BUTLER TWP — They reached the WPIAL basketball championship game together at Butler.

They won the Western Pa. Collegiate Conference title together at Butler County Community College.

Only then did twin brothers Joel and Jace Stutz go their separate ways.

Joel went on to play two more seasons at Geneva College. Jace went on to Slippery Rock University as an accounting major and ended his playing career.

“We wanted both of them,” Geneva basketball coach Jeff Santarsiero said of the Stutz twins. “We recruited them both out of high school. We recruited them both again when they were done at BC3.”

The Golden Tornadoes got one of them. And he made a difference.

Joel Stutz averaged 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game his junior year, sinking 54 treys and helping Geneva reach the Presidents' Athletic Conference championship game.

This season, he averaged 15.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in helping the Golden Tornadoes (8-3, 7-3) finish second in the PAC regular season standings, their highest finish since joining the league 10 years ago.

“His contributions were immense,” Santarsiero said of Stutz. “Toughness, 3-point shooting, mental knowledge of the game ... he always made right decisions. He was like another coach on the floor.

“With players having another year of eligibility granted, we tried talking Joel into coming back next year. But he's ready to move on with his life.”

Joel admitted he flirted with the idea of playing one more year.

“I thought about it, but we're not scholarship athletes,” he said. “If it was free, I'd be jumping all over it. Paying another $16,000 or whatever ... just can't do it.

“It will be weird not playing. It took me a while to adjust to not playing on the same team with Jace. We knew each other on the court so well.”

Foot and ankle injuries forced Jace to move on with life after basketball a little sooner than expected.

“I was pretty banged up and I didn't think I could make it through another season physically,” Jace Stutz said. “We had a nice run at BC3 and I figured that was a good time to call it a career.

“I still followed Joel, though. I followed his games on live stream, got to them when I could. I'm thrilled he's been able to keep playing and be successful.”

Of course, Jace wound up staying involved in basketball himself.

While a student at SRU, he joined the Butler High School coaching staff. Last year, he was a freshman team assistant coach with Rich Marnic.

When Marnic moved up to the junior varsity this year, Jace became the head freshman coach.

“Coach (Matt) Clement knew I was going to SRU and always told me he wanted me to come back and be part of the program when I was through playing,” Jace said. “And that's something I always wanted to do.”

He guided the Tornado freshmen to a 10-1 record this year, the lone loss coming on a buzzer-beater.

“That's the best record the freshman team has put up in a long time,” Joel Stutz said. “Jace had a lot to do with that. He did a fantastic job.

“I can see myself getting involved with coaching (in the Butler system) at some point. I'd do anything for Matt Clement and that program. Coaching at the middle school level would be fun.”

Getting to games was an issue at times for Jace, given his class schedule at The Rock.

“Yeah, there's been some long days,” he admitted. “I try to make sure my school work is done before I head off to practice or a game. Sometimes, after a game, I have to go home and finish it.

“It's well worth it. Working with kids at this level, kids who came back out after playing junior high, it's guys who really want to play basketball. They're focused, they want to learn and get better. I appreciate that attitude.”

While on pace to graduate this spring, Jace plans to return to SRU and pursue a second degree, this one in sports management.

He plans to return to coaching as well.

“I'll definitely be back,” he said. “This program is almost addicting. The freshman team I played on, we stunk, won maybe four games. Yet the coaching staff worked as hard as we did, game-planning, setting up practices ... it's still that way.

“This whole program is about improving our chances of winning. I still want to contribute to that.”

Joel is graduating in May with a degree in actuary mathematics. Once he receives his certification, he has a job awaiting him in the insurance industry.

“My memories of Butler basketball will live forever,” he said. “The program Coach Clement has developed there is unbelievable. The atmosphere is fantastic.

“Playing basketball there, the work everyone puts in to win ... it helps prepare you for life.”