BUTLER TWP — The season was slipping away.

Matt Clement and the Butler basketball coaching staff knew it. That's why they stayed in the office for a late meeting following the Golden Tornado's 86-55 home loss to North Allegheny the night of Jan. 3.

“We sat back there in the coaches room until midnight, talking about what we needed to do,” assistant coach Jim Gallagher said. “The team was in disarray at that point.

“We needed to work harder and play as a team.”

Butler was 4-6 after that loss, 1-3 in section play — and coming off a loss at Pine-Richland in which it lost a huge lead in the secod half.

“Those two games were a bad combination,” Clement said. “We had to do something.”

Clement refocused his team on defense at that point and Butler won 13 of its next 17 games, was in every game until the final minute, and reached the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals.

That turnaround netted Clement unanimous selection as Butler Eagle Boys Basketball Coach of the Year for the second successive season.

Art McCray, who guided Summit Academy to its first-ever co-section title and state tournament win, finished second in the sports staff voting. Rob Carmody of Mars was third.

“At practice the next day (following the NA game), the kids were aware that the five hardest working guys were going to start the next game,” Clement said. “Matt Baranchak was the hardest worker on the floor that day.

“Even though it meant sitting Bobby (Swartwout), I had to start him if this was gonna be real. If you want the players' respect, you have to follow through on what you say.”

Baranchak started that next game at Carrick. So did senior Zach Slater, who proved to be Butler's best defensive player this season. Swartwout sat out for the first quarter.

“To his credit, Bobby was the biggest cheerleader on the bench that first quarter,” Clement said. “He didn't sulk at all. Then he enters the game in the second quarter and winds up getting 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“That's the type of kids we have on this team. The seniors could have given up when were 4-6, look forward to their next sport in the spring, but they stuck with it and we got it fixed.”

Butler wound up 17-11 and is 33-16 in Clement's two years at the helm, including WPIAL playoff appearances both years.

“The boys just respond to him,” junior varsity coach Don Hilliard said. “Matt has a tremendous competitive nature and the kids knew his background as a professional athlete, so he had their respect right away.

“They were excited to play for him. Once they got into the program and saw how well he knows basketball, they understood he knew what he was talking about.”

While the Tornado had a veteran point guard in Nate Snodgrass and a solid center in Swartwout, players like Cody Herald, Vinnie Schmidt, Slater, Trevor Wideman and David Tompkins settled into roles that formed an all-around team.

“Not everyone has the court savvy of a Snodgrass or the body of a Swartwout, but anyone can become a Slater,” Clement said. “He's a model of what hard work and effort can do.

“That kid hit the weight room, became physically strong and guarded the other team's best scorer by squaring up with the attitude that nobody was gonna get by him.

“Cody Herald could always drive to the basket, but worked hard to develop his 3-point shot. Vinnie Schmidt reinvented his game and used his strength and athleticism. These kids made themselves into a tough team to beat,” Clement added.

And Clement made himself a tough coach to out-coach.

“His organizational skills and attention to detail are impressive,” Gallagher said. “Matt studies film intently and has the JV players run the other team's plays.

“Our players were always prepared for the next opponent. Matt Clement has no ego. He asked for other coaches' opinions, player opinions, and uses the input to make his decisions for the team. I loved coaching with the guy.”

Here is how voting for the Butler Eagle Boys Basketball Coach of the Year Award, which was conducted by the Eagle sports staff, broke down:<B>Coach (team) Points</B>Matt Clement (Butler) 16Art McCray (Summit) 12Rob Carmody (Mars) 7Karen Davis (Union) 5