Butler boys basketball downs North Allegheny for crucial section win as Jace Gratzmiller earns new battle scar
BUTLER TWP — Butler got a win it absolutely needed. Jace Gratzmiller will eventually have the scar beside his eyebrow to show for it.
The Golden Tornado stared at a six-point deficit at halftime of Friday night’s WPIAL Section 1-6A matchup with North Allegheny but, with Gratzmiller as a catalyst, put together a second-half performance of the sort they’d been waiting for and walked out of the Butler High School gym 59-52 winners.
“We played with some desperation in the second half, but under-control desperation,” Butler coach Matt Clement said. “There’s a difference. ... We were in spots where we were kinda backpedaling. We were letting their pressure get to us and doing everything going backwards, throwing forwards.”
After Jahlil Archer’s 3-pointer gave the Tigers (6-9, 2-6) an eight-point advantage – their largest of the contest — 1:17 into the third quarter, Gratzmiller struck the match that began to put some fire under his teammates, nailing a 3-pointer of his own, from the wing.
“It gives me a huge confidence boost,” Gratzmiller said. “I’m probably like one for seven from 3(-point territory) on the season, and that one was the biggest.”
A few possessions later, Gratzmiller ripped down an offensive rebound that led to a 3-pointer by Stainton Forbes. As part of the 15-2 Golden Tornado (6-8, 4-4) run, Gratzmiller also leaped to pull down a long, high pass from Andrew Gettinger, who was trapped by two visitors, before dishing it to Mavrik Clement for the first of a handful of easy layups he made during the frame.
By the beginning of the fourth quarter, Butler led by 12. A little over two minutes later, Gratzmiller got tangled up and fell to the floor with a North Allegheny player while trying to grab a rebound.
When Gratzmiller stood up, he had blood oozing from a gash at the tip of his left eyebrow.
“The play got called. It was a little bit of a dirty play,” Gratzmiller said afterward in the training room while having his bandages replaced. “I felt it hurt a little bit. I get up and I just felt something running down the side of my face.”
Gratzmiller’s teammate, Boden Lenyk, pointed out the gash and told him to head to the sideline. A trainer patched Gratzmiller up, but he didn’t return to the game even as the Tigers made a late, but unsuccessful, push.
He said the cut will require stitches.
“Whatever it takes to win the game,” Gratzmiller said. “That possession, the arrow goes our way to get the ball and that leads to another point and we win by two or something like that, then that’s all that matters to me is we won the game.”
“He was more relaxed tonight,” Clement said. “He finished some shots. He made an open 3, which always is gonna give him a little extra juice. He guarded hard. We had him face-guarding one of their guys the majority of the game, and he did a solid job with it. Tonight, him and all the other guys were on notice, because Getty was in foul trouble.
“Jace provided the dirty work. He got dirty. ... He got on the ground, he got a hard foul here and there when he needed to, a loose ball here and there and an offensive rebound here and there. And then it’s just like icing on the cake when he makes (that 3-point shot).”
Clement added he’d seen multiple of his players get busted up in action before, including Braylon Littlejohn and Cody Herald.
The Golden Tornado entered the night sixth in the section standings. The Tigers were seventh. Five teams gain entry to the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs.
“We knew we couldn’t lose tonight,” Gratzmiller said. “Going 3-5 in the section (wouldn’t have been ideal). We always dig ourselves a hole.”
NORTH ALLEGHENY 52
Blake Craft 7 2-3 18, Ben Coffman 5 1-1 12, Jahlil Archer 4 0-0 9, Will Robertson 2 1-2 6, Justin Stalter 2 0-0 5, Bobby Dopirak 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 4-6 52.
BUTLER 59
Stainton Forbes 5 4-6 16, Tobias Geibel 4 1-2 12, Mavrik Clement 5 0-0 10, Andrew Gettinger 3 3-4 9, Boden Lenyk 2 4-6 9, Jace Gratzmiller 1 0-0 3. Totals: 20 12-18 59.
North Allegheny 14 14 8 16 — 52
Butler 15 7 26 11 — 59
3-point goals: Butler 7 (Geibel 3, Forbes 2, Gratzmiller, Lenyk); North Allegheny 6 (Craft 2, Archer, Coffman, Robertson, Stalter)
Tuesday: Butler at North Hills
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Andrew Gettinger (35) shoots over North Allegheny’s JB Perkins (35) in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Boden Lenyk (13) shoots a 3-point shot in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Mavrik Clement (5) and North Allegheny’s Blake Craft (5) chase after a loose ball in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Jace Gratzmiller (3) shoots over North Allegheny’s JB Perkins (35) in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Jace Gratzmiller (3) battles for possession of the ball in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Mavrik Clement (5) takes it to the rim in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butller’s Stainton Forbes (4) shoots over North Allegheny defense in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler defeated North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Stainton Forbes (4) and Mavrik Clement (5) celebrate after defeating North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Andrew Gettinger (35) and Stainton Forbes (4) celebrate after defeating North Allegheny 59-52 in a boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
