Bulldogs, Maroons clash Friday Night in City Championship Basketball Doubleheader

Mining City basketball fans will be getting an early Christmas present Friday night at the Butte Civic Center as the Butte High Bulldogs take on the Butte Central Maroons for Mining City bragging rights in a girls/boys doubleheader.

The girls will get things started at 6pm as Bulldog coach Bryan Artnson's squad looks to rebound after suffering their first loss of the young season last Saturday to the Dillon Beavers.  The Dogs come into the game with wins over Belgrade and Bozeman.  Butte Central is led by second-year head coach Quinn Carter and are looking for their first win of the young season after blowout losses to Fergus, Browning, Park and Polson and losses to East Helena and Ronan that could just as easily have gone the other way.  Possible starters for the Bulldogs are 5'7 junior Dylann Bartoletti, 5'5 freshman Cadence Graham and 5'6 senior Taylor Drakos at guards with 5'9 junior Brityn Stewart and 5'9 junior Ashlinn Mullaney up front.  The Maroons are expected to counter with 5'7 senior Kathryn Lalicker, 5'7 senior Ali Stajcar and 5'7 8th-grader Kenzie McQueary at guards with 5'10 senior Mollie Drew and 5'9 sophomore Arika Stajcar at forwards.

On the boys' side, the Maroons come into the game red-hot, starting the season with a perfect 6-0 record in what many believed was a rebuilding year after capturing third place at State last year and winning it all the year before.  The Maroons have so far posted convincing wins over East Helena, defending champion Fergus, Browning, Park, Polson and Ronan.  Coach Brodie Kelly is expected to send out 6'5 senior Zane Moodry and 6'2 senior Jack Keeley at forwards with the youthful contingent of 5'11 freshman Joshua Sutton, 5'10 sophomore Ryan Peoples and 5'11 junior Owen McPartland at guards.  Butte High is led by head coach Matt Luedtke and comes into the game with a 1-2 record with a win over Belgrade and losses to Bozeman and Dillon.  Butte High's possible starters are 5'8 junior Tocher Lee and 6'2 sophomore Hudson Luedtke at guards with 6'1 junior Dylan "Bobby" Bache, 6'3 senior Ruesso Batterman and 6'5 senior Bo Demarais up front.  The boys are expected to tip-off around 7:30pm