2 Lions are All-State Class B football

by Daily Inter Lake
| November 24, 2023 12:00 AM

Eureka had record-setting receiver Tristan Butts and two-way linemen Wes Banks selected to the All-State team, and two more Lions were first-team all-Western B football in voting by league coaches..

Besides Butts, who caught 37 passes for 1,002 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, and Banks, Eureka saw running back Caden Pecora and lineman Jonus Holm make first-team all-league in voting by Western B coaches.

Butts also was first-team at defensive back and Holm also was at linebacker.

The all-Western B squad was otherwise dominated by Florence. The Falcons, who became the first Class B program to win three straight state titles, had seven first-team picks on offense and six on defense.

Everyone who scored in the Falcons’ 21-14 overtime win over Manhattan in the championship — Drew Wagner (athlete), quarterback Mason Arlington and tight end Ethan Alexander — was first-team all-Western B on offense.

Alexander and Wagner were two of Florence’s five All-State picks.

Also making the All-State team was Thompson Falls defensive tackle and Boise State commit Hayden Hanks, and Loyola running back/linebacker and Montana Grizzlies commit Talen Reynolds.

Butts, Reynolds, Alexander and Hanks were All-State selections in 2022 as well.

Reynolds followed up his 1,690-yard 2022 season with 805 yards rushing this fall. His career rushing totals are 3,305 yards and 50 TDs.

Western B

OFFENSE

First Team

Quarterback Mason Arlington, jr., Florence

Running backs Talen Reynolds, sr., Loyola*

Caden Pecora, sr., Eureka

Receivers Tristan Butts, sr., Eureka*

Tyler Abbott, sr., Florence*

Tight end Ethan Alexander, sr., Florence*

Athlete Drew Wagner, jr., Florence*

Linemen Arie McLaughlin, jr., Florence*

Wes Banks, jr., Eureka*

Jonus Holm, sr., Eureka

Lance Burrows, sr., Florence

Jake Roth, sr., Florence

*-denotes All-State selection.

Second Team

Quarterback — AJ Truman, sr., Eureka

Running backs — Gabriel Hartsell-Miller, sr., Florence; Levi Winters, so., Florence.

Receivers — Ethan Stack, jr., Loyola; River Hurley, sr., Anaconda.

Tight end — Braden Casazza, sr., Eureka

Athlete — Taylor Jones, sr., Loyola

Linemen — Hayden Hanks, sr., Thompson Falls; Ben Kivela, sr., Florence; Joe Grunow, so., Loyola; Owen Felton, so., Loyola; Ethan Wock, jr., Whitehall.

DEFENSE

First Team

Backs Tyler Abbott, sr., Florence*

Tristan Butts, sr., Eureka*

Brody Duchien, so., Florence

Andrew Bacon, sr., Whitehall

Linebackers Harrison Shepp, sr., Florence*

Jonus Holm, sr., Eureka

Taylor Jones, sr., Loyola*

Max Hannum, sr., Thompson Falls

Linemen Hayden Hanks, sr., Thompson Falls*

Arie McLaughlin, sr., Florence*

Ends Ethan Alexander, sr., Florence*

Bridger Alexander, so., Florence

*-denotes All-State selection.

Second Team

Backs — Sullivan Sartori, sr., Eureka; Malik Lyttle, sr., Loyola; River Hurley, sr., Anaconda; Nick Tessier, sr., Thompson Falls.

Linebackers — Caden Pecora, sr., Eureka; Talen Reynolds, sr., Loyola; Cael Mikalatos, sr., Anaconda; Bryson LeCoure, jr., Thompson Falls.

Linemen — Wes Banks, jr., Eureka; Ethan Wock, jr., Whitehall.

Ends — Braden Casazza, sr., eureka; Aiden Round, sr., Loyola.

SPECIAL TEAMS

First Team

Kicker Cy Tebay, sr., Whitehall

Punter Taylor Jones, sr., Loyola*

Kick returner Talen Reynolds, sr., Loyola*

Second Team

Kicker — Cole Fowler, jr., Florence.

Punter — Campbell Smith, sr., Whitehall.

Kick returner — Brody Grebe, so., Anaconda.