On Friday, November 4, 1960, four days before the election of President John F. Kennedy, the Butte High Bulldogs won the Class AA State Football Championship with a 13-7 win over the Great Falls Bison in Great Falls. Under the guidance of coach Forrest Wilson, the Dogs ended the season with a 9-0 record.

Then, they did it again in 1961.

Under new head coach Sam Jankovich, the Bulldogs defeated the Missoula Spartans in Missoula, 34-14, to finish the season with another 9 and 0 record.

They had a record 18 straight wins over the two seasons. According to a newspaper story, "Few, if any football teams in the history of the school, which fielded its first football team in 1893, had a record to match this one."

In the final game of the 1960 season against Great Falls, the Dogs scored first on "electrifying" 56-yard dash to the end zone by halfback Mark Ciabattari. Dan Janhunen's kick for the extra point was wide.

Late in the second quarter, Great Falls completed an 80-yard pass for a touchdown and the kick was good. The Bison led at halftime, 7-6.

Great Falls fumbled on their own 42 midway in the fourth quarter. Bulldog fullback Mel Johnston ran it to the 21, and Jerry Laird pushed his way to the four-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Jerry Olds scored on a keeper and Janhunen kick the extra point. Dogs led 13-7.

Late in the game, Great Falls had a sustained drive to Butte's 37. But, with 15 seconds to play, the Bison fumbled on a desperation fourth-down pass play, and the Bulldogs were state champions. They had 207 yards on the ground and 31 yards on four passes, all in the first half, for a total of 238 yards.

Members of the 1960 team included: Melvin Wattula, Harry Martz, Gary Carle, Bob Given, Melvin Johnston, Wayne Paffhausen, Mark Ciabattari, Bob Crippen, Jerry Olds, Gene Allen, Gary Selby, Dale Jozovich, Lynn Pogreba, Dan Janhunen, Bob Thomas, Marsh Reese, Mike Reese, and James Travis.

Also, Dennis Sharp, Ben Llewellyn, Paul Hansen, Ray Cyr, Jerry Laird, Ben Bury, Ray Markwald, Clifford Knapp, Paul Miller, Stanley Miller, Charles Miller, Tom Saunders, John Marvin, John Dinsmore, Bill Wilson, Rick Richter, Lenny Bay, and managers Mike Hall and Ron Trengove.

When the team arrived in Butte on a chartered bus at 12:30 Saturday afternoon, a reception was held for the champs at the Harrison School, which was on the Butte-Helena highway. They were greeted by fire trucks, and the Bulldog band and cheerleaders. Official greetings were by Mayor Vern Griffith. A parade was led by a city fire truck. Sheriff Bill Dalling and Chief of Police Jim Clark provided official escorts. After a tour of the uptown, the team and coaches were honored at a luncheon in the Finlen Hotel.

The following year, in the final game of the 1961 season, coach Sam Jankovich's Bulldogs beat the Missoula Spartans in Missoula for another undefeated season. Paced by the hard running of halfback Wayne Paffhausen and the great line play of tackle Gene Allen the Dogs ran roughshod over the Spartans, 34-14.

The Bulldogs scored first on a 60-yard drive, the last eight yards by fullback Mel Johnston. The kick for the extra point by Dan Janhunen was good. (He was a perfect five for five for the game, but one was nullified by a penalty).

Missoula tied the score at 7-7, after recovering a Butte fumble, but the Bulldogs scored twice more in the first half. First on a 8-yard scramble to the end zone by Dale Jozovich, and then on a 25-yard pass from quarterback Jerry Olds to Johnson, to lead 20-7 at halftime.

Butte controlled the game in the second half. A 78-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Olds to end Bob Given to close the third period, Dogs leading 27-7.

In the fourth quarter Butte scored again on a 72-yard drive, with halfback Paffhausen going in from the five yard line for the score.

The final Spartan score was by halfback Ron Tabish, who took the ball on the 12-yard line and raced 88 yards straight up the middle for the final score of the game.

On the resulting kickoff, Paffhausen returned the ball 60 yards to Missoula's 29. He was injured on the play and had to be carried from the field.

Members of the 1961 team included linemen: Gene Allen, Mike Reese, Marsh Reese, Gary Carle, Ray Cyr, Ray Markwald, John Marvin, Bob Given, Bob Thomas, Rick Richter, and Lynn Pogreba; backfield: Jerry Olds, Wayne Paffhausen, Mel Johnston, Dale Jozovich, and kicker Dan Janhunen.

The team was again the toast of the town, with a parade through the city led by the Butte High Band, cheerleaders, and hundreds of Bulldog fans. The welcoming committee was again headed by Mayor Griffith, Sheriff Dalling, commissioners Frank Gorsh, Gene Daly, and Mrs. Elizabeth Gerry, along with John Tobin of the Chamber of Commerce and E. H. Mester, president of the Butte Athletic Council.

Butte's 1961 state football champions also were honored with a reception and luncheon at the Finlen Hotel.