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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Reece Johnson and Beau McGree
Butte High sophomore Reece Johnson and Butte Central freshman Beau McGree are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after the two had another big week on the diamond for their schools.
Johnson takes home the girls’ honor after accounting for five Butte High hits in games against Helena Capital and Missoula Big Sky. The second baseman and Bulldog leadoff hitter went 1 for 2 with a triple, a walk and two runs scored Thursday as Butte High beat Capital 10-1 at Stodden Park.
Johnson then went 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored, a stolen base and four runs batted in as Butte High fell 14-12 in the regular-season finale to Big Sky Saturday in Missoula.
She has given the Bulldogs a solid glove at second base while setting the table for the Butte High offense at the plate. Johnson also plays volleyball and basketball for the Bulldogs.
McGree helped Butte Central close the season with two wins last week. He went 1 for 1 with a run scored as the Maroons routed Townsend 16-1 Thursday at 3 Legends Stadium. The next day, the Central catcher drove in a key run as BC topped Lone Peak 5-3 in Belgrade.
BC coach Richie O’Brien said the McGree dropped down a couple of bunts. Plus, his blocking behind the plate was a key to the victory over Lone Peak.
“They had bases loaded or guys on second and third it seemed like every inning, but Beau is so good at his job that I don’t even sweat,” O’Brien said. “He is a little guy. He takes a beating back there and just always has a smile on his face.”
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 Johnson courtesy Alycia Holland Photography. Photo of McGree provided by Jacqueline Photography.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of May 12. This is the last week of the regular season. The season-ending, double-loss tournament will begin next week.
Monday
7 p.m. — Crib Crew vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Rosary Rattlers
9 p.m. — Poi Time vs. ParishTuesday
7 p.m. — BC vs. Parish
8 p.m. — ButteSports vs. HertzWednesday
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Cook
8 p.m. — Cook vs. Hoopballas
9 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Rosary RattlersThursday
6 p.m. — BC vs. ButteSports
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Hoopballas
9 p.m. — Hertz vs. Rosary Rattlers
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Bullpup Volleyball Camp scheduled
The 2025 Bullpup Volleyball Camp will be held June 30 through July 1 at Butte High School.
Camps are for players entering second through ninth grade next school year. The camp for players in second through fifth grade will go from 9:30 to 11 a.m. each day, while the camp for players entering sixth through eighth grade will go from 11:30 to 1 p.m. A camp for players entering their freshman year runs from 1 to 3 p.m.
The camp, which will be run by the Butte High coaching staff and players, will focus on fundamental instruction, including passing, blocking, defensive positioning, hitting and serving.
Cost is $50 with an early registration.
For more information and a registration form, click the link below.
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Hislop, Fultz, Brandl lead in Week 3
Mark Hislop and Kohlten Fultz each broke 49 out of 50 targets to lead Week 3 shooting of the Butte Trap Club’s Spring League.
Riley Rigby broke 48 targets, while Seth Duclos, Kevin Zimpel, Ryan Miller, Chad Fellows, Alex Schneider, Scott Driscoll and Jayson Kress each shot a 47.
Rayelynn Brandl shot a 43 to lead women shooters. Mindy McClernan was second at 40. She was followed by Colleen Fink at 36 and Tammy Gordon at 33. Ian Smith’s 47 bested all in wobble shooting.
Through three weeks, Baker Auto leads team scratch standings at 551. Peterson Electric sits in second at 531, one shot better than Anaconda Trap Club.
Butte Trap Club – 2025 Spring League – Week 3 Standings
Team Scratch Standings
Baker Auto – 551
Peterson Electric – 531
Anaconda Trap Club – 530
Lost Art Builders – 521
Arc Electric – 519
Timberline Security – 508
S&S Plumbing/Northwest Pipe – 490
Northwest Clay Busters – 486
Lockmer Plumbing – 481
Nick’s Casino – 467
Archibald Co. – 461
Pro Repair – 458
Air Tight Solutions – 451
Clay Howery Construction – 447
Maloney’s/Harrington’s Pepsi – 415
Daddy’s Girls – 377
Eastridge Enterprise – 368
Lisac’s/Jim Lynch State Farm – 326
WET – 323
Edward Jones/Walt McIntosh – 322
Q-Stains – 309
St James – 307
12 G Girls – 240
B Squared Pest Control – 205
Wolverine Systems – 186
Cooney’s Locksmith – 176
Superior Title – 128High Individual Scores
Mark Hislop – 49×50
Kohlten Fultz – 49×50
Riley Rigby – 48×50
Seth Duclos – 47×50
Kevin Zimpel – 47×50
Ryan Miller – 47×50
Chad Fellows – 47×50
Alex Schneider – 47×50
Scott Driscoll – 47×50
Jayson Kress – 47×50High Lady Scores
Rayelynn Brandl – 43×50
Mindy McClernan – 40×50
Colleen Fink – 36×50
Tammy Gordon – 33×50High Wobble Trap Scores
Ian Smith – 47×50
Walt McIntosh – 45×50
Will Davies – 45×50
Rayelynn Brandl – 43×50
Mark Powers – 42×50
Kadon Queer – 42×50 -
Bulldog girls set hoops camp
The Headframe Hoops Girls’ Basketball Camp will be held June 23-26 at Butte High School.
The camp, which is for girls entering first through eighth grade next school year, will be conducted by the Bulldog coaching staff. It will focus on fundamental instruction, including ball handling, shooting, passing, scoring and more. Team and individual competitions will also be held.
Camp for girls entering fifth through eighth grades will go from 9 a.m. to noon each day. The camp for girls entering first through fourth grades goes from 12:30 to 2. Preregistration cost is $40 for the younger campers and $50 for the older players.
Click the link below for more information and a registration form.
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Podcast No. 263: Jerry Worley
On Nov. 9, 1973, Butte Central beat Cut Bank 27-6 on a frozen field on Montana’s Hi-Line.
The win gave the Maroons their third straight Class A State football championship. It was BC’s fourth title in five years.
The game was filled with sports legends from both sides. That includes on the field and on the sidelines.
While we don’t have a flux capacitor, Jerry Worley will take us back in time to that day in 1973 next Wednesday. He will give two presentations about the game — and so much more. The first will be at noon at the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives. The second will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
The presentation, titled “Once Upon a Time in Cut Bank, Montana: The Last Apex Team,” will mark the second time — and hopefully not the last — in which Worley was in town to talk about a Butte Central championship game.
Last May, he did the same about the 1972 game between BC and Wolf Point. Worley, who graduated from high school at Wolf Point, was an eighth grader paying attention to that game.
Now a retired teacher and professor, Worley decided he didn’t want that game to be forgotten. He also wanted to finally do some fun righting after a career as a professor.
Due in part to the popularity of his last project, Worley decided to dig into the 1973 game and talk to the players, coaches and other key figures in the game and time around Montana.
Listen in as Worley talks about the greatness of that run by the Maroons. Listen as he talks about interviewing people like John Thatcher and Matt Buckley.
Listen as he talks about why he dove into the projects in the first place and to hear what he might be working on for his next presentation.
It is like taking a trip back in time.
Today’s podcast is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.
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Tenley Osborne’s huge day leads Hillcrest to narrow track title
Hornets star breaks Jackie Street’s 46-year old record
The Hillcrest Hornets are once again the kings of Mining City track and field.
But only by a nose.
Hillcrest captured the team title at the annual Grade School Track Meet Wednesday on the Charlie Merrifield Track inside the sun-soaked Gene Fogarty Complex. The Hornets scored 366.25 team points, beating second-place West Elementary by a quarter of a point. (Results; Team scores; MVP report; Records)
Whittier placed third at 246.25. The Wildcats were followed by Margaret Leary at 150.5, Butte Central at 114, Emerson at 84, Ramsy at 69 and Kennedy at 12.
A record-breaking performance by sixth grader Tenley Osborne led the Hornets to the team title. She broke a record in the girls’ 400-meter race that was set before her parents were even born.
Osborne won the race in 1 minute, 6.5 seconds. That eclipsed the mark of 1:07 set by Jackie Street of Hillcrest in 1979. That 46-year-old record was the meet’s longest-standing record. (Note: Street ran when the race was calculated in yards, not meters. The officials records, though, do not note the difference.)
The performance for the ages by Osborne saw her win the 100-meter dash in 14.28 seconds, the 200 in 29.87 seconds, the standing long jump with a mark of seven feet, 9 inches and the running long jump in 13-3 ¾.
She tied the meet record set by Hillcrest’s Jennifer Stolarz set in 1989 in the standing jump.
Osborne also won the pentathlon with a perfect score of 50 points, tying the girls’ meet record shared by Elsa Janney of Hillcrest in 2005 and Abbey Mellott of Margaret Leary in 2017. That, of course, is a record that cannot be broken.
Brayton Burleson of West took second in the pentathlon with 42 points. Anna Yates of Hillcrest took third with 30.
Ramsay’s Bentley DeTonacour won the boys’ pentathlon with 40 points. West’s JJ Hardy was second at 34, and Whittier’s Kale Alexander took third at 32.
Jace Graham of Hillcrest took home the Track MVP award, and Alexander won the boys’ field MVP honor. Osborne won those awards on the girls’ side, as well as the overall MVP.
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Bulldogs keep postseason hopes alive with white-knuckle victory in Dillon
Butte High evens record with third straight win
Butte High’s postseason hopes in baseball still have a pulse.
That comes after the Bulldogs went to Dillon to avenge an earlier loss with a 2-1 South Conference victory on Cubs Field at Ray Lynch Park.
The victory lifted Butte High to 8-8 on the season. While updated standings are hard to track down, the Bulldogs believe that their hopes of reaching a play-in game for the State tournament are still alive.
With three games, left, the Bulldogs will likely need to win all three, and possibly get some help. But there is apparently still a chance after the Bulldogs won their third straight game.
Senior third baseman Matthew Donaldson came through with a two-run single, scoring Will Stepan and Tegan Duffey to put the Bulldogs up 2-0 in the top of the third inning.
Thanks to some outstanding pitcher by Jaxon Williamson and Brooks Vincent, that hit stood up for the victory.
Williamson went five scoreless innings for the win. He gave up just two hits, struck out six and walked five. Vincent got the final six outs for the high-leverage save.
Andrew Bartlome hit a two-out single to bring in Taylor Handlos to cut the lead in half in the sixth. Trenton Moreni added a single moving Handlos to third, and Cohen Hartman worked a walk to load the bases.
But Vincent got Marcus Lagunas to pop out to Donaldson to end the threat. Vincent also stranded a runner in the bottom of the seventh.
Hartman and Will Hansen held Butte High to four hits, but that proved to be enough for the Bulldogs.
Karsen McEwen joined Stepan with a double, while Gunnar Bushman joined Duffy and Donaldson with a single. Donaldson also worked a pair of walks in the crucial win.
The Bulldogs will now have a little break before they pick up their schedule Monday with a game against Lone Peak, which will be the home team, a 3 Legends Stadium. Butte High will then host Missoula Sentinel for a Senior Day battle next Thursday. They close the regular season Saturday, May 17, in Livingston.
The victory over Dillon followed home wins over Lone Peak and Livingston Friday and Saturday. Butte beat Lone Peak 7-2 before walking off with a thrilling 5-4 win over the Rangers.
In Saturday’s thriller, the Rangers tied the game at 4 when a bad hop led to a run and an unfair blown save for Vincent in the seventh.
But Logan Carden led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and a stolen base. Tocher Lee then hustled down the line to beat out an infield single. His speed forced an errant through that allowed Carden to score the winning run.
The hit was the third of the game for Lee, though the boxscore kept by an app incorrectly called his third hit an error.
He was the only Bulldog batter with a hit against lefty freshman Carter Anderson. But Butte High took advantage of 10 walks, a hit by pitch and three errors.
Lucas Harris-Huerta walked three times, while McEwen and Carden each walked twice.
Vincent got the vulture win by getting one out.
That came after chase Lubick ran into the pitch count limit with two out in the top of the seventh. Lubick put in a yeoman effort, striking out three and working around seven hits and six walks.
A day earlier, Harris-Huerta struck out nine batters and went the distance in the win over Lone Peak. He scattered five hits, gave up two earned runs and walked one.
Harris-Huerta also singled and drove in two runs. Stepan tripled and Donaldson hit a double. Duffy, McEwen and Kodye Kjersten singled.
BC rally falls short of Big Horns
Butte Central rallied for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday at 3 Legends Stadium.
Unfortunately for the Maroons, that was not enough because Lone Peak put up a five spot in the top half of the inning. The result was an 11-8 win over the Maroons.
Sid Morris went 3 for 4 with two RBISs, while Ebe Grabow homered and doubled to lead the 13-hit Lone Peak attack.
Morris also pitched six innings, fanning seven and walking one to get the win.
The Maroons poked nine hits in the loss. Jack Nagle and Tony Stajcar each hit a double and a single to lead the Maroons.
Trapper Stajcar added two singles and four stolen bases, while Gunnar O’Brien, Kelon Keene and Treigh Hollow each added a single for BC.
That loss came after an up-and-down week that saw BC beat Dillon 5-4 on Thursday and lose to Belgrade 19-0 on Saturday. Both games were played at 3 Legends Stadium.
O’Brien pitched six and two thirds inning and Kelton Berger got the final out for the save as BC upset the Beavers on Thursday.
Colt Hassler doubled and drove in two runs, while Beau McGree and O’Brien each singled and registered an RBI. Trapper Stajcar also singled for BC.
Hartman struck out seven in the hard-luck loss for Dillon. Moreni hit a double and a single, while Hartman and Garrett Tackett each hit two singles.
Saturday’s game was one the Maroons would just as soon forget. Belgrade used 15 hits to do their damage. Chance Stephens doubled in a three-hit game to highlight the Belgrade attack. Brandt Turcotte also added three hits, while Andrew Hazen doubled and singled while knocking in four runs from the No. 9 hole.
Fay Wells-Minthron pitched the distance and struck out five in the game that was called by the run rule after four innings.
Trapper Stajcar accounted for both of BC’s hits. Both were singles, and Stajcar swiped two bags.
The Maroons will celebrate Senior Day when they take on Townsend Thursday at 3 p.m. at 3 Legends Stadium. BC then closes the season Friday at Lone Peak.
Beavers deny Central softball
The Dillon Beavers jumped out to a 7-0 lead and downed Bute Central 14-4 Tuesday in a Southwestern A softball game in Dillon.
Kylie Konen and Kinzy Creighton both hit home runs to lead the Dillon 12-hit attack in the win. Creighton went 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Konen also drove in three, as did Bailey Blake.
Tymber Barnes, who hit a triple and a double, pitched the distance, striking out eight in the win. The game was called after six innings by the run rule.
Braelynn Schelin hit a double and a single to lead the Maroons. Natalie Osterman added two ingles. Cambri Campbell, Kenzie McQueary and Sophia Gelling each added one.
The battle with Dillon came after BC went 1-1 in conference games Saturday in the Bitterroot Valley. BC fell 10-0 at Hamilton before bouncing back for an 18-10 win at Corvallis.
Schelin struck out 11 batters to get the win against Corvallis. She also hit two doubles, drove in two runs, scored two runs and swiped two bases.
Osterman hit a double and two singles, and McQueary added three singles. Campbell and Evyn Smith hit two singles, and Kodee Badovinac, Zayonna Otherbull and Stajcar each hit one. Osterman and Otherbull joined Schelin with two RBIs.
In the morning game, Mel Race held the Maroons to four hits as the Broncs won the game that was called by the run rule after five innings.
Marly Mansanti, who later left the game with an injury, tripled, and McQueary doubled. Schelin and Stajcar singled.
Central will play four games as it hosts the Laverne Combo Invitational Friday and Saturday at Stodden Park.
Howard one-hits Bulldogs
Butte High could not parlay Saturday’s Senior Day win over Missoula Hellgate into a winning streak Tuesday in Helena.
Instead, the Bulldogs ran into Faith Howard. The Helena High ace struck out 13 batters and held the Bulldogs to one hit as the Bengals topped Butte High 4-0.
Keira Campbell and Heidi Ricketts each poked two hits to lead the Bengal offensive, which took advantage of five Bulldog errors. None of the runs were scored against Butte High starter Ashlinn Mullaney were earned.
Mullaney pitched five innings, while eighth grader Brea Henderson, who picked up the in in the junior varsity game, pitched one.
Mullaney, who singled for Butte’s lone hit, struck out eight in the complete-game win on Saturday. She also helped her own cause with two doubles. Allie Becker also hit two doubles. She joined Madisyn Swanson with three RBIs.
Swanson, Kendallyn Schad, Gracie Jonart and Mattie Stepan singled in the win.
The Bulldogs broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the third inning.
Thursday in Missoula, the Bulldogs dropped a 6-4 decision to Sentinel
Sydney Goldbar homered and joined Kai Gillis with two RBIs in the win for the Spartans. Gillis doubled.
Reese Johnson smacked two hits and drove in three runs from the leadoff spot to lead the Bulldogs. Ferriter joined her with two hits. Both hit doubles. Stepan and Schad added singles for the Bulldogs.
Bute High will Thursday at Helena Capital before closing the regular season Saturday at Missoula Big Sky.
BC boys take second in Dillon
Butte Central’s track teams put up impressive performances Friday at the Dillon Invitational at Vigilante Field. (Results)
The Maroon boys took second in the 10-team meet, scoring 127.2 points. The host Beavers won with 138.4.
Central took fourth on the girls’ side with 34 points. Dillon dominated the meet, scoring 284 points for the win. Leadore, Idaho took second at 47, and Whitehall finished third at 42.
Senior Keefer McGree and sophomore Danny McCarthy both picked up a pair of victories to lead the Central boys in the meet.
McGree won both hurdles races, with BC freshman teammate Palmer Kellicut placing third in the 110 hurdles and second in the 300. McGree won the 110-meter hurdles in 16 seconds flat, once again eclipsing the qualifying standard for the Class A State meet. He won the 300 hurdles in 42.5 seconds.
McCarthy picked up wins in the 100- and 200-meter races. He won the 100 in 11.4 seconds, edging BC senior Patrick Stimatz, who finished in 11.6 seconds. McCarthy then won the 200 in 24 seconds flat. Junior Will McGree picked up a victory for the Maroons. He jumped 35 feet, 9 inches to claim the triple jump title. He also took fourth in the javelin.
Senior Justus McGree won the long jump with a leap of 19-7 ¼. He took third in the high jump.
Central also swept the relay titles. Keefer McGree, Stimatz, Kellicut and McGee ran the short relay, while Will McGree, Grady Button, Berkley Lakkala and Teghan Sparks ran the long relay.
Senior Michael Peck took fourth in the shot put and discus. Maroon sophomore Ayden Abraham scored points for BC by placing sixth in the 100 and 200.
The Tippett sisters had a big day to lead the BC girls.
Eighth grader Evyn Tippett placed second in the 200 and third in the 100. Junior Caden Tippet took second in the shot put with a personal record of 31-3.
Junior Lexa Thompson placed fourth in the 1,600, while classmate Nicolina Galindo took fifth in the 800 and 1,600. Junior Morgan Hardy placed sixth in the 800, and classmate Molly Peck took sixth in the discus.
The Maroons will compete at a meet in Livingston on Saturday. That will be the final tune up before the May 16-17 Western A Divisional meet in Polson.
Dogs pick up wins against Big Sky
Team scores were not kept Thursday as the Butte High Bulldogs sent a big team to Missoula for a dual meet with Big Sky. (Results)
Butte High, though, returned with eight first-place finishes in their lone meet of the week.
Five of those titles were posted by Bulldog girls, with freshman Berkli Salusso, eighth grader Sophia Houchin, and seniors Mylee Demarais, Catherine Sholey and Brityn Stewart all putting up wins.
Salusso won the 400 meters with a personal-record time of 1 minute, 11.29 seconds. Houchin also put up a PR to win the 1,600 in 5:44.69.
Demaris won the shot put in 29 feet, 6 inches, Sholey took the discus with a PR of 92-10, and Stewart won the Javelin in 115. Sholey also put up a PR of 94-4 to take second in the javelin.
Butte High got second-place showings from Dylann Bartoletti (100), Milee Stillwagon (1,600), Cadence Graham (300 hurdles) and Emma Johnson (discus).
Graham reached the qualifying standard in the 300 hurdles with a personal-record time of 48.22 seconds.
Saege Grey (100) and Wakely Burleson (200) placed third for the Bulldogs.
On the boys’ side, seniors Dylan “Bobby” Bache and Brett Polich posted wins, as did junior Camden Houchin. All three reached qualifying marks.
Bache popped off a personal-best jump of 21 feet, 3 ½ inches to win the long jump. Houchin won the 800 with a PR of 1:59.45.
Polich didn’t reach a PR, but he again passed the standard with a mark of 48-10 in to win the shot put.
Junior Jacob Galle posted two PRs to take second in both hurdles races, while classmate Ryan Hanson took second in the high jump and long jump. He placed fourth in the triple jump.
Senior Sam Sampson ran to second in the 100 and 200.
Junior Blaire Hamry (3,200) and sophomore Jaeger Hansen (javelin) also placed second for Butte High. Hansen posted a personal record in 146-7.
Charles Killebrew (800), Matthew Marsenich (long jump), Tyler Olson (pole vault) and Preston Jensen (200) placed third. Jensen also took fourth in the 100.
The Bulldogs will head to Belgrade on Friday before hosting the Western AA Divisional meet May 16-17 at the Charlie Merrifield Track.
Vigilantes edge Maroons on court
East Helena topped Butte Central Thursday in a dual meet at Stodden Park.
The Vigilantes won eight of the 12 matches that were played on the day. East Helena’s boys turned back the Maroons 5-3, while the Vigilante girls won 3-1.
Owen McPartland and Aidan McPartland picked up straight-sets wins for the Maroons in singles. Owen McPartland also teamed with Jim Bradshaw for a straight-sets victory in doubles competition.
Central’s girls a thrilling doubles win from Presli Smith and Logan LeProwse. They edged Emma Stanley and Abby Daum in a 3-6, 6-2 (10-6) battle.
The Maroons were scheduled to play host to Stevensville Saturday at Stodden, but results from those matches have not yet been submitted.
BC will play at the Fergus Invitational Friday in Lewistown.
BOYS
East Helena 5, Butte Central 3
Singles
Owen McPartland, BC, def. Walker Young, E. Helena 6-2, 6-2
Dylan Burkarl, E. Helena, def Jim Bradshaw 6-0, 6-2
Aidan McPartland, BC, def. Gabe Ruth 6-4, 6-1
Gabe Ruth, E. Helena, def. Emmitt Foley
Ali Makhometov, E. Helena, def. Karter Lindau
Doubles
Jim Bradshaw/Owen McPartland, BC, def. Cory Ryman/Kourtland Smith 6-4, 6-4
Damon Young/Gene Cardwell, E. Helena, def. Aidan McPartland/Connor Hardy 6-1, 3-6 (10-8)
Ali Makhometor/Gene Cardwell, E. Helena def. James Holmes/Conan Holmes 4-6, 6-1 (10-7)GIRLS
East Helena 3, Butte Central 1
Singles
Taylor Hadley, E. Helena, def. Presli Smith 6-1, 6-0
Dempsey Hadley, E. Helena, def. Mackenzie Cupp 6-0, 6-4
Doubles
Presli Smith/Logan LeProwse, BC, def. Emma Stanley/Abby Daum 3-6, 6-2 (10-6)
Jordan Mungel/Brooke Hauer, E. Helena, def. Mackenzie Cupp/Sloan Peterson 6-1, 6-0Eagles sweep Bulldogs at Stodden
Missoula Big Sky walked away with a sweep of Butte High’s tennis teams Tuesday at Stodden Park.
The Eagles won 6-2 on the boys’ side and 5-3 in girls’ play.
Bryce Gratton grabbed a straight-sets win for the Bulldogs at No. 4 doubles The other Bulldog boys’ win came from James Pearston and Max Pearston, who won a 7-6, 7-6 battle over Austin Anderson and Oliver Green.
In girls’ play, Murphy Sullivan picked up an impressive straight-sets win at No. 1 singles. Carliegh Donaldson did the same at No. 3. Butte also got a tiebreaker victory from Allissa Pennock at No. 4 singles.
Tuesday’s action came after a solid day for the Bulldogs Saturday in Missoula. Butte High fell 7-1 and 8-0 to Kalispell Glacier. Butte’s boys, though knocked off Kalispell Flathead 6-2, while the Bulldog girls played the Bravettes to a 4-all tie.
Against the Braves, Butte’s boys got wins from Tashi Hanley and Gratton in singles. Cole Skeel and Jason Johns teamed to grab a doubles win, as did Drew Hanson and Jaxon Jonart.
Butte High also got a pair of forfeit wins. Those went to the doubles team of Hunter LaPier and Kanyon Flynn and the team Pearston and Pearston.
Matthew Weldon picked up a No. 2 singles win for the Bulldogs’ lone victory against Glacier.
Murphy Sullivan’s 6-1, 4-6, 10-8 win over Azalea Bailey at No. 1 singles highlighted Butte High’s tie with Flathead.
Hallie Vanderlind won in straight sets at No. 3 singles, and Pennock won at No. 4. Ayva Gerry and Renna Hubber won a No. 3 doubles match.
Butte High has three more home dates before heading to the divisional tournament May 16-17 in Missoula. The Bulldogs play at home on Thursday and Saturday before taking on Butte Central on Monday.
BOYS
Butte High 6, Kalispell Flathead 2
Singles
Holden Askvig, Flathead, def. Josh Schrader 6-1, 6-2
Rowen Alexander, Flathead, def. Matthew Weldon 6-2, 6-3
Tashi Hanley, Butte, def. Badge Busse 6-0, 6-0
Bryce Gratton, Butte, def. Storm Lister 6-0, 5-1 (medical forfeit)
Doubles
Cole Skeel/Jason Johns, Butte, def. Aiden Skees/Frias Bailey 6-3, 6-1
Drew Hanson/Jaxon Jonart, Butte, def. Joel Jones/Kolbe Ghetkiere 6-3, 6-1
Hunter LaPier/Kanyon Flynn, Butte, won by forfeit
James Pearston/Max Pearston, Butte, won by forfeitKalispell Glacier 7, Butte High 1
Singles
Creed Norick, Glacier, def. Shrader 6-1, 6-0
Weldon, Butte, def. Aiden Lamb 6-0, 6-1
Gavin Rodriguez, Glacier, def. Hanley 6-3, 7-5
Weston Heller, Glacier, def. Philip Russo 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
Carl Bitney/Sam Engellant, Glacier, def. Skeel/Johns 6-2, 6-4
Dalyn Mathison/Brouden Jenkinson, Glacier, def. LaPier/Flynn 6-2, 6-1
Ethan Ronngren/Micah Klippenstein, Glacier, def. Pearston/Pearson 6-1, 6-1
Karson Stafford/A.J. Zlagar, Glacier, def. Miles Gasser/Matthew Lockmer 6-1, 6-0Missoula Big Sky 6, Butte High 2
Singles
Brody McGinnis, Big Sky, def. Schrader 6-1, 6-0
Liam B., Big Sky, def. Weldon 6-1, 6-2
Jace Meyer, Big Sky, def. Hanley 6-2, 6-1
Gratton, Butte, def. Derek Johnson 6-2, 6-3
Doubles
Colter Jensen/Eli Farley, Big Sky, def. Skeel/Johns 6-3, 6-0
Will V./Isaiah Reed, Big Sky, def. Lockmer/Mason Johnson 6-1, 6-0
Adrion Tribole/Jax Holloway, Big Sky, def. LaPier/Flynn 6-0, 6-3
Pearston/Pearston, Butte, def. Austin Anderson/Oliver Green 7-6, 7-6GIRLS
Butte High 4, Kalispell Flathead 4
Singles
Murphy Sullivan, Butte, def. Azalea Bailey 6-1, 4-6, 10-8
Allie Goff, Flathead, def. Rachel Law 6-1, 6-2
Hallie Vanderlinde, Butte, def. Piper McEwlin 6-4, 6-0
Allissa Pennock, Butte, def. Illyadssua Ba 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
Sara Loren/Nina Paris, Flathead, def. Chloe Jewell/Sienna Bradley
Sienna Blamhard/Hazel Bridge, Flathead, def. Aubbrie llmendinger/Isabella Babb6-1, 7-5
Ayva Gerry/Renna Hubber, Butte, def. Ava Malmin/Norah Adonetti 6-2, 6-2
Piper McEwlin/Breanna Martinez, Flathead def. Jordyn Yelenich/Emily Allred 6-0, 6-2Kalispell Glacier 8, Butte High 0
Singles
Leiloni Lennarz, Glacier, def. Sullivan 6-3, 6-0
Autumn Bashara, Glacier, def. Law 6-0, 6-1
Emilee Lister, Glacier, def. Allissa Pennock 6-0, 6-2
Lindsey Lemler, Glacier, def. Dankia Smith 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
Claire Ennis/Miley Fritz, Glacier, def. Jewell/Bradley 6-2, 6-4
Quinn Berkram/Red Sanders, Glacier, def. Gerry/Emily Allred 6-1, 6-1
Avery Bender/Bella Laseala, Glacier, def. McKenzie Reed/Rory Trafford 6-1, 6-3
Clara Narick/Amelia Bender, Glacier, def. Yelenich/Hubber 6-1, 6-3Missoula Big Sky 5, Butte High 3
Singles
Sullivan, Butte, def. Lauren Donovan 6-5, 7-5
Brynn Winward, Big Sky, def. Wanderlinde 6-2, 6-1
Carliegh Donaldson, Butte, def. Brooke Wiswell 6-2, 7-6
Pennock, Butte, def Claire Hyllon 6-3 5-7, 6-0
Doubles
Katie Williams/Chloe Dosier, Big Sky, def. Jewell/Bradley 6-0, 6-1
Nevaeh Beard/Maya Halter, Big Sky, def. Allmendinger/Babb 6-0, 6-1
Finynci Kellum/Brett Whitmore, Big Sky, def. Gerry/Hubber 3-7, 6-1, 7-4
Liv Stocker/Paylin Morina, Big Sky, def. Yelenich/Allred 6-2, 6-1 -
Their fight should not be a lonely one
Sid DeBarathy seemed tired as he stood on the sidewalk outside the Butte School District Administration Building Monday morning.
Along with my cousin, Mike Foley, Sid had just presented in front of a committee of school board members about a complaint the two filed because they do not think the female athletes at Butte High are getting a fair shake. It has been a battle that Sid and Mike have been waging for more than two decades now, and they have been vilified for their efforts for the girls.
“It’s been a lonely fight,” Sid said as he talked about the issue and the years and years of battling, mainly over the subpar softball fields at Stodden Park.
That might be the saddest part of this whole sad deal. Sid and Mike have been the only ones doing the fighting, and their daughters are decades removed from playing softball.
They are fighting for your daughters, and this should be a fight that is joined by hundreds, if not thousands.
Some people in the school district and in the Butte-Silver Bow County government seem to think this is not a big issue. They think the girls are treated just fine.
Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher, somehow with a straight face, has repeatedly called Stodden Park the best softball facility in the state. He does not see any problem with our girls playing on fields that make the complex in Anaconda look like Dodger Stadium.
Anaconda’s fields were built for fast-pitch softball. Ours were not.
Collectively, the reality deniers in the school district and county are fine with the boys having a baseball facility at Copper Mountain Park that is light years ahead of the one the girls use about a mile away.
In doing so, they are playing with fire. Instead of vilifying the two men who brought the issue to their attention, they should be thanking them.
If this issue goes beyond the district, the district is going to lose, and it is going to lose big. The district is fighting a battle it cannot possibly win. The girls have the law and precedent on their side. The school district does not.
In July of 1990, the district announced that it would add softball for the 1991 season. That came after the Montana High School Association told Butte High officials that its sports programs favored boys over girls.
In 1990, only Butte High and Flathead High in Kalispell did not have girls’ fast-pitch softball.
Butte High officials responded, and they said the girls would play on fields just south of the school. Bill Brown, who was then the school’s activities director, told The Montana Standard that the fields were already “being built.”
“Thirty-four years later, they are still not there,” DeBarathy told the school board members Monday. “That is now a boys’ football practice field.”
Mike put together a football analogy to describe the inequity between the boys and girls. When the district and county poured money into the fields in 2013, Mike said that qualified as a “touchdown” for the girls.
That TD brought score to 262-7 in favor of the boys, Mike said.
Over the decades, the school built Naranche Stadium for the boys. Then it built the football stadium at East Middle School. Then it built Naranche Stadium again, and again for the boys.
The district also built a wrestling room for the boys.
Also, a few years ago, the county built the $2.5 million 3 Legends Stadium, thanks to some help form the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation and NorthWestern Energy, among others. Two years ago, that stadium also became the home of the Butte High boys’ baseball team.
Mike pointed out that the district has never built a facility specifically for the girls.
This fight being waged by Sid and Mike is not about taking away from the boys, as some want to paint it. They praise the district for letting the boys play in 3 Legends Stadium — instead of the Senior Little League Field that sits 100 or so yards away at the same park.
Some districts around the state are putting their boys on subpar baseball fields to try to protect themselves from Title IX complaints.
“They could have put them on a lower-level field that is still better than Stodden,” Mike said, referring to putting the boys on Field 4 at Copper Mountain Park. “They put them in the best, and they should have. This is Butte, Montana; we should have the best.”
But 3 Legends Stadium is still a major score for the boys
Yes, money was put into Stodden as a promise to settle a Title IX complaint in 2013. But should that even count if the county completely botched the job?
No, of course it should not.
The infields at Stodden today more resemble a sand trap or a long jump pit than they do a softball field. They are a civic embarrassment.
Some players filled out questionnaires about the fields in 2013. Here are some of the things they wrote about the fields:
“Too soft.”
“Not a real field.”
“Worst field I have ever played on.”
Sorry, but the district should not get partial credit for doing the job so very wrong. You do not get points for bombing a test. So, the score should still be 262-0.
When you compare the dugouts, seating and batting cages, the difference just grows in favor of the boys. When you factor in safety, it is game over.
In 2019, an adult softball player split his head open when he hit a bolt in the fence when diving to try to catch a foul ball. Instead of paying his medical bills like the player asked, the county fought like hell to avoid giving him a dime.
They blamed the player and even, get this, the umpire for the injuries, all while acknowledging in depositions that the county did not — and still does not — have safety standards in place.
“It didn’t go well for (the player),” Mike said. “It’s not going to go well for any girl (who gets hurt). The city fought this tooth-and-nail, and it went to a jury trial, which is ridiculous. (The player) was hurt more by the court case than the injury.”
Mike pointed out that he was not taking any shots at the hard-working men who take care of those fields.
“They work their rear ends off,” he said. “They do the very best they can. They have no manual, and the people who should be following the manual aren’t.
“That bolt (that injured the player) would be hard to see,” Mike said. “But the damage to the backstops is there for everyone to see. Sid and I have been taking pictures since 2011. The same damage is still there.”
The school board members present — Henry Klobucar, Tom Billteen and Mike Kujawa — seemed receptive to Sid and Mike’s presentation, which was limited to 40 minutes. Hopefully, Superintendent Judy Jonart, who rejected the complaint filed by Mike and Sid in October, and the rest of the board will also be open minded when the issue goes before the full board later this month or next month.
The board meets at the East Middle School Library at 5 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. Billteen, who chaired the meeting, said he was not sure which month it would be on the agenda.
When it is, we all need to speak up for the girls. This is the 35th year that our softball teams have had to play on subpar fields, and that is enough.
If you have a daughter who plays, step up and speak at the meeting. If you played or coached for the Bulldogs, stand up so maybe the young girls will have it better. If you do not have a Bulldog in the fight, but you believe in fairness, then the board should hear from you, too.
Tell the district that what Sid and Mike are saying about the fields is true. Demand that the district follow through with the promise that it made to the girls in 1990.
Together, let’s show Sid and Mike that their fight is not really a lonely one.
— Bill Foley, who is also too soft, 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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Podcast No. 262: Jeff LeProwse
If there is ever a fourth legend added to the cathedral that is 3 Legends Stadium, it will be Jeff LeProwse.
It is safe to say that without Jeff, American Legion Baseball would not exist in the Mining City. At least it wouldn’t in its current form.
Jeff coached the Butte Miners from 2012 through 2021, and that era will go down as the most important stretch in program history. The Miners down to 11 players by the end of his first season as coach. Then, the team lost its home at Montana Tech’s Alumni Coliseum before his second year at the helm.
While folding the program was on the table, there was no way to agree to that. Jeff said his players would play on a parking lot if it meant playing baseball.
So, the Butte Miners played on Copper Mountain Park’s Field 4, which is a Senior Little League field, for four years. Some of that time, they were a team without a conference because they did not exactly get a lifeline from some of the others Legion programs around the state.
But they were still a team.
Thanks in large part to a ton of work by Jeff, the Miners opened Miners Feld at 3 Legends Stadium in 2017, and the program grew. Eventually, the program brought back the Muckers. Today, the Legion program in Butte is so big that it has three teams — the Miners, Muckers and Motormen.
After the 2021 season, Jeff stepped down as head coach of the Miners, even though his team came within one game of the Class A State tournament two years in a row. But he stayed on as president of the board, and he handed the team to his older brother, Jim.
Of course, we all know what happened next. The Miners went on a magical run that saw them win their first state championship in 69 years. The went on to win the Northwest Class A Regional title.
This Legion season, Jeff is returning to the field, this time as an assistant coach to his brother. He is still planning to maintain his role as president, though that needs to be voted on first.
So, in addition to trying to keep Jimmy’s squeeze bunts to a minimum, Jeff will still have to work on keeping the program going strong. That includes raising funds.
That is where Friday’s Bingo Night comes in. Play for the fundraising event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Cost is $25 Bingo pack includes 10 games, three cards per game. That also comes with 10 tickets for drawings. Players must be 18 or older.
Tons of great prizes are just waiting to be win.
Listen in to this podcast as we talk about his high school nickname, Frenchy, which unfortunately isn’t as prevalent as it used to be. Listen as we talk about how he played one season at football at Butte Central, and he parlayed that into a berth in the Montana East-West Shrine Game and an offer to play at Montana Western.
Listen as he talks about his year playing for the Bulldogs, and how he finished his degree at Montana Tech, while working a job and taking care of his children.
Listen in as he talks about his years with the Miners, handing over a title team to his brother and getting back onto the field.
Listen as he talks about Bingo Night.
Today’s podcast is presented by Thriftway Super Stops. Download the TLC app and start saving today.
