Butler football 2024 preview: What to watch, 3 things to know and schedule
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Butler football Coach Eric Christy, back left, and Butler football player Quinlan Hanley, back right, hold up Alec Teff, front left, and Evan Reinsel, front right, during a group photo for the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football coach Eric Christy poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football player Alec Teff poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football player Evan Reinsel poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football player Quinlan Hanley poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler football players Evan Reinsel, front, and Alec Teff, back left, Coach Eric Christy and Quinlan Hanley pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School cheerleaders and the Butler High School Sequinettes lead a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School cheerleaders and the Butler High School Sequinettes lead a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports team, from left, Derek Pyda, Jake Adams and Brendan Howe interview Butler High School football coach Eric Christy during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School Sequinettes play a stack the cups game during intermission of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School band members play the school's fight song during a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football player Troy Herrington makes his entrance during the pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football coach Eric Christy speaks as the first guess during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football player Declan Dobson makes his entrance during the pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School football player Evan Reinsel makes his entrance during the pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports team, from left, Derek Pyda, Jake Adams and Brendan Howe interview Butler High School football coach Eric Christy during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports team, from left, Derek Pyda, Jake Adams and Brendan Howe interview Butler High School football coach Eric Christy during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda, left, interviews members of the Butler High School football team including Alec Teff, Leland Anderson and Owen Trettel during a live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butter Football Coach Eric Christy makes his entrance as the first guest of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast which underwent a live recording at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler High School band members play the school's fight song during a pep rally that occurred ahead of the live recording of the Butler Eagle's Eye On Sports podcast at the Butler High School auditorium on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
Navigating an independent schedule this season, Butler football doesn’t have a playoff game. It has 10.
“Each week is a playoff game for us,” said Golden Tornado coach Eric Christy, whose team went 2-8 a year ago. “Let’s see how we handle them, one week at a time, and we’ll check that off. Can we be 10-0 in the playoffs? Or can we be 8-2 in the playoffs? What are we going to do?”
With the team facing relative unknowns, both internally and externally, the latter question will be answered as the season rolls on.
The first four opponents on Butler’s schedule this year are the same as the first four the previous one. The Golden Tornado are also familiar with their Week 5 opponent, having played Westinghouse last year, too.
“We want a quick start,” Christy said. “We want to get into it right off the bat.”
After that, as part of the team’s independent schedule, Christy and his crew venture into the unknown. Butler has never played West Virginia schools University or Wheeling Park. Central Clarion either. The last time it played Connellsville was 2003 and Taylor Allderdice 1954.
“By (that part of the schedule), we should be able to have film on teams and be able to get that and start planning for them,” Christy said.
Since the 2021 season, the Golden Tornado are 4-13 in games played away from Art Bernardi Stadium. None of their road games this season are less than an hour’s drive away.
“I’ve felt like traditionally we’ve struggled on the road in general,” Christy said. “It can be a two-minute trip or an hour-and-a-half ... it just doesn’t matter, for some reason, stepping out.”
When the band can’t also make the trip to a game because of the distance and the team walks out to just families in the stands, it can be difficult.
“You’ve got to generate (energy) inside,” Christy said. “I think that’s something for our team to concentrate on. Not worry about the audience noise or the crowd noise. ... Let’s keep it within and (have) us generate it.”
Senior running back/linebacker Evan Rensel isn’t worried about where he and his teammate have to go. He’s excited for whatever competition is ahead.
“Every game is an opportunity to win,” Rensel said. “We want to get this program back on its feet, and I think a great season is the way to do that. ... Our big thing is changing the culture.”
1. Competitive environment
Christy doesn’t want to see complacency. He feels motivation provides the best results and conducts practices with that viewpoint.
“We’ve ran two offensive huddles through camp,” Christy said. “Guys who we think are the first team and guys who are right behind them, trying to challenge them. ... We’ve got interchangeable parts moving, and I think that’s the way it should be any time. No one should ever feel comfortable (with their playing time). You should always feel pressure.”
2. Catching on
Butler’s group of receivers is the biggest example of the widespread competition.
Christy said seven wideouts are fighting for three varsity spots. Multiple are ready for the bright lights of Friday night, he added. Seniors Quinlan Hanley and Owen Trettel, juniors Preston Simko and Marcus Vicari and sophomore Nash Cuffman are included in that group.
Sophomore Nico Baggetta could play as a wildcat quarterback, briefly spelling starting signal-caller Alec Teff and adding a wrinkle to the attack. Junior Tyson Pino has impressed at receiver and is also lining up at safety.
3. All angles
The Golden Tornado aren’t as deep as they’d prefer when it comes to bigger guys. The way they’re combatting that is by expanding upon their strengths, which include a wealth of skill players.
Christy envisions a defense where defenders are attacking the ball from all angles.
“Defensively speaking, we’re going to try to get a lot of those ... skill guys as much as we can and get them running around,” Christy said. “Adjusting defensive fronts and looks to be able to get more of those guys out on the field is something that Coach (Darrell) Smith is trying to work through — and the other defensive coaches — to make sure we get as many athletes on the field as we can.”
- Friday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m. - vs. Shaler
- Friday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m. - vs. Brashear
- Friday, Sept. 6, 7 p.m. - at Meadville
- Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. - at Hollidaysburg
- Friday, Sept. 20, 7 pm. - vs. Westinghouse
- Friday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. - at Connellsville
- Friday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. - at University (WV)
- Thursday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. - vs. Taylor Allderdice
- Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m. - at Wheeling Park (WV)
- Friday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. - vs. Central Clarion
* connotes division/conference game
