Appreciating the journey
WEXFORD — Before heading downstairs to the locker room following its victory Tuesday night over Central Florida Christian Academy at North Allegheny, Butler’s boys basketball team made a quick side-stop.
The Golden Tornado gathered for a team photo in the auxiliary gym, players and coaches surrounding head coach Matt Clement, accompanied by a sign celebrating his 200th career victory.
Of Clement had his way, every assistant who helped him and every player who suited up for him would have been in that picture.
“You don’t get to 200 without every one of them,” he said.
Now in his 14th season — all at Butler — Clement is averaging 15 wins per season.
He couldn’t help but smile in getting the milestone win at North Allegheny, the site of many big regular season and playoff wins during his coaching career.
“(Jim) Duck Gallagher has been coaching varsity with me since my second year. He coached the freshmen that first year,” Clement said. “Don Hilliard was a key member of the staff for a long time, too.
“I’ve since had a lot of my former players come back and help coach. That’s very rewarding, too. These guys enjoy still being part of it.”
Clement added that “no coach wins without good players and I’ve been so blessed to have good players who listen and believe in what you’re trying to do.”
Current Butler guards Braylon Littlejohn and Donovan Carney are two such players.
“It’s cool just taking part in a milestone game like this,” Littlejohn said. “He’s a great coach. He always puts us in a good position to win.”
Carney, a freshman, followed his brother, 2,000-point scorer Devin Carney, on to Butler’s team.
“He’s a special coach and I love playing for him,” Carney said.
Clement pointed out that the 200 wins are even more meaningful because of the competitive section the Golden Tornado play in.
“We’re talking about Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Central Catholic, North Allegheny, North Hills, New Castle ... all of them,” he said. “We didn’t beat them every time and some may have beaten us more.
“But every time we roll the ball out there, our kids compete, play hard and face up to the challenge night after night against teams like that. I can’t ask for more.”
Clement has coached his three sons — 1,000-point scorer Mattix, Madden and Mavrik — along the way. And as successful as Butler has been with players like Ethan Morton, Devin Carney, Nate Snodgrass, Bobby Swartwout, Cody Herald, Luke Patten, Tyler Frederick, Dom Pusateri and the like, Clement likes his current team as much as any.
“I’ve been rejuvenated as a coach by these guys,” he said. “This group is so unselfish, they all get along, there are no issues ... They just love to play basketball together.
“It shows on the court and I love being around them.”
