Montana town loses 4 teens, their athletic hopes

Teenagers start driving as early as 15, because it's usually a long way to where you want to go. And they almost always play high school sports, mostly because there is little else to do in a small town.

So on July 19, four boys piled into a car to play in a summer basketball tournament in a neighboring town.

On the way, the car crashed, rolled and burned. Police say no speeding or dangerous driving was involved, and they still aren't sure why the car caught fire.

The wreck killed brothers Kale and Kade Phelps, as well as fellow players Jace Jelinek and Dayne Heble. The oldest was 17, the youngest 14.

They were 10 percent of Denton High's student body.

"They were going to do something they love to do," said Scott Sparks, who coaches basketball and football at the school.

The social fabric of Denton, in central Montana, is woven around high school sports. The school colors--blue and white_ hang in the windows of the few businesses in town. Most, if not all, of the town's 300 residents show up for football games.

"If they're winning, everybody comes," said booster club president Keith Derks.

"That is a big part of rural life," Derks added. "It's the social opportunity that binds the town together, and it's the highlight of the week."