Here are a few other notable achievements from Butler County sports, 2004:

Coach of the Year: Jeff Bell, Grove City. He had an overall losing record in seven years of coaching football for the Eagles before leading team to state title game this year.

Comeback of the Year: Grove City football, which made it to Hershey after an 0-2 start.

Male Athlete of the Year: Josh Barthlow. The Butler swimmer won a WPIAL title and a PIAA title to cap his high school career, then set school records as a freshman at East Carolina.

Female Athlete of the Year: Lacey Cochran. The Freeport track and field standout also won WPIAL and PIAA titles.

Turnaround of the Year: Knoch boys soccer, which won 11 section games in 2004 - as many as the previous seven years combined.

Statistic of the Year: Curt Schnur, Saxonburg Eagle County League pitcher who walked one batter in 160 innings over the past two seasons.

Game of the Year: Tyrone vs. Grove City, PIAA Class AA Western Final. The Eagles needed a piece of paper that wouldn't slide between the football and the first-down marker to keep a possession alive on fourth down, a possession that resulted in the game-winning touchdown.

Punch of the Year: Brian Minto's final-round knockout of Vinnie Maddalone on ESPN2's Friday Night at the Fights.

Team of the Year: Seneca Valley girls volleyball, which won the WPIAL Class AAA championship and advanced to the final four at the PIAA tournament.

College Coach of the Year: Heather Kearney, a Slippery Rock High School graduate and an assistant coach of California (Pa.) University's Division II national championship women's basketball team.

College Player of the Year: Josh Kniess, another Slippery Rock High graduate who rushed for 1,200 yards and ranked third nationally in Division II in punt returns for Slippery Rock University.

Driver of the Year: Zelienople's John Flinner, who won his fourth consecutive Late Model points title at Lernerville Speedway.

Win of the Year: Chuck Kennedy of Mars, who recorded his first career Late Model dirt win in 25 years of racing.

Event of the Year: The Pennsylvania State Bowling Association Tournament at Family Bowlaway and Sherwood Lanes.

Most Consistent of the Year: Golfer John Aubrey Sr., who qualified for the U.S. Senior Open for a third straight year.

Most Exciting Trip of the Year: Butler's cheerleaders placing third at the Universal Cheerleading Association Nationals in Orlando, Fla.

Most Patient of the Year: Jimmy Stewart, who was finally awarded a world kickboxing title after years of waiting.

Toughest Goodbye of the Year: To Zelie Lanes, which closed after 35 years of operation.

Tight-Rope Walk of the Year: Saxonburg's Eagle County baseball team, which won three consecutive one-run games in the league championship series.