BUTTE — The Butte Central football team is looking to put the 2018 season in the mirror in hopes of getting the program back on the right track in 2019.
“We’re excited about our season," said Maroon head coach Don Peoples. "We’ve got an outstanding group of senior kids who have been a big part of our program for all four years of high school, and they’ve been extremely hard-working and dedicated in the offseason.”
Hard work and dedication, those words are what the Butte Central football program is built on. For a team that has seen its fair share of struggles in recent years, Peoples never reflects on what would’ve or should’ve been. Instead, he focuses for the next season, and this year he’s got a whole lot to look forward to.
“I think the one thing that’s been really exciting about these kids is, they were all very good players as juniors, and they really got in a ton of work in the weight room," said Peoples. "So they’re bigger, more athletic kids this year, so that’s always exciting.”
Of course, players like Clay Fisher, Cade Holter and Seth Gardner are difficult to replace. But the seniors this year know full well, it’s their turn to step up.
“We reloaded pretty well this year, so I think it’ll be good to make a showcase for ourselves this year and prove for ourselves how good we can be," said quarterback Thomas McGree.
For a two-week span in January it seemed the future of Butte Central football was in jeopardy, but the decision not to co-op with Anaconda was something seniors like Aaron Richards stand by today.
“We just kind of realized we're us, we’re not going to get anyone else, so we realized we had to get people in from the school," Richards said. "They just came out and are really helping us, just number wise I think we’re up to 32 guys, which is really good for practice. That’s mostly what we need it for, was practice so we can get a scout look.”
And the Maroon offense will be directed by a familiar face. Butte Central alum Danny Peoples has taken over the role of offensive coordinator -- a father-and-son combo that brings a new look to the offense.
“He’s brought a new energy scheme to our offense, so we’re excited," said Don Peoples.
