BOZEMAN -- Butte's Arie Grey will lead the West team and Red Lodges' John Fitzgerald is the head coach of the East for the 2020 Montana East-West Shrine Game. And they have a similar connection to this game.
Both coaches played in the 1997 Shrine Game. Grey was an outgoing senior from Deer Lodge at the time and earned a selection to the West team. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald was named to the East team from his high school days at Columbus. Grey and the West team won the 1997 Shrine Game 21-17 over the East.
Then both played against each other in college as Grey went to Montana State and Fitzgerald played for the University of Montana. During their collegiate careers, Montana won all four Cat-Griz games (1997-2000).
Grey and Fitzgerald led their high school program's to new heights this season. Grey and the Bulldogs went undefeated throughout the regular season, suffering their only loss to Bozeman in the Class AA state championship game. Red Lodge was much of the same, as Fitzgerald and the Rams went 8-0 to win the Eastern B regular-season title before losing to Eureka in the Class B state semifinals.
The 74th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game will kick off July 18, 2020 in Billings.
