Note — The following is a corrected and updated report from one previously posted.
By Bruce Sayler
Some nights are just good, some players, too, on those nights.
Senior GG Fantini was announced as Homecoming King Friday night between halves of scoring four touchdowns in a 54-0 blowout victory for Butte Central over Ronan in a Class A high school football game at Bob Green Field. Sophomore quarterback Noah Sutton punctuated the victory by throwing a Butte Central school-record six touchdowns.
The win put Butte Central in the win column after an 0-2 start to the season with the Maroons heading into an idle weekend next. Fantini ran for a 60-yard touchdown and caught six passes for 57 yards – including TD connections of 4, 4 and yards – in addition to picking off an interception (a touchdown, too, except for being called back on a penalty) and wearing the Homecoming crown.
Sutton tossed a 67-yard scoring link to his older brother, Joshua, a senior, and hit Henley Mansanti from four yards out of the end zone for his other TD throws on his record-setting night. The previous single-game mark of five touchdown passes for the Maroons was set by R.J. Olson against Browning in 1993 and matched by Brady Tippett against Corvallis in 2011.
Butte Central girls’ basketball, volleyball and track athlete Rylee Forbes was elected Homecoming Queen during Friday night’s celebration.
At 5-feet-10 inches, 180 pounds of quickness, speed and muscle, Fantini should be bursting upon the college recruiting charts. On a night like Friday, though, he was just having fun.
“It starts in the weight room and then with coaches and parents,” he said, dispelling the idea that his talent is just natural and instinctive darting, dodging and speeding away. “The coaches and parents pushing me – in my family, it’s genetics. And, then it’s teammates and friends and bros pushing me, getting me out of bed and to the weight room.”
He was carted off the field in Hardin last week after an injury that failed to sideline him much time at all. His 60-yard scoring dash and two TD pass receptions from sophomore Sutton made Ronan hurt.
Butte Central ripped onto the scoreboard 3 ½ minutes into the game while the first class of school Hall of Famers looked on from the stands. Sutton faked a handoff to a back crashing for the line, then lofted a toss downfield near the West sidelines and his brother Joshua gathered it in in-stride behind the Chiefs’ secondary and the Maroons had the lead for good.
After the BC defense forced the first of several Ronan three-and-outs, Fantini took a pitch from Noah Sutton on first down at his own 40-yard line and burned his way down the same West sideline. Jaxon Hiatt’s block downfield about three yards ahead of Fantini freed the speedster to complete the 60-yard TD dash.
“The offensive linemen and wide receivers get it open,” Fantini said of his favorite plays, the pitches and sweeps (“Get past and go!”). “I did hesitate once on the run tonight, slowed down for Jaxon to get the block. It was a great one.”
All suited Maroons played in the win and only reserves were on the field for the final quarter. The teams played the second half with a running clock after BC built a 40-0 halftime bulge.
“We really needed that tonight,” head coach Don Peoples Jr. said. “We played two tough games and the kids were riled up about being 0-and-2. I’m happy with how we responded and how we executed tonight.
“But, we have to clean up those penalties.”
Butte Central was penalized 10 times for 95 yards, many, though, when the backups were in the game.
The BC defense shined with 42 total yards allowed. The Maroons picked off two passes (Fantini and Burkley Lakkala) and recovered a muffed kickoff (Hiatt). Ronan completed just two passes and attained only two first downs.
Braydon Armstrong charted his first varsity TD on a 5-yard burrow in the waning moments. Sutton passed for 251 yards, going a sizzling 15-for-17 on his throws to seven different receivers.
“Noah gets better and better every game,” Peoples said. “I’m proud of our kids. The young kids came in and did the job, too.”
The Maroons will be off next weekend, then play at Corvallis to open their Southwestern A Conference season on September 25.
“It’s good we got this win going into our bye week,” the 38th-year head coach of the BC program said. “Our conference is going to be a gauntlet.”
Palmer Kellicut, twin ends Bobby and Danny McCarthy, Treigh Hollow, linebacker Gunnar O’Brien and lineman Jack Nylund were among the defensive stars in the unit’s shutout pitched against Ronan.
The Chiefs’ leaders included quarterback Gabe Lozeau with 19 yards passing and running back Layton Burland with 20 yards rushing.
Five seniors and 13 freshmen were among the 33 players on the Ronan roster.
Ronan 0 0 0 0 — 0
Butte Central 20 20 7 7 – 54
First Quarter
BC – Joshua Sutton 67 pass from Noah Sutton (Palmer Kellicut kick), 8:24.
BC – GG Fantini 60 run (kick failed), 6:07.
BC – Fantini 4 pass from N. Sutton(Kellicut kick), :33.
Second Quarter
BC – Fantini 17 pass from N. Sutton (Kellicut kick), 8:50.
BC—Henly Mansanti 34 pass from N. Sutton (Kellicut kick). 6:43.
BC – Mansanti 4 pass from N. Sutton (kick blocked), :20.
Third Quarter
BC – Fantini 12 pass from N. Sutton (Kellicut kick), 3:
Fourth Quarter
BC – Braydon Armstrong 5 run (Kellicut kick), 4:43.
Ron BC
First downs 2 19
Rushes-yards 22-23 30-128
Passes 2-5-2 15-17-0
Passing yards 19 251
Total offense 42 379
Return yards 0 14
Punts-avg. x-6-24.2 0-0
Fumbles-lost 3-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-24 10-9
x-includes blocked punt.
Individual Statistics
RUSHING – Ronan, Layton Burland 12-20, Austin Schall 2-16, Ethan Day 5-2, Diezel Jeppesen 1-1, Team 2-(-16). Butte Central, GG Fantini 1-60, Danny McCarthy 7-39, Blake Connors 1-16, Henly Mansanti 5-15, Braydon Armstrong 2-10, Mason McIntyre 1-5, Logan Bush 3-4, Noah Sutton 3-2, Team 6-(-23).
PASSING – Ronan, Gabe Lozeau 2-5-2-19. Butte Central, N. Sutton 14-516-0-239.
RECEIVING – Ronan, Day 1-14, Aiden Schall 1-5. Butte Central, J. Sutton 1-67, Fantini 6-57, Jaxon Hiatt 3-39, Mansanti 2-38, Connors 1-34, Grady Button 1-9, Treigh Hollow 1-7.
