All-star finish for Love

BUTTE - June 5 was Steve Love's last football game as a coach.

After six years as the head coach of the Charlo High School football team, Love is hanging up the whistle and on his own accord. He wanted to focus more on being the principal of the high school and being a father to his kids.

What better way to go out than coaching a high school all-star game?

Love found himself on the sidelines of the 27th Annual Bob Cleverly Class C All-Star Football Game in Butte as head coach of the Red Team. While it didn't end in victory, it certainly ended with a lot of memories.

The Red Team scored the first sixteen points of the game in the first sixty seconds and had a 24-14 lead until the final seconds of the second half. The Blue Team scored on the final play of the half and went on a 32-0 run en route to a 46-32 win.

Three of Love's Charlo players were on the sideline with him at the all-star game Jame Petersen, Houston Blevins and Chance Firestone all suited up for their coach one last time.

"For graduation, we gave him a football signed by the seniors," Blevins said. "He was pretty shook up then."

The Red Team also gave Love an autographed football.

"These guys have been with me ever since I've been here," Love said.

Love said Firestone had three good kickoff returns in the game, despite hurting his ankle in the second half. He thought that he was a hair or two from breaking those returns for touchdowns.

Love also had praise for two Arlee High School players who were in the game. Travis Christopher played on both sets of defense at nose guard due to an injury on the team and Trevor Rubel hauled in a pass from the split end position.

"Our team was pretty good, we just didn't come out to play in the second half," Petersen said.

Petersen was named the team's defensive MVP in the game.

"It seemed like he was in on every tackle," Love said.

Love is also a strong supporter of the Class C All-Star game, saying that it's the best one in the state because the coaches have final say on the roster.

"The kids are chosen by the coaches, there aren't politics involved," he said. "There's a good bunch of kids here that aren't going to cause problems."

Arlee's head football coach Scott Palmer served as an assistant coach alongside Love and mirrored his thoughts on the game showcasing the kids with best ability, not just those from winning teams.

"It gives every kid a fair change to represent their school in an all-star game," Palmer said.

For many, not just Love, this was the last time they'll be part of high school football.

Of all the players in the all-star game, Love estimates that about six will play at the next level.

"Most of them go on to the next stage of life," he said. "At some point they're going to realize this is the last time they're going to put on pads."

Chances are, they'll miss suiting up and playing football.

And chances are, Love will also miss those fall evenings.

"It was a great way to cap it all off," Love said. "I'm sure I'm going to miss it every Friday."