BOBCAT CALENDAR: The Bobcats Cruised to an Easy Win Over Centerville Club From Butte in Gatton Field's First Game
9/20/2020 5:10:00 PM | Football
Centerville was one of several independent club teams the Bobcats - and many college squads - played before World War II
September 20
SPOTLIGHT: Scrolling though the list of opponents the Cats have faced on this day in history brings a lot of familiarity - Eastern Washington was the most recent of a string of opponents that also includes Oregon of the Pac 12, current league rival but then off-and-on non-league foe Cal Poly, Idaho State, Nevada, both North Dakota schools.
The most unusual to contemporary eyes, though, was the first - the Centerville club team from Butte. From its first game as a college football program against Butte High in 1897 until a game against the Englewood team from Butte in 1934, Montana State played 11 games against high school opponents and 18 against independent teams from locales throughout the state.The second-to-last of those fell on this day in 1930, when the Bobcats beat Centerville of Butte 38-0 in the first game ever played on new, permanent Gatton Field.
Bobcat coach Schubert Dyche was able to play 41 men in the contest, with the reserves getting most of the snaps in the second half. Fred Keenan and Cheever scored first half touchdowns - Max Worthington converted one of the two PATs - to give the Bobcats all the cushion they'd need. Worthington and "Fat" DeFrate drew praise from Dyche for their leadership, with DeFrate's shining on the last series of the day. Playing with 10 freshmen, DeFrate "organized them so well that they made a hole in the line through which (DeFrate) made a touchdown."
Montana State's standout lineman Vic O'Leary saw several familiar faces across the line of scrimmage, according to The Exponent, but it didn't slow him down. "O'Leary proved to be the one Irishman that ten other Irishmen and O'Leary's cousin (on the Centerville team) couldn't stop."
One of the reserves who drew the attention of The Exponent was Ray Buzzetti, who made his gridiron debut. "R. Buzzetti, famous Bobcat basketball guard, made his first and at the same time one of the best tackles of the day."
In the Western U.S., independent club teams emerged as important scheduling partners during an era when teams often traveled by train. Most of Montana State's club opponents in the first four decades of the program's history came from the Butte area - Broadway Athletic Club, Butte Athletic Club, the Columbias, Centerville, Englewood, the Anaonda Anodes, the Anaconda Independents all hail from the Mining City region. And that is in addition to games against the Butte Business College and Butte High.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2014 - Eastern Washington 52, MSU 51
2003 - at Cal Poly 24, MSU 21
1997 - at Southwest Texas 28, MSU 26
1986 - MSU 50, Idaho St 27
1980 - Nevada 24, MSU 12
1975 - at North Dakota State 13, MSU 6
1969 - MSU 36, North Dakota 16
1958 - MSU 15, at North Dakota 8
1947 - at Oregon 27, MSU 14
1940 - MSU 12, Western State 0
1930 - MSU 38, at Centerville 0
SPOTLIGHT: Scrolling though the list of opponents the Cats have faced on this day in history brings a lot of familiarity - Eastern Washington was the most recent of a string of opponents that also includes Oregon of the Pac 12, current league rival but then off-and-on non-league foe Cal Poly, Idaho State, Nevada, both North Dakota schools.
The most unusual to contemporary eyes, though, was the first - the Centerville club team from Butte. From its first game as a college football program against Butte High in 1897 until a game against the Englewood team from Butte in 1934, Montana State played 11 games against high school opponents and 18 against independent teams from locales throughout the state.The second-to-last of those fell on this day in 1930, when the Bobcats beat Centerville of Butte 38-0 in the first game ever played on new, permanent Gatton Field.
Bobcat coach Schubert Dyche was able to play 41 men in the contest, with the reserves getting most of the snaps in the second half. Fred Keenan and Cheever scored first half touchdowns - Max Worthington converted one of the two PATs - to give the Bobcats all the cushion they'd need. Worthington and "Fat" DeFrate drew praise from Dyche for their leadership, with DeFrate's shining on the last series of the day. Playing with 10 freshmen, DeFrate "organized them so well that they made a hole in the line through which (DeFrate) made a touchdown."
Montana State's standout lineman Vic O'Leary saw several familiar faces across the line of scrimmage, according to The Exponent, but it didn't slow him down. "O'Leary proved to be the one Irishman that ten other Irishmen and O'Leary's cousin (on the Centerville team) couldn't stop."
One of the reserves who drew the attention of The Exponent was Ray Buzzetti, who made his gridiron debut. "R. Buzzetti, famous Bobcat basketball guard, made his first and at the same time one of the best tackles of the day."
In the Western U.S., independent club teams emerged as important scheduling partners during an era when teams often traveled by train. Most of Montana State's club opponents in the first four decades of the program's history came from the Butte area - Broadway Athletic Club, Butte Athletic Club, the Columbias, Centerville, Englewood, the Anaonda Anodes, the Anaconda Independents all hail from the Mining City region. And that is in addition to games against the Butte Business College and Butte High.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2014 - Eastern Washington 52, MSU 51
2003 - at Cal Poly 24, MSU 21
1997 - at Southwest Texas 28, MSU 26
1986 - MSU 50, Idaho St 27
1980 - Nevada 24, MSU 12
1975 - at North Dakota State 13, MSU 6
1969 - MSU 36, North Dakota 16
1958 - MSU 15, at North Dakota 8
1947 - at Oregon 27, MSU 14
1940 - MSU 12, Western State 0
1930 - MSU 38, at Centerville 0
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