Voice of the BAMFL
This is the first in a series of articles profiling the 2023 Butler Football Hometown Hero honorees.
Randy Fillhart never played football. He didn’t even know the game.
He learned by going to practice — his younger brother’s Butler Area Midget Football League practice.
“Ted was playing for the Lyndora Copperheads,” Fillhart recalled. “My dad and I used to go over to the field and watch him. I wound up hanging around and began learning about football.”
By age 16, he was one of the assistant coaches. Two years later, Fillhart found himself in the public address booth at Memorial Park.
“I was at a game one time and noticed there was only one guy in that booth,” he said. “He played the national anthem — on a 45 rpm record back then — and worked the scoreboard. Nothing was really announced to the crown during the game.”
Don McDonald was the man in the booth. Fillhart decided to go up and ask if he needed some help.
He became a fixture in that booth for 38 years.
McDonald left the booth a year or so later and Fillhart took over. He expanded his own role.
“The team rosters were already in the booth, so I started announcing plays,” Fillhart said. “I worked the scoreboard and wrote down scoring plays so I could submit a summary to the Butler Eagle and the radio station.
“It got a little hectic in there at times.”
Fillhart stayed with it for 38 years, however, finally leaving the booth in 2012. His dedication to Butler youth football will be recognized by the Butler Football Hometown Hero organization as one of its five honorees prior to the Golden Tornado’s varsity football home opener against Meadville Sept. 1 at Art Bernardi Stadium.
Mickey Haley, John Hartle, Craig Lucas and Jay Miranda will also be recognized.
“I’m very honored by this,” Fillhart said. “I’m not sure why they’re choosing me, but I really enjoyed my time with that league. Once things started to change and they (BAMFL) joined another youth league, I figured that was a good time to go ... 38 years was long enough.”
All of Fillhart’s work with the BAMFL was volunteer — and he assisted the league beyond manning the public address booth. He helped distribute equipment at the start of each season, helped paint the field at Memorial Park, stayed around to help clean up after games.
He filled in briefly as the p.a. announcer for high school games and did some work on the chain gang on Friday nights.
“I was kinda the add-on guy, filled in when they needed someone,” Fillhart said of working the chains. “But I was always welcome.
“I wasn’t a parent, never had a kid playing ... I just liked being around it. I saw how the kids learned teamwork, discipline, sportsmanship, all of those things.”
Fillhart became a member of the BAMFL Board of Directors in 1980. He recalled working the league championship games, all-star games, and games when the BAMFL all-stars played teams from other towns.
“The stands were packed with people, no place to park,” he said. “We had as many as 2,500 people down there on a Saturday. Those were great times.
“I know there are a lot of big names in there (Hometown Hero inductees). I’m going to be part of that. I’m looking forward to it.”
