a big bucket late. Cayde Stajcar added a huge inside hoop to go along with some key rebounds and a block. Josh Liston stole the ball late and hit a free throw.
In all, it was a good way to celebrate Senior Night, too, as Butte High saw Stajcar, Kaleb Celli, Arntson, Luedtke, Mitch Verlanic, Liston, James Pearston, Kendel Noctor, Ryan Hanson and Jaxon Williamson all play their last regular-season home game on the court at Ross J. Richardson Gymnasium.
Liston also hit four 3-pointers and scored 13 points for the Bulldogs in the win. Verlanic finished with eight, while Arntson scored seven, and Brady Hanson tossed in six. Stajcar scored two.
Celli, Williamson, Pearston, Noctor and Ryan Hanson also contributed in the win.
Williamson played his first varsity game of the season. He has been out, recovering from Tommy John surgery that will cost him his senior year in baseball.
Jack McGowan and Eli Kasberg each scored 12 points to lead the Big Sky, which closes the regular season at 8-11 overall and 5-9 in conference. Cole Sil and Josiah Boone each scored nine points.
Big Sky also got six from Bryson Schultz, five apiece from Blake Williamson and Mason Ramos, three from Maron Fines and two from Cormack Batt.
Luedtke closes the regular season with 467 points in 19 games, an average of 24.6 points per game. That leaves him with 1,638 career points heading into the postseason. His is 59 points shy of passing Bulldog great Lexie Nelson for the most points ever scored by a high school player in Butte.
Nelson finished her career in 2010 with 1,696 points. Former BC star Dougie Peoples finished his career in 2023 with 1,683 points.
Luedtke also leads the Class AA in assists.
MISSOULA BIG SKY (8-11, 5-9) — Mason Ramos2 0-0 5, Eli Kasberg 5 2-4 12, Cole Sil 3 0-0 9, Josiah Bone 4 0-0 9, Jack McGowan 4 3-4 12, Brady Williams 0 0-0 0, Blake Williams 2 0-0 5, Cormack Batt 1 0-0 2, Maron Fines 1 1-2 3, Bryson Schultz 2 0-0 6. Totals 25 6-10 63
BUTTE HIGH (15-4, 10-4) — Cayde Stajcar 1 0-2 2, Hudson Luedtke 13 2-6 30, Mitch Verlanic 3 0-0 8, Josh Liston 4 1-2 13, Brady Hanson 2 2-4 6, James Pearston 0 0-0 0, Ryan Hanson 0 0-0 0, Kaleb Celli 0 0-0 0, Rhett Arntson 2 3-4 7, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, Jaxon Williamson 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 8-18 66.
Big Sky 9 18 17 11 8 — 63
Butte 9 16 13 17 11 — 66
3-point goals — Big Sky 9 (Sil 3, Schultz 2, Bl. Williams, Ramos, Boone, McGowan), Butte 8 (Liston 4, Luedtke 2, Verlanic 2). Fouls — Big Sky 18, Butte 10. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.GIRLS
Missoula Big Sky 47, Butte High 41
MISSOULA — Missoula Big Sky completed its undefeated Western AA record intact by holding off the second-place Bulldogs.Avery DeCoite scored eight of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Eagles overtook the Bulldogs. Big Sky outscored the Dogs 16-8 in the final frame.
Kenzi Schmitz added 17 points, shooting 7 for 10 from the free throw line int the win. Lilly Johnosn scored five points for the Eagles, while Peyton Reynalds added five.
Cadence Graham and Saege Grey each scored 11 points to lead the Bulldogs, who saw seven different players find the score book. Allie Becker, Elli Graham and Emma Johnson each scored three points. Kendallyn Schad scored three, and Franki Salusso tossed in two.
Avery Barsness also contributed for the state-bound Bulldogs, who close the regular season at 12-7 overall and 10-4 in conference play.
BUTTE HIGH (12-7, 10-4) — Allie Becker 2 0-3 5, Cadence Graham 2 6-6 11, Autumn Clary 0 0-0 0, Franki Salusso 1 0-0 2, Emma Johnson 1 3-4 5, Ellia Graham 0 5-6 5, Saege Grey 3 4-6 11, Kendallyn Schad 1 1-2 3, Avery Barsness 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 19-27 41
MISSOULA BIG SKY (17-2, 14-0) — Avory DeCoit 7 6-10 21, Lilly Johnson 2 0-0 5, Tonya Kirilovich 0 0-0 0, Mya Hubbard 0 0-0 0, Kenzi Schmitz 5 7-10 17, Peyton Reynolds 1 1-2 4, Addisyn Martin 0 0-0 0, Zoe Bone 0 0-0 0. Totals15 14-22 47.
Butte 9 12 12 8 — 41
Big Sky 9 9 13 16 — 47
3-point goals — Big Sky 3 (Becker, Graham, Grey), Big Sky 3 (DeCoite, Johnson, Reynolds). Fouls — Butte 15, Big Sky 19. Fouled out — Salusso; L. Johnson. Technicals — none. -
Maroons rout Yellowjackets, move on
The Maroons will live to play at least one more game.
Butte Central’s girls’ basketball team kept its season alive Thursday night, beating Stevensville 51-20 in a Western A Divisional play-in game at the Maroon Activities Center.
Central is now one win away from competing in the divisional tournament, which is next Thursday through Saturday in Hamilton. First, the Maroons must go to Hamilton for a 1:30 p.m. play-in game this Saturday.
The winner of that game will open the divisional tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday against Bigfork. The loser is done for the season.
The Maroons forced 25 turnovers and took advantage of Stevensville foul trouble to move on. As a team, BC shot 18 for 22 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Kenzie McQueary led that charge, going 8 for 8 from the stripe on her way to scoring a team-leading 11 points.
The Maroons took the lead for good from the line. Sophomore Zayonna Otherbull hit two foul shots with 5 minutes, 21 seconds left in the first quarter to give BC a 5-4 lead. That started a 12-2 BC run to give the Maroons command.
Central led 15-6 after the first quarter, 27-11 at halftime and 41-15 after three quarters.
Otherbull finished with eight points, while eighth graders Luci Fantini and Jordyn Samson each came off the bench to score seven. Fantini also dished out three assists in the win.
Junior Rylee Forbes joined sophomore Braelynn Schelin with five points and senior Arika Stajcar tossed in two.
Eighth grader Mila Carriger put on an impressive performance playing limited time in the fourth quarter. She scored six points, burying a 3-pointer and turning an old-fashioned three-point play. She also grabbed a rebound, collected a steal and blocked a shot.
Sophomore Evyn Smith, senior Caden Tippett, junior Marly Mansanti and eighth grader Blake Smith also contributed for the Maroons, who improved to 7-12 on the season.
Senior Addie Drye scored 14 points to lead the Yellowjackets, who clearly came to play hard on Friday.
Seniors Harley Gilleard and Amy Donaldson joined junior Emma Tan with two points. Tan, Gilleard and sophomore Kayden Tolley fouled out for the Yellowjackets, who found themselves in foul trouble early and often. Tolley fouled
Stevensville closes the season at 1-18.
STEVENSVILLE (1-18) — Addi Drye 6-14 1-2 14, Emma Tann 1-3 0-0 2, Amy Donaldson 1-6 0-0 2, Harley Gilleard 104 0-0 2, Kayden Tolley 0-0 0-0 0, Hadlie Leonard 0-2 0-0 0, Kenzi Jackson 0-1 0-0 0, Scarlet Lattin 0-0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Meeder 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 9-31 1-2 20.
BUTTE CENTRAL (7-12) —Kenzie McQueary 1-6 8-8 11, Zayonna Otherbull 3-12 2-4 8, Rylee Forbes 2-4 1-2 5, Braelyn Schelin 1-4 2-2 5, Arika Stajcar 0-4 2-2 2, Luci Fantini 4-7 0-0 7, Jordyn Samson 2-6 2-3 7, Evyn Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Caden Tippett 0-0 0-0 0, Marly Mansanti 0-0 0-0 0, Mila Carriger 2-2 1-1 6, Blake Smith 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-47 18-22 51.
Stevensville 6 5 3 5 — 20
Central 15 12 14 10 — 51
3-point goals — Stevi 1-4 (Drye 1-4, Donaldson 0-4, Tan 0-2, Gilleard 0-2, Leonard 0-1, Meeder 0-1), BC 5-15 (Fantini 1-3, McQueary 1-3, Schelin 1-3, Samson 1-2, Carriger 1-1). Rebounds — Stevi 20 (Donaldson 5, Leonard 5), BC 35 (Forbes 8, Fantini 7). Assists — Stevi 1, BC 11 (Fantini 3, McQueary 2, Forbes 2). Blocks — Stevi 0, BC 1 (Carriger). Turnovers — Stevi 24, BC 19. Fouls — Stevi 23, BC 13. Fouled out —Tolley, Tan, Gilleard. Technicals — none. -
Podcast No. 327: Joe McClafferty
If you have been to a Montana Tech sporting event over the last couple of decades, then you know the work of Joe McClafferty.
Even though it has been more than a decade since he moved on from his role as the director of athletics at Montana Tech, the impact he made there is still alive and well. He created Digger Vision, the giant Jumbotron at Alumni Coliseum that made the rest of the Frontier Conference extremely jealous.
He was the man behind the original artificial turf on the Bob Green Field. He was behind the renovations of the HPER Complex, and he created the Kelvin Sampson Court.
Joe started the tailgate party and football games, and now that more resembles a block party than a pregame get together.
Not too bad from a boy from Dog Town.
Before he started to transform Orediggers sports, Joe he was a money management guy, a television personality and a radio broadcaster. He was part of Omaga Television, and he was the radio colorman for Pat Kearney.
He was also quite an athlete. Joe was an All-State basketball player at Butte Central, though Kearny disputed the fact that he was a two-time All-State player before graduating from BC in 1982.
Joe was an outstanding young baseball player, and he was recruited to play basketball at Montana Tech by Kelvin Samspon.
After short stops in Kalispell and Helena, Joe and his wife Therese are back in Butte. For the better part of a year, Joe has worked as CEO of Harrington Pepsi.
Earlier this week, I met with Joe at the Knights of Columbus, where he first started playing basketball, for a fun conversation.
Listen in as he talks about his work at Montana Tech and the road that brought him back to the Mining City. Listen as he talks about playing at Butte Central and all the times he fouled “Flyin’” Brian Vaughns during practice at Montana Tech.
Listen to hear what it was like to call a game with Pat Kearny. Listen in to hear where you can find Dog Town.
Today’s episode is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat. This episode is also available on YouTube:
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 