The Butte Reliance club was spawned as a "lighter Young" club similar to and often intermingled with the Junior divisions.  Sometimes referred to as a "high school" level team, it is important to remember that in the 1890s-1900s, young men of 20 years old may still be in "high school".  Brothers Urban and Vincent McLean are good examples.  As players with the Anaconda High School Juniors in 1896, the "boys" were 18 and 20 years old respectively playing in the 130lb weight class.  With the 1900 Reliance squad, the brothers were 22 and 24 years old.  The team was named after the historic Oakland Reliance Club that played many fierce battles with the big Butte Football Club during the 1890s and after many of the Reliance men resettled from California to mining jobs in Butte.

The McLean brothers and cousins made up the star power of the team in 1898 with Vincent and Urban providing delightful running highlights while cousin F.H. McLean kicked the team to a tie on Dec 18 after falling behind 6-0 in the first half.

The March 17th, 1899 game ended in a tie, and when the teams met again on April 16 in a sandstorm, Reliance had added a number new of line players in the 12-6 victory.

Following the 23-6 beat down by the Anaconda High Juniors, the team was almost completely revamped for the fall meeting with new linemen brought in to man the trenches as well as Notre Dame University alum Adams at halfback.  The team averaged 140lbs per man with Mattock and Boyce tipping the scales at 170lbs each.   The high school team of Anaconda 160lbs with Halfback Rhue being a giant 180lbs.  Reliance would take the Thanksgiving Day victory 6-0 over their heavier foes.

The Butte Reliance team gave way to the Butte Business College organization that had begun forming in the fall of 1896.  Urban McLean (QB), Dan McLeod (FB), LaPoint (HB), and Austin (E) were starters in 1901 for the Business College team.

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