Butler football feels mixed emotions after loss to Central Clarion, but best season in more than 30 years
CLARION — Even with seven wins, Butler will long for the game — and offensive possession — that got away.
Having pulled within a touchdown of host Central Clarion with 7:58 to play Friday night, the Golden Tornado defense itched for one more stop. Instead, the Wildcats embarked on an 86-yard march that ended at Butler’s 3-yard line with zeroes on the clock and a 21-14 win. Butler ended the year 7-3, its first winning season since 1997 and first seven-win since since 1992.
“I know we had a great season, but like we’ve been saying this week, there’s still meat on the bone,” Golden Tornado quarterback/middle linebacker Nicco Baggetta said. “There’s a couple wings in that bowl that haven’t been eaten yet.”
Senior center Stone Spack sat alone on Butler’s bench, praying to get on the field one final time.
“I was saying, ‘Please, Lord, let us get this stop. Let me come out, get a touchdown and end my season on the field,’” Spack said. “And that didn’t happen. I mean, I always say, ‘God works in mysterious ways.’ That happens. It doesn’t go the way we want.
“We could’ve had more. ... We had two bites left.”
Wildcats (6-4) coach Dave Eggleton said he felt like his offense was getting 4-5 yards per carry during the series. He was spot-on with his assessment.
“They just had the right plays, the right calls,” Tornado coach Eric Christy said. “They just made the plays. They were able to move it a little bit, hit the right spot at the right time. But our guys were battling until the end.”
Butler ran a total of 12 offensive plays in the latter half, as compared to Central Clarion’s 34. Baggetta threw an interception from near midfield on the drive after the Wildcats’ Ethan Rex snagged a 24-yard pass from Carter Hindman to polish off the second half’s opening series.
However, offensive adjustments were evident during the Tornado’s next drive, a seven-play, 78-yarder that was capped by Baggetta’s 41-yard sprint. That march lasted just over two minutes, with the signal-caller hitting senior Marcus Vicari for 20 yards and junior Nash Cuffman down the seam for another 19 on consecutive plays.
“I got in the groove,” Baggetta said. “Hit one, (then thought) ‘Now I’m feeling it.’ Hit two (and) driving down the field and that run to finish it off.”
Rex had barged in from 12 yards out on the Wildcats’ ground-exclusive first possession, then again in a short-yardage situation 8:54 later.
Between those scores, Baggetta found Tyson Pino on the run for an 11-yard strike 1:18 into the second quarter. Butler had a chance to knot matters up as time expired on the first half, but Baggetta’s pass from the opponents’ 10-yard line glanced off the hands of both senior Mason Lacey and junior Deacon Simko in the end zone.
Golden Tornado senior guard/defensive lineman Beau Burchett felt like the unit had figured things out in the second half. It was getting to the Wildcats’ counters, traps and screen plays a step faster.
“We lost to time,” Burchett said. “We didn’t lose to them, I don’t think. I think we lost to the clock, lost to the inevitable. ... It’s just one of those things that you run into.”
Burchett said it was a bittersweet feeling watching time run out on the program’s best season in decades.
“Winning was our goal, and we did that this year,” Burchett said. “At the end of the day, I’m just happy I did that with that time. ... I wanted to bring a winning season to Butler football.”
The campaign also meant a great deal to Spack, who had torn his ACL last season and worked back to play as a senior. He reminded himself before games no one had been through as much as him just to get on the field.
“I’m grateful. I made it 10 games,” Spack said. “I got to play 10 games.”
Christy lauded his seniors for their leadership and, maybe more importantly, setting the standard and demonstrating how to approach games.
“It was nice. I’m still not satisfied,” Spack said. “We should’ve won more, and I think that’ll sit with me for the rest of my life. I hope the guys come out next year (upset). And they come out like, ‘You know what? We deserve that 8-2, we deserve that 9-1, we deserve that 10-0.’
“I feel like, if they come out with that mentality, they can do that.”
Butler 0 7 0 7 — 14
Central Clarion 7 7 7 0 — 21
First Quarter
CC — Ethan Rex 12 run (Logan Bish kick), 4:27
Second Quarter
B — Tyson Pino 11 pass from Nicco Baggetta (Alex Fulmer kick), 10:42
CC — Rex 1 run (Bish kick), 7:33
Third Quarter
CC — Rex 24 pass from Carter Hindman (Bish kick), 6:49
Fourth Quarter
B — Baggetta 41 run (Fulmer kick), 7:58
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Butler, Nicco Baggetta 11-100, Mark Klemz 9-20, Deacon Simko 2-1, TEAM 1-(-20). Central Clarion, Ethan Rex 20-101, Carter Hindman 11-36, Jackson Mravintz 5-22, Briggs Beckwith 4-10, Charlie Hepfl 1-4, TEAM 1-(-6).
Passing: Butler, Nicco Baggetta 8-21-117-2. Central Clarion, Carter Hindman 9-12-132-0.
Receiving: Butler, Nash Cuffman 2-34, Deacon Simko 2-25, Tyson Pino 2-22, Marcus Vicari 1-20, Mark Klemz 1-16. Central Clarion, Ethan Rex 6-83, Brady Guth 1-30, Charlie Hepfl 1-13, Jackson Mravintz 1-6.
