The Hampden Academy stadium announcer called Malcolm Butler’s name a lot on Friday night, especially in the second half.
That’s because with the game on the line, Butler made play after play to help his John Bapst Crusaders storm back for a 20-13 win over the home team from Hampden.
Butler does a little bit of everything for the 8-0 John Bapst team, which finished the regular season at the top of Class D North. He is a running back on offense, a safety on defense, and even serves as the placekicker for the Crusaders on special teams.
And he certainly had a special second half in Friday night’s comeback win.
Butler nabbed two pivotal interceptions in the defensive backfield, scored two touchdowns on offense, and made a pivotal extra point that gave his team its first lead in the fourth quarter — a lead they would not relinquish after trailing most of the game.
Butler had already uncorked a 58-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 13-13 in the fourth quarter. But his work wasn’t done there. He then had to line up for the extra point in his additional role as the team’s kicker.
After having just run over half the field on a single play, Butler knocked the extra point through the uprights to give the Crusaders a 14-13 lead.
“He’s great. He works hard and he’s very talented,” John Bapst head coach Dan O’Connell said about Butler after the game. “I think the best part about what we do offensively and defensively, and I think Malcolm would say this, is that we have to play in an unselfish manner. When he has to block, we need him to commit to that. When he has to kick, we’re happy he does that. And we’re happy he makes big plays on offense and defense.”
Asked about his individual production on Friday night, Butler pointed to the work done by his teammates.
“It was definitely a team effort. I can’t do any of this without my teammates, all of them,” the senior co-captain said. “Good blocking on the perimeter in the second half — I can’t just do it myself, you know.”
As for how Butler is able to run all over the field and then calmly knock down kicks immediately after, the senior triple-threat said he relies on routine.
“I just have a little ceremony,” said Butler, who explained how he rubs the helmet of quarterback and holder Aiden Ouellette before each kick. “And that’s just my lucky charm.”
O’Connell said that in 23 years as the Crusaders coach, he hasn’t had a player who can take a play 80 yards for a score and then turn around to handle kicking duties. The longtime coach noted that, after Butler’s long touchdown run in the second half against Hampden Academy, his offensive coordinator asked over the headset if Butler needed a break before the kick.
“And when I yelled to Malcolm, ‘Hey, slow it down,’ he looked at me and gave me the thumbs up.” O’Connell said. “He patted Aiden on the head, then he moved back, then he kicked it through. Pretty special to watch.”
