On a crisp fall night under the lights at Naranche Stadium, the Butte High Bulldogs picked the perfect time to rediscover their bite. The Dogs shut out defending state champion Helena Capital 17-0 on Senior Night, earning their first home win of the season and officially punching their ticket to the Class AA playoffs.
The first quarter saw both teams trade punts, and a muffed Butte High kick gave Capital prime field position deep in Bulldog territory. But the Dogs’ defense stood tall, forcing a fumble inside the red zone to keep the Bruins off the board. That stand seemed to light the spark Butte had been missing.
Senior Bradey Doyle put Butte on the board early in the second quarter with a 21-yard field goal, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 edge. Just minutes later, quarterback Raeder Grey connected with Kodye Kjersten for a 27-yard touchdown strike, and Doyle’s PAT made it 10-0 heading into halftime.
Grey and the Bulldogs put the finishing touches on the statement win late in the third, as the junior quarterback powered in from three yards out to make it 17-0.
Grey finished with 123 yards rushing on 28 carries and 85 yards passing, accounting for both of Butte’s touchdowns. Peyton Johnson added 73 yards on 19 carries, while Gunner Bushman chipped in 17 tough yards on the ground. Brady Walsh led the receivers with 45 yards on three grabs, followed by Kjersten’s 27 yards and a score.
On the defensive side, Hudson Luedtke led the charge with 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack, while Jaeger Hansen added eight stops. Bridger Brancamp had a sack and a tackle for loss, and Grady Foley and Max Pearlston each recorded sacks as well.
The Bulldogs outgained Capital 297-192 in total offense, held the Bruins to just 84 yards through the air, and dominated time of possession while controlling the game from start to finish.
This one was all heart. From the opening kick to the final whistle, the Bulldogs set the tone, protected their home turf for the first time all year, and sent their seniors out with a memory they’ll never forget — a shutout win over the defending champs and a ticket to the postseason.
Box Score
Helena Capital (0–0–0–0—0)
Butte High (0–10–7–0—17)
Scoring Summary
2Q – Bradey Doyle 21 FG (BHS 3–0)
2Q – Kodye Kjersten 27 pass from Raeder Grey (Doyle kick) (BHS 10–0)
3Q – Raeder Grey 3 run (Doyle kick) (BHS 17–0)
Team Statistics
Total Yards: Butte High 297, Capital 192
Passing: Butte High 85, Capital 84
Rushing: Butte High 212, Capital 108
Turnovers: Capital 2, Butte 0
Individual Leaders
Passing – Butte: Grey 8–14–85–1 TD
Rushing – Butte: Grey 28–123–TD; Johnson 19–73; Bushman 4–17
Receiving – Butte: Walsh 3–45; Kjersten 2–27–TD; Foley 1–8; Johnson 1–5
Defense – Luedtke 12 tackles (1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack); Hansen 8 tackles; Brancamp 1 sack; Foley 1 sack; Pearlston 1 sack.
