BUTTE — A reunion of Bulldogs will take place at Montana State this fall.
Butte High product Tommy Mellott has already established himself as a household name in Bozeman — and around the state — after helping guide the Bobcats to the FCS Championship in January.
And joining him soon will be All-State kicker Casey Kautzman and wide receiver Dylan Snyder, who will represent the Bulldogs one final time in the 75th Montana East-West Shrine Game.
Snyder hopes that a pipeline of talent has been established between Bozeman and the Mining City.
"It says a lot about us becuase it's been a long time since there's been that many players from Butte High," he said a recent Shrine practice. "I think it's really cool for everybody from Butte seeing us at MSU."
After falling to Kalispell Glacier 35-26 in the Class AA quarterfinals last November, Snyder figured that would be his last time at Naranche Stadium.
But his eight-touchdown senior season gained him some Shrine Game buzz. And, last Christmas Eve, he learned that he had been selected to the West roster.
"Me and some buddies were playing PS4 and I was just waiting for the clock to hit 12 so I could see if I was on the team or not," he said.
So he's spent the past week suiting up as a Bulldog on his home field one last time as the West Team practices before departing for Great Falls on Friday. It's been a special time getting to run routes at Naranche once more.
"It means a lot to me because there's just so many memories on this field," he said. "It's just super cool. It's just fun to bring all the people out here that never played here before and they're just astonished to see what it is."
Come July, Bobcat Stadium will become Snyder's new home. His commitment to MSU was based largely on his rapport with the coaches, his love for the campus and facilities and the team's meteoric rise over the past two seasons.
And playing at the Division I level was something he had been striving for since he was a little kid.
"It was always my lifelong dream to go to a DI school and play football," Snyder said. "It was just a good feeling I had in my stomach when I got that offer. I knew I was going to play right away."
But getting the chance to catch passes from his old quarterback certainly played a factor in his decision.
"I've known him through high school," Snyder said of Mellott. "I just knew he was going to go to MSU and be a baller. It wasn't a surprise to me but it was definitely awesome to see him go that far."
