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Podcast No. 208: Todd Ericson
When you talk about the greatest athletes to ever come out of Butte, America, Todd Ericson is definitely on the short list.
The very short list.
The 1989 Butte High graduate earned first-team All-State honors two times in football and basketball. He helped lead the Bulldogs to State championship game appearances in both sports.
But if you want to explain the greatness of Todd Ericson, you only need one number: 37.
From 1990 through 1993, Todd wore No. 37 while playing football for the Montana Grizzlies. He was just the third player to wear that jersey number in hand-me-down tradition — and it is a tradition that turned out to be one of the best in college football. Ericson helped lay the foundation for that great tradition.
Kraig Paulson wore No. 37 from 1983 through 1986. Then the fullback handed it down to Tim Hauck, who first donned it in 1987. Hauck gave it to Erickson, and it has been a Montana native who plays defense wearing the number ever since.
Ericson, who played safety for the Grizzlies, gave it to Jason Crebo of Helena, and this year Trevin Gradney of Billings will be the 18th Grizzlie to wear the number in the handed-down tradition.
Today, Ericson, a 2013 Butte Sports Hall of Fame inductee, lives in Sammamish, Washington, and he is up to some great things.
Listen in to this podcast to hear what he is up to. Listen as he talks about his class of 1989, which included fellow Grizzly football players Lance Allen and Chad Lembke and Grizzly basketball player Gary Kane. Listen as he talks about his days at Butte High and his 1989 basketball team joining the Butte Sports Hall of Fame this summer.
Listen in as he talks about his Grizzlies days and how injuries derailed his chances of making the team when he went to camp with the Indianapolis Colts in 1994.
The photos of Ericson above are, from left, his newspaper mug shot from 1989, his appearance at the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in July and his Montana Grizzly photo that is on his Butte Sports Hall of Fame plaque. (Photo of Ericson in his Green Jacket is courtesy Josie Trudgeon Photography).
Today’s podcast is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.
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Podcast No. 207: Robert Lester returns
Last year, two young men from Butte did something incredible.
Experienced mountaineer Robert Lester and his cousin Braxton Mitchell, who says he is not a mountaineer, traveled from the Mining City to the Pacific Ocean by canoe.
In incredible — and important — journey covered nearly 1,300 miles. It took 52 grueling days as Robert and Braxton paddled and carried the canoe the entire way.
Braxton, who was 18 at the time, had never been in a canoe before.
The “Columbia River Canoe Project” is a documentary about their journey. The movie, which lasts 1 hour, 1 minute, gets two gigantic thumbs up from the ButteCast. On Aug. 30, the public in Butte gets to see why. You will laugh. You will cry. You will learn.
The movie will premier with a night of music, education and the film at the Original Mine Yard. Gates open to the free event at 6 p.m. After a Levi Bloom Concert, the film will be played at 8:15 p.m.
In April of 2023, Robert appeared on the ButteCast to talk about his adventure. Today he returns to talk about the trip and the movie.
Today’s podcast is presented by Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warrantee.
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Rigby, O’Dell, Schneider, Vicevich lead Week 2 of Butte Trap League
Four shooters broke 49 out of 50 targets to lead Week 2 of the Butte Trap Club’s Fall League Thursday night.
Riley Rigby, Kevin O’Dell, Alex Schneider and Dave Vievich all came within one target of a perfect score to top individual standings. Rigby registered the first 50 in the opening week.
Ryan Miller, Seth Duclos, Kevin Zimpel, Josh Bridgeman, Chad Fellows, Mark Hislop, Kohlten Fultz and Tim Cassidy each shot a 48.
Rayelynn Brandl shot a 44 to top women’s standings. She beat Gillian Clark by one. Jen Hislop followed at 41, while Colleen Fink shot a 39, and Kim McClafferty broke 38 targets.
Stephen Frazee’s 47 led wobble scores. Scott White and Reese Gehrig were two back at 45, and Ryan Bossard shot 44.
Arc Electric leads team scratch standings after two weeks at 373. Wolverine Sytstms and Granite Amusement/Oasis are tied for second at 370.
Butte Trap Club – 2024 Fall League – Week 2 Standings
Team Scratch Standings
Arc Electric – 373
Wolverine Systems – 370
Granite Amusement/Oasis – 370
CF Plumbing & Heating – 357
Baker Auto – 353
Lockmer Plumbing – 348
FJBCHO – 342
Cooneys Locksmith – 338
Vicevich Law Girls – 335
S&S Plumbing – 334
KR Contracting – 333
D-M Ranch – 324
Pro Inspection – 322
Archibald Co. – 322
Randy’s Boys – 311
Maloney’s – 288
Superior Title – 279
WET 2 – 277
Hazlett’s Heroes – 268
Doodlebobs – 265
Daddy’s Girls – 257
J3 Construction – 249
Cooney’s/Vicevich – 184
St James Hospital – 175
WET1 – 174
Sundance Plumbing – 168
Clay Howery Construction – 164
12G Girls – 139High Individual Scores
Riley Rigby – 49×50
Kevin O’Dell – 49×50
Alex Schneider – 49×50
Dave Vicevich – 49×50
Ryan Miller – 48×50
Seth Duclos – 48×50
Kevin Zimpel – 48×50
Josh Bridgeman – 48×50
Chad Fellows – 48×50
Mark Hislop – 48×50
Kohlten Fultz – 48×50
Tim Cassidy – 48×50High Lady Scores
Rayelynn Brandl – 44×50
Gillian Clark – 43×50
Jen Hislop – 41×50
Colleen Fink – 39×50
Kim McClafferty – 38×50High Wobble Trap Scores
Stephen Frazee – 47×50
Scott White – 45×50
Reese Gehrig – 45×50
Ryan Bossard – 44×50 -
Silver B’s induction set for Sept. 20
The 2024 Butte High Silver B’s induction will be held Friday, Sept. 20 at Butte High’s Richardson Gymnasium.
Joining the Silver B’s this year will be all first-year varsity football lettermen from the 1999 Bulldog team. Golden B’s will be the lettermen from the 1974 team. Lee Smith of Columbia Falls will be inducted as a Diamond B. Smith earned his first letter in 1949.
Smith, however, will not be able to attend the event.
All attendees are asked to RSVP and prepay so the organization can get an accurate count. Submit your reservations and payments at buttehighsilverbs.com. You can also mail in your payment to Butte High Silver B’s, P.O. Box 4655, Butte, MT, 59702.
The Bulldogs will take on Missoula Big Sky on Silver B Night. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
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Bill Salonen showed that old saying about Butte is still true
The saying is as old as time, and it still rings true.
“You can take the boy out of Butte, but you can’t take the Butte out of the boy.”
Yes, there is just something about our old mining camp. Being from here is something to be proud of — even if decades have passed since you moved away.
Sometimes we might come across as a little too proud because so many of us wear the fact that we are from Butte boldly on our sleeves. Like vegans and cross fitters, you don’t have to ask us if we’re from Butte. We will let you know.
Some people will even tell you that their parents or grandparents were from Butte. We are from Butte, America, dammit. Once a Butte Rat, always a Butte Rat.
Last month, we got a reminder of that when Bill Salonen came back to town for the Green Jacket Ceremony of the Butte Sports Hall of Fame.
The Green Jacket Ceremony is on Friday night of the Hall of Fame weekend. The new individual inductees get their Green Jackets, while many past inductees come back for another victory lap as a Hall of Famer.
Bill celebrated his 90th birthday during the Green Jacket Ceremony on July 19.
Salonen is not only a Butte sports legend. He is a Montana State and Great Falls High legend. He is probably most well known in Great Falls — as an administrator and as the father of Brian Salonen, a University of Montana Hall of Famer who had a brief career with the Dallas Cowboys.
During his career, Bill had a profound impact on the lives of so many students — athletes or not — as they made their way through the school system.
Before that, though, Bill was a superstar for the Butte High Bulldogs.
The 1952 Butte High graduate led the Bulldogs to a divisional title as a senior. He was named All-State that season. At 6 feet, 2 inches, Bill, who was described as “rangy” by The Montana Standard, jumped into the Bulldog starting lineup as a senior, and his career took off.
He scored 220 points that season, and his name appeared in more headlines than a Kardashian.
On the gridiron, Bill was named to the sixth Montana East-West Shrine Game in 1952, and he helped the West beat the East, 13-0.
He was the vice president of his senior class at Butte High.
After graduating, Bill took his talents to Montana State, which was then called Montana State College. He played basketball for the Bobcats, receiving tons of awards and recognition. He graduated ranking No. 4 on the school’s all-time scoring list.
He currently ranks No. 8 in free throws made as a Bobcat and No. 7 with 120 career games played.
After college, Bill served in the Army and then put in 21 years in the Army Reserves, where he retired as a Lt. Colonel. He began coaching and teaching in Glasgow before his career took him to Great Falls, where he is beloved.
Bill was inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 2003. That came four years after he became a member of the Butte Sports Hall of Fame as part of the seventh class of the Mining City Shrine.
Seeing how happy Bill was to be back in town for the Green Jacket Ceremony last month was one of the highlights of the weekend. It ranks right up with seeing Bob Rowling push fellow Hall of Famer Dick Roche, who was in a wheelchair, down the aisle during the Green Jacket Ceremony.
When it came time for Bill to walk down the aisle with his cane, Ron Davis read some of his many accomplishments. Then, he announced to the crowd that it was Bill’s 90th birthday before leading the crowd singing “Happy Birthday.”
Bill acknowledged the crowd by raising his left fist high in the air as he used his right hand to hold his cane. Eventually, that fist turned into a very high thumbs up.
Thankfully, Josie Trudgeon caught the moments with her camera.
Bill Salonen acknowledges the crowd during the July 19 Butte Sports Hall of Fame Green Jacket Ceremony. Click on the photo for more memories of the weekend. (Josie Trudgeon photo) Being far from a Hall of Famer, I cannot say what the best thing about the Butte Sports Hall of Fame is for inductees. But I would have to imagine returning every two years for that victory lap has to rank very high.
As he celebrated his 90th birthday, I think Bill would have agreed. He shook the hand of almost every person in the packed Butte Civic Center to introduce himself.
After the ceremony, Don Peoples, the founder of the Hall of Fame, and I looked on as Bill introduced himself to Gary Kane, a fellow Butte High hoops legend from four decades later.
Gary knew the man introducing himself, and I think the guy who played with the Montana Grizzlies against Larry Johnson and that great UNLV basketball team in 1991 was star struck.
I would venture to bet that bragged about that encounter in the weeks following the event.
Bill was so happy at the Green Jacket Ceremony that he mailed a donation check to the Butte Sports Hall of Fame the following Monday. He wanted to help put on the next event so other old Hall of Famers could feel like he did.
Unfortunately, Bill will not be able to attend the 2026 induction ceremony. At least not physically.
Shortly after the Hall of Fame weekend, Bill became sick. Last Tuesday, he passed away peacefully. His funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Great Falls High Davidson Auditorium.
Guests are invited to wear Great Falls Bison apparel of their choice. But hopefully, we see a few Butte Sports Hall of Fame Green Jackets there, too.
Bill was a very proud member of that “Green Jacket” fraternity. Being a Butte Sports Hall of Famer was important to him. You could see that in his face as he took one last victory lap.
His smile said it all. As beloved as Bill Salonen was — and always will be — in the Electric City, a large piece of his heart always belonged to the Mining City.
Bill’s smile also showed us once again that the saying is true.
No matter how hard you try, you can just not take the Butte out of the boy.
— Bill Foley, who will never be taken out of Butte, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Butte High sets ‘Kids’ Night’ as Bulldogs kick off fall
The Butte High Bulldogs will hold Kids’ Night Friday at Naranche Stadium. The event will run in conjunction with the Bulldog Fall Kickoff.
Action begins at 3 p.m., and Kids’ Night starts at about 4, giving young fans a chance to meet the Bulldogs as they get ready for their fall sports seasons.
Free pictures with the Bulldog mascot will be available, and the first 100 kids will receive a poster for autographs courtesy of Dream Big Montana. The Extra Sprinkles Ice Cream Truck will also be there for kids to purchase treats.
Butte High’s volleyball, cross country, soccer and football teams will be in action. The cross country teams will race starting at 3 p.m. The runners will finish inside Naranche Stadium.
Volleyball action begins at 3 p.m. with a freshman scrimmage inside the Richardson Gym. Frosh Purple will play the sophomores at 3:40, and Frosh White will take on the sophomores at 4:20. The junior varsity will battle the varsity at 5.
Butte High’s boys’ soccer team will scrimmage at 4 p.m. on the Naranche turf. The girls will scrimmage at 5:15.
The night concludes with the football Purple-White game at 7 p.m.
All parents, family and friends of Butte High athletics are invited to attend. Food will be provided by the Butte Athletic Council, which will also be selling memberships.
Memberships are $125, and that includes two passes to all regular-season events.
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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Brenner Booth and Kate DeShaw
Golfers Brenner Booth and Kate DeShaw are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after they claimed overall titles at the Junior City Championship tournament last week at the Highland View Golf Course. Both will be key players for the Butte High golf teams, which open the season this week in Great Falls.
Booth takes home the boys’ honor for winning the boys’ 15-17 division title and the overall crown. He followed a 39 with a 37 on the back nine for a 76, beating Bulldog teammate Chase Choquette by one shot.
Booth will be a senior this school year. He is looking to close out his Butte High career on a high note after placing 18th at the Class AA State tournament last fall.
DeShaw receives the girls’ honor after winning the 12-15 title. She shot an 85 to run away with the overall tournament championship.
DeShaw will be a sophomore this season for the Bulldogs. She has been a varsity player since she was in the eighth grade.
For the second 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 in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
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Podcast No. 206: Karen Maloughney
If you live in Southwestern Montana, she just might be one of the most important people in your life — even if many people will never realize or recognize that fact.
Karen Maloughney is Butte-Silver Bow’s health officer/director.
Karen replaced Karen Sullivan after Sullivan retired in late 2021. Both Karens were instrumental in leading Butte through the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the workers at the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department received threats and criticism, they played a role in saving lives. It’s hard to say how many lives, but they definitely saved lives.
The Health Department does a whole lot more than protecting us from COVID, too. The dedicated workers there worry about so many things that we probably will never even hear about. They worry about a lot of things we do not want to hear about.
Listen in to this podcast as Karen discusses the long list of duties she takes on in her role as health officer. Listen in as she talks about the trials and tribulations she and her co-workers went through during the pandemic.
Listen in to hear about Karen’s days hanging out with her dad and to hear which instrument she played for the Butte High band back in the 1980s.
Listen in to hear her take on her first name being hijacked by people who want to speak to your manager.
Today’s podcast is presented by Thriftway Super Stops. Download the TLC app and start saving today.
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DeShaw, Booth win Junior golf titles
Kate DeShaw and Brenner Booth were the overall winners at the Junior City Championship golf tournament Wednesday at the Highland View Golf Course.
Both players are part of the Butte High golf team that will open the season next week.
DeShaw won the girls’ overall title and the 12-15 age division with an 85. She followed a 48 with a 37. Mya McGree placed second at 105.
Booth followed a 39 with a 37 for a 76 to win the boys’ overall title. He also won the 15-17 division. Chase Choquette placed second at 77, while Zach Sawyer took third in the age group at 79.
Jack Muhlestein won the boy’s 12-14 division and placed third overall with a 78. He topped Teagan Yelenich by two shots to win the age group.
Braden Donnelly won the 12-14 B division. Boys in that classification played the Par 3 course on the back nine because they had East Middle School orientation earlier in the day. Donnelly shot an 84 to beat Lane Lisac by four shots.
Wyatt Edelen carded a 35 to win the nine-hole 9-11 division. Colsyn Crawshaw and Keene Walsh were next at 40.
Natalee Hubbard won the girls 9-11 group with a 51 over nine holes. Kaitlyn Kachmarik was second at 59.
In all, 26 boys and six girls competed in the tournament. Highland View course manager said that the plan is to expand the tournament to two days next year, with one round at Highland View and one round at the Butte Country Club.
GIRLS
12-15
Kate DeShaw 48-37 — 85
Mya McGree 63-42 — 1059-11
(Nine holes)
Natalee Hubbard 51
Kaitlyn Kachmarik 59
Kymber Edelen 61
Brynlee Mansell 82BOYS
15-17
Brenner Booth 39-37 — 76
Chase Choquette 40-37 — 77
Zach Sawyer 40-39 — 79
Beau McGree 45-36 — 81
Will McGree 47-43 — 90
Riley Reynolds 47-50 — 97
Mason Shogren 52-49 — 10112-14 A
Jack Muhlestein 41-37 — 78
Teagan Yelenich 41-39 — 80
Connor Kachmarik 41-41 — 81
Gus Struznik 53-53 — 106
Caleb Heard 58-53 — 11112-14 B
(Back nine played on Par 3 course)
Braden Donnelly 50-34 — 84
Lane Lisac 50-38 — 88
Drew Kachmarik 49-42 — 91
Connell Walsh 53-46 — 999-11
(Nine holes)
Wyatt Edelen 35
Colsyn Crawshaw 40
Keene Walsh 40
Coy Carpenter 48
Clark Fredrickson 53
Jackson Street 54
Mason Street 56
Mark Johnston 62
Eli Weeks 63
Bodie Petritz 72 -
Special Olympians just do it better
The putt was somewhere between a gimme and a tester.
Early in a match, it is the kind of putt you tell your opponent to pick up. But you make him sweat it out in the later holes.
My orange Top Flight XL was about 4 feet from the hole when I lined up the par putt on hole No. 9 at the Highland View Golf Course. I already won the match with my dad through eight holes, and he pressed on the final hole.
That meant I would win $2 if I made the putt, and I was 100 percent confident I was going to make it. Back when I was 12, I was a very good putter. That was the product of spending hours on the putting green at the municipal golf course as my parents and grandparents hung out with their friends on the porch of the old clubhouse.
My dad was not a good loser. Oh, he would do anything for me. He still would. But he wanted to save face on that last hole.
No, my dad was not one of those dads who let his sons win. At least he wasn’t when we were old enough to know better. He would make up rules as he went when we played one-on-one in basketball, just to get into my head.
If you are arguing rules and laughing at the silly rule interpretations, you are probably going to miss shots. That is why I have a losing record against my dad, even though I was a way better shooter and ball handler than him.
Like most dads, my dad had a gamesmanship quality about him that made it tough for me to beat him.
I squatted down to take a good, long look at the break for the winning putt. Then I stood up and took a couple of practice strokes before addressing the ball.
Just before the putter moved on my putt, my dad said, “Knock it up close.”
That is something you might say to encourage someone when they are hitting from 100 yards out. Not on a short putt.
My dad, you see, is no Josh Mota.
Josh is a young Butte guy who plays for the Butte Eagles Special Olympics basketball team. He isn’t the flashiest player, but Josh will bury you if you leave him open at the top of the key.
While he hardly ever leads the team in scoring, Josh leads the league in composure and leadership. He is like a coach on the floor, directing players on both ends of the court.
Josh is also about as nice of a guy you will ever meet.
Big Joe Gibson is also a Butte Eagle. Joe is a mountain of a man, and he is nearly impossible to stop when he gets the ball on the block.
Joe is also one of the most competitive players on the Eagles. He wants to win every game. That probably goes double for the Boyles’ Buddies game of the Burgman/Boyle Classic.
The latest edition of the Boyle’s Buddies Game was played Saturday night at East Middle School. The contest marked the ninth anniversary of the tragic deaths of Butte buddies Kyle Burgman and Casey Boyle.
The Eagles players were split into two teams for the game to honor Kyle and Casey. Joe played on the White team, along with Jalen “Hollywood” Foley, Christian Schock, D.J. Macumber and Krystina Segna.
Josh played on the Red team with Zach Stenson, Dalan Dagen, Kallie Robins and Bryce “Smiley” Bailey.
In the second half of the game, Joe got the ball down low and drew a foul, sending him to the line for a pair of free throws. After a little confusion by the players lining up to rebound, Joe’s first shot was off the mark.
Josh, sensing Joe’s frustration, ignored the fact that he and his pal were wearing different colored jerseys. He stepped up to Joe and offered some calming advice.
“Take your time and knock this one down,” Josh told Joe.
Joe nodded, appearing to heed the advice from his friend. Then, shot No. 2 was nothing but net.
It is hard to say if Josh’s words of encouragement to the guy on the other team helped. But it certainly did not hurt.
That right there is an example of what makes the Special Olympics great. You would never see that in any other game.
Oh, we see plenty of great examples of sportsmanship during other sporting events. But it isn’t usually quite like that in the middle of a game.
It was a great game, too. The White team opened up a big lead, only to see Red come back with a furry. Just when it looked like Red would win big, though, White battled back to take a one-point lead.
Red eventually won 49-48, thanks to a clutch jump shot from Smiley, who would still have been grinning ear to ear if his shot missed.
This year marked the second straight time I got to referee the game. So, I got a great vantage point to watch the sportsmanship from start to finish.
That sportsmanship also included the play of Casey Boyle’s nephews J.T. and Hunter Boyle and Kyle Burgman’s nephews Carter “The Professor” and Teague Barsness.
Little Hunter did his best LeBron James impersonation for a couple of nice moves to the basket. For the most part, though, the job of the nephews was to give the starters some rest and to pass the ball to the open players.
The names of the Special Olympians have largely stayed the same since the first Boyle’s Buddies Game in 2016, and I have been to most of them.
Never did I once hear a player or coach beg for a call — like you do in almost every other game. Actually, you see the exact opposite from Boyle’s Buddies.
You see players cheering for their opponents. You see players lobbying for what is fair — even if it goes against their own team.
Late in Saturday’s game, we had a held ball between players, and the alternate possession went to the White. D.J. Macumber, while wearing a white jersey, told me that it should be Red ball because the Red player had more control than the white player.
D.J. didn’t care that it was a one-point game. Most of the players didn’t care. Actually, I think a few of them didn’t know if they won or lost the close game.
They were just having fun, which is what the game is supposed to be all about. They have fun without the gamesmanship.
Although, I must say that that gamesmanship has its place in sports, too. That goes double when you are competing against your son.
While it was nearly 40 years ago, I can still see the look on my dad’s face after I stopped laughing made that putt.
Had he offered words of encouragement instead of a heckle, I probably wouldn’t remember that round of golf.
— Bill Foley, who is already looking forward to the 2025 Boyle’s Buddies Game, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Bernie Boyle, Boyle’s Buddies, Bryce Bailey, Burgman/Boyle Classic, Casey Boyle, Christian Schock, Dalan Dagen, DJ Macumber, Highland View Golf Course, Hunter Boyle, Jalen Foley, Joe Gibson, Josh Mota, JT Boyle, Kallie Robins, Krystina Segna, Kyle Barsness, Kyle Burgman, Special Olympics, Teague Barsness, Zach Stenson
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 