JEFFERSON TWP — The losses piled up, but Tyler Buterbaugh's tank never emptied.

In fact, it refueled with every game.

Knoch's senior receiver-middle linebacker wound up putting together a rather unique football season for the winless Knights.

He led the team in receptions, yards receiving — and tackles.

“You just don't see a combination like that,” Knoch coach Brandon Mowry said. “But that's Tyler.

“He just loves playing football. He would do anything for this team and his teammates.”

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Buterbaugh had 18 receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 41 tackles from his middle linebacker spot.

“I'm a defensive guy all the way,” Buterbaugh said. “I love initiating contact and being in the middle of the play.“When I'm on offense, I just run around, try to get open, do what I can to help us move the ball.”Buterbaugh's athletic career isn't over at Knoch. He plays on the basketball team as well.Buterbaugh's football days are not over, either. He is weighing two potential collegiate opportunities — as an invited walk-on at Robert Morris University or as a potential scholarship player at Clarion.Wherever he goes to college, he wants to build a career toward pharmaceutical sales or becoming a chiropractor.Robert Morris and Clarion are interested in him as a linebacker.“That's how I want it. That's where I feel I'm best at,” Buterbaugh said.A starter since midway through his sophomore season at Knoch, Buterbaugh endured a pair of near-playoff misses his sophomore and junior years.He and his teammates were optimistic during preseason camp this year.“We had lost a lot of talented guys to graduation, but we had a solid nucleus of guys coming back,” Buterbaugh said.He was part of that nucleus. But after a tough 13-12 loss at Greensburg Salem in Week 2, Knoch was outscored by an average of 27 points per game in its final six contests as the team finished 0-7.“It just didn't come together for us this year. We never seemed to have the right mix,” Buterbaugh said. “Once we lost the first couple of games and it appeared playoffs weren't gonna happen for us, we played for each other.“Nobody quit. Nobody stopped playing hard. We're all friends on the field representing the program as best we could. I'm proud of that.”Mowry is proud of it as well.“Tyler is what high school football is all about,” the coach said. “We had other guys like that, too. He puts so much effort into everything he does on the field.“I'm glad he's getting a chance to play in college. He's only going to get better.”Linemen Eli Reese and Dalton Reed are other Knoch seniors looking to play in college. Reese and Buterbaugh have talked about possibly attending the same school.“That would be fun,” he said.The memories will last for Buterbaugh in terms of donning a Knoch uniform.“I've been playing football since fourth grade,” he said. “I played for the Saxonburg Spartans on up.“Ultimately, the experience of playing football is what matters. I've made so many friends through this sport ... friendships that will last a long, long time.

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