BUTTE — Butte Central will get its first taste of road football Friday night.
The Maroons head east to take on Hardin in a 7 p.m. nonconference matchup, with Central looking to bounce back after a difficult opening night.
Butte Central opened the 2026 season with a 26-8 loss to Lockwood on Bob Green Field. The loss put the Maroons at 0-1 after a season in which Central went 5-4 and returned to the Class A playoffs for the first time since 2019.
This year’s Central team has a different look, particularly behind center.
Sophomore Noah Sutton has taken over at quarterback following the graduation of Ryan Peoples, who is now playing at Montana Tech.
Sutton and a young Maroon group will get another early-season test Friday against a Hardin team coming off an impressive opener.
The Bulldogs started their season with a 44-0 victory over Stevensville and enter Friday night’s game at 1-0.
That makes the trip to Hardin an opportunity for Central to respond against a team that enters the week with some early momentum.
The Maroons are still working to establish an identity with a roster that looks considerably different from the group that broke through and reached the postseason last fall. Central entered the season with 37 players on its roster, including 10 seniors but just three juniors, putting several underclassmen into important roles.
For a program looking to make consecutive playoff appearances, these early nonconference games provide valuable experience before the Southwestern A portion of the schedule begins.
Friday will be Central’s second of three straight nonconference games to open the season.
After the trip to Hardin, the Maroons return to Butte next Friday to take on Ronan before getting a week off. Central opens conference play Sept. 25 on the road against Corvallis.
First, the Maroons will try to bring home their first victory of 2026.
Kickoff between Butte Central and Hardin is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday in Hardin.
