(Corrected)
Butte High’s Senior Day Saturday seemed reflective of season for the game, but underexperienced underclass-laden Bulldog flag football roster.
The Bulldogs fell 7-2 to East Helena at Naranche Stadium, another close one without the exultation of victory for an enthusiastic team. The Bulldogs won a game recently as frustration never seemed to set in the players this regular season, more of a determination to make the next time out better.
The Butte High girls endured a little more disappointment when two thought-to-be touchdowns were ruled not to be – one called back by an illegal block penalty and the other marked short of the goal line on a pass play.
First-year head coach John Stenson stayed upbeat and took the positive message to the girls. The Bulldogs are now 0-0 with a clean slate as they get ready to head to Hamilton for the state tournament slated for Wednesday through Saturday. They will face three-time reigning state champion Kalispell Glacier – in the 4 p.m. first-round game.
Stenson reminded the Butte girls that the upset is possible as the team huddled on the field after the regular-season finale.
It was the last high school game for team seniors Allie Ballensky, Megan Flanick, Charlee Griner, Laney Huizinga and McKenna LeCoure. The freshmen had the seniors outnumbered 11-5 on the roster, providing optimism for the Bulldogs – the multiple younger players having learned from the core of seniors.
“It’s been awesome,” Stenson said about the season. “We’re learning, growing and playing pretty good ball at the end. I’m proud of them.
“If we could find the end zone, we could’ve won every game.”
The defense has been pretty good. The 7-2 loss came on the heels of an 18-16 loss and the Bulldogs played a busy schedule, sometimes three or four games a week.
“This is all new for everybody,” Stenson said. “The future is bright and we had a good season from the coaches, players and parents and in getting all the support.”
Huizinga, Kynslee Wrampe and sophomore Chyanne Robinson all came up with interceptions and Wrrampe’s nearly resulted in what would’ve been a winning touchdown for the Bulldogs. The illegal block ruling on her return, however, wiped it out.
The only touchdown in the game was a 40-yard run by East Helena’s Ellie Silvonen. Quarterback Chloe Copenhaver’s extra-point pass to Keely Hamilton gave the Vigilantes a 7-0 lead in the third quarter.
While the Butte High defense thwarted the East Helena air attack most of the game, the Vigilantes returned the favor with four interceptions of its own – the picks coming from Stu Rogers, Silvonen, Hamilton and Mia Nelson.
Butte High broke onto the scoreboard in the fourth quarter when Brooke Johnson snared a Vigilante ballcarrier’s flag in the end zone for a safety.
The game finished a 12-game regular season for the Bulldogs.
— by Bruce Sayler for buttesports.com
