BUTTE — Butte Central’s football season has been anything but easy. However, the Maroons find themselves one win away from a berth in the Class A playoffs, all while overcoming their fair share of obstacles along the way.
“We had to overcome some major injuries. And our kids have stuck together and our coaches have stuck together," said Maroon's head coach Don Peoples Jr. "We found a way to stay alive, you know, we’re inches away from being a playoff football team.
Keep in mind the Maroons first three games of the season were against Class A powerhouses Hamilton, Frenchtown and Dillon. But those losses served a purpose. After their loss to the Beavers, Butte Central would go on to win four of its next five games.
“We definitely knew going into the season that our first three games were going to be pretty tough," said senior quarterback Thomas McGree. "But I think that kind of set the bar for us. We knew we had to play at that level if we wanted to be successful.”
And go back to this past January. For a moment it appeared long time rival Anaconda and the Maroons we’re on the brink of forming a co-op. Butte Central opposed that idea and then went to work. And now the results are on full display. And behind it all were the seniors who gave a new meaning to playing the Maroon Way.
“They rallied together and kind of circled the wagons and made sure the team didn’t quit," Peoples adds. "So I really attribute the seniors for their leadership and determination.”
“We’re best friends off the field. I think that helps us out a lot, we’re all really close," says Maroon wide receiver Guido Ossello. "Great friends, we’ve all played together for nine years. So we have a pretty good bond on and off the field.”
Ossello, McGree and the rest of the Butte Central Maroons will hit the road for Friday’s contest with Columbia Falls. If the Maroons win, they’ll punch their ticket to the playoffs with the mindset that no one wants to play Butte Central in early November.
