Cementing history
After 60 years, the Butler Area Midget Football League has enshrined some of its own.
Bill, Rich and Ron Saul, Terry Hanratty, Harry Leyland and George "Red"Slater became the inaugural class of the newly formed BAMFLHall of Fame during a brief ceremony Saturday night at Memorial Park.
The league will induct three to five additional honorees each year on opening day. Names of inductees will be displayed on a wall in the Memorial Park football locker room.
"We've tossed this idea around for a couple of years and finally decided it was time to start recognizing some of the people responsible for this league's success," said Andy Cygan, head of the BAMFL's Hall of Fame committee.
"There were so many people to choose from. In due time, everyone who deserves to be in this Hall of Fame will be so honored. We can't get everybody all at once."
Cygan said the four NFLfootball players — the Saul brothers and Hanratty — were part of the inaugural class "because they got to where every kid who plays on this field dreams about being ... and those guys once played on this same field."
Leyland and Slater have combined for more than 90 years of coaching in the BAMFL. Slater, 80, is the league's president and head coach of current three-time champion Center Township.
"I was inducted into the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, but that was for my accomplishments,"Slater said. "I feel much better about this one.
"This is for giving to kids and I love being around the kids. I get along with all of them."
Leyland coached more than 50 years in the league for South Side, South Butler and East Side. He was on hand for the ceremony and accepted his plaque from son Hank Leyland, who has also coached in the league.
"My father has never been big on stats or wins and losses,"the younger Leyland said. "His biggest emphasis was on developing young boys into young men.
"The impact you can have on a young person's life at this age can be tremendous. A lot of the players my father coached wound up getting into coaching themselves."
None of the Saul brothers nor Hanratty were able to attend Saturday's ceremony.
Nephews Cole and Caleb Baxter accepted for Bill Saul, nephew Jared Oesterling accepted for Ron Saul and niece Caitlin Baxter accepted for Rich Saul.The Saul brothers played for Institute Hill years ago."They won league championships there,"nephew Rob Baxter said. "The weight limit was 135 pounds back then and Rich cut his weight from 150 one year just to stay in the league."Cole Baxter and Jared Oesterling are members of this year's Butler High School football team. Oesterling led the Golden Tornado in receiving as a sophomore last year."Having three uncles with the football legacy they put together is an impressive thing,"Oesterling said.The Saul brothers combined to play for 32 years in the NFL, more than any other family in the league's history.Caitlin Baxter accepted Rich Saul's plaque while wearing his No. 59 Pro Bowl jersey. She played in the BAMFLas well, as a tailback for Center Township.Hanratty played seven yerars in the NFL — mostly with the Steelers — and passed for 2,510 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career.Representatives of all six BAMFLteams comprise the Hall of Fame committee. Cygan is head coach of South Butler and is joined on the committee by Penn Street head coach Don Kurt, East Butler assistant Tim Wahler, Center Township mighty mites coach Scott Roskowski, Meridian head coach Bob Greaves and East Side head coach Andy Fair.The league's founding members were also honored.Founded in 1948, the BAMFL was the brainchild of then Butler High School football coach A. Gerald Capezutti, 1940's Butler Cubs football coach Roger Patrizio and Butler City board member Alf Allam.The league's first governing board consisted of president Allam, vice president Arthur Megan, L.F. Iman, Watson Straub and James Ross.
