Maroon Hoopers Start the Season off Strong

Butte Central’s basketball teams opened the season with an eventful weekend, as the boys rolled to a 2–0 start while the girls battled through a tough early test against quality opponents. Both squads left the Frenchtown Tip-Off and Classic with a clearer identity and a better sense of what it will take to compete over the long haul.

Boys open with perfect weekend

The Maroons boys tipped off their season with a strong 67–55 win over Browning on Friday, controlling the game with a balanced offense and timely stops on the defensive end. Joshua Sutton sparked the attack with a big scoring night, while teammates like Jaxon Hiatt and GG Fantini chipped in key buckets to help Central pull away after halftime.

On Saturday, Butte Central backed up their opener with a 60–52 victory over Columbia Falls to close out the weekend at 2–0. Once again, multiple players found their way into double figures, and the Maroons dictated the tempo, answering every Columbia Falls run to finish off a convincing first statement of the season.

Girls grind through early challenges

The Butte Central girls drew a difficult opening assignment, facing Browning in Friday’s game at the Frenchtown Tip-Off. Although the Maroons came up short in a 52–38 loss, they showed stretches of tough defense, hustle on the glass, and unselfish ball movement that coaches can build on.

Saturday brought another challenging matchup at the Frenchtown Classic, where the girls again ran into a talented opponent and fell in their second outing of the weekend. Despite the final scores, the two-game stretch gave a young group valuable varsity minutes and highlighted key areas of focus, especially rebounding and ball security.

Early tone for the season

For the boys, a perfect weekend offers a real confidence boost and early proof that their depth and inside-out style can hold up against strong nonconference competition. The 2–0 start now flows into an important December stretch that will bring big games at home and at larger venues in Butte, giving the Maroons a chance to keep building momentum.​

For the girls, opening the season against tournament-caliber opponents should pay dividends as they move closer to conference play. With the first weekend now behind them, the focus shifts to tightening execution, growing more comfortable in new roles, and getting ready to show the home crowd how much they have already learned.

Go Maroons