Once a Struggling Power, Butler Football Is on the Brink of Its First Winning Season Since 1997

After years of long bus rides, small rosters, and losing seasons, the Golden Tornado are rewriting their story — led by quarterback Nicco Baggetta and a gritty group chasing history one win at a time

Quarterback Nicco Baggetta (1) and his Butler teammates are one victory away from their first winning season since 1997. / Toby Geibel

Butler junior quarterback Nicco Baggetta expects a weird feeling Friday at Cupples Stadium. One minute Baggetta will be in math class, the next he will be getting prepped for a 3:30 p.m. football game against Allderdice.

The Golden Tornado, who are 5-2, are seeking a win that would clinch their first winning season since 1997. Butler is eager to pump itself up before taking the first of three opportunities to get a sixth win that has proved elusive for the program.

“There will be no student section, no band,” Baggetta said. “The sun will be out. We’ve never had a game at 3:30. Our plan is to do every little thing well. We are going to try and do everything we can within the team to celebrate on the sideline. We are bringing a hoop to dunk on to get us hyped up. In the stands, it will be a couple parents and that’s probably it.”

Country roads, far from home

Playing in unique environments has become a fact of life for Butler. The Golden Tornado are the WPIAL’s third-largest school in terms of enrollment with a male enrollment of 833 students, sitting behind only North Allegheny (1,135) and Seneca Valley (935). Despite Butler’s large size, the football program has struggled to draw numbers and win games.

Following a 2019 season where the Golden Tornado’s roster hovered around 30 players, Butler sought a different option after finishing 0-10 for the second consecutive season.

The Golden Tornado eventually chose life as an independent program after a four-year stay as an associate member in District 10 ended in controversy.

That meant Butler the potseason would no longer be an option and they would have to think outside the box to fill a 10-game schedule. That’s why the Golden Tornado have two matchups with opponents from West Virginia this season.

All of the travel can be difficult.

“The three-hour drives to West Virginia are terrible,” Baggetta said. “There is nothing good about them. We practice coming out hot to start games. That’s our thing. As soon as we got off the bus, we had to stay warm and hyped up. We bring music with us everywhere we go.”

During Butler’s last five years in the WPIAL, the Golden Tornado went 6-42. The Golden Tornado are 19-27 since it made the change.

“Butler has athletes,” Spack said. “People forget that sometimes. They don’t like to play football. We do have athletes on the football team, but their main sport isn’t football. That leaves it to guys like me, who are 5-foot-8 and 260 pounds, instead of having a bunch of guys who are 6-3 and 320.”

Moving districts, becoming independent

Butler qualified for the District 10 Class 6A playoffs in 2021 and 2022. However, the WPIAL contested the Golden Tornado’s participation in the postseason following the 2021 season.

When the case went to court, a temporary injunction allowed Butler to play in the 2022 playoffs, where the Golden Tornado lost to McDowell, 62-7. The PIAA then changed its by-laws preventing teams from competing in the playoffs of neighboring PIAA districts.

Instead of choosing to come back to the WPIAL, Butler worked out a deal with the PIAA to remain as an independent program.

Including Butler, there are now six public independent football programs -- Albert Gallatin, Brownsville, Carrick, Connellsville and Uniontown -- in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Golden Tornado 5-foot-8, 270-pound center Stone Spack said the size difference between players is what makes the independent schedule a good gift for Butler.

“Playing North Allegheny and Central Catholic, they are powerhouses,” Spack said. “You don’t want to be in a league where your cornerback is 140 pounds and getting killed when a 6-4, 330-pound left tackle pulled and killed him with a block. No one wants to see people get hurt.”

Not satisfied yet

Spack talked to Leland Anderson, now a freshman at Westminster College, about the Golden Tornado’s start Sunday night.

“I said to him ‘Dude, I don’t know why, I’m not satisfied,’” Spack said. “I want more wins. I’m not happy. 5-2 sounds great on paper, but I want more. I think everyone on the team is nowhere near satisfied.”

Tornado shock Shaler

Butler established this season would be different from the season opener. Baggetta scored on a 1-yard run in overtime to help Butler topple former WPIAL rival Shaler 32-26 in overtime.

Mark Klemz led the Golden Tornado with 138 rushing yards in the Golden Tornado’s season-opening win. He now has 770 on the season.

The win was part of a 3-0 start for Butler, which included wins over Brashear and Meadville.

Baggetta believes beating the Titans was a flashpoint moment for the Golden Tornado.

“It definitely gave us a lot more confidence than we have had the last few seasons,” Baggetta said. “For the past few years, our first game has been Shaler. We’ve lost to Shaler and it’s always been a good fight. With the first win being in overtime, it showed we weren’t going to give up on one another.”

Surviving the Slump

Butler fell to 3-2 following losses to Hollidaysburg and Westinghouse. The Golden Tornado bounced back with wins over Connellsville and University (W.Va.) to put itself in position for a winning season.

Spack wants to be part of the team that puts part of Butler’s suffering in the past.

“You can’t make fun of Butler anymore,” Spack said. “Hopefully, with a winning season we will have a better turnout of players and athletes. They will see they don’t have to go through the losing stage and they can come in and feel like they are going to win.”

Important Update

After the publication of this story, High School On SI learned that Butler received a forfeit victory from its Week 5 game against Westinghouse. Westinghouse was forced to forfeit the game because of an ineligible player. Thus, the Tornado is now 6-1 and has already secured a winning season.

--Josh Rizzo | rizzo42789@gmail.com | @J_oshrizzo