After the Lincoln High School football team suffered a tough loss to St. Anthony last week, senior quarterback Ronald Butler took the setback to heart. Butler didn’t play poorly in the Lions’ 42-16 loss to the Friars, but he still wanted to blame himself for the loss.
“It took it personally,” Butler said. “I don’t look at my statistics as to whether I played a bad game. We lost. I’m the quarterback. So that means I had a bad game and I took it personally.”
Butler made sure that the Lions didn’t bemoan the setback to St. Anthony for long.
“I knew we had to come back with our heads up against Hoboken,” Butler said. “None of us like losing games. I knew we were going to come back. No one was really down. We come back. That’s what we do.”
However, midway through the second quarter last Saturday against the undefeated Red Wings, the Lions found themselves trailing once again, this time by the score of 18-0.
“I knew we just had to make a play,” Butler said. “We just needed someone to make a play to get us going. If someone made a play, it could turn the whole game around.”
“We just needed to get out of the St. Anthony hangover,” Lincoln head coach Robert Hampton said. “Ronald stepped it up. He said he could do things to lead us. He was the man. Ronald is a shy kid who doesn’t say much, but you could see he was ready to play.”
Butler then started to make play after play, compiling one of the best all-around games a quarterback has ever enjoyed in Hudson County history.
Butler completed six-of-10 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 203 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also converted on two PAT conversion passes, leading the Lions to the critical 42-18 comeback victory over previously unbeaten Hoboken.
No Hudson County quarterback in recent memory had rushed and thrown for more than 200 yards in the same game.
For his efforts, Butler has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Butler is the second Lion grid standout to earn the honor this fall, joining teammate Ty Stevens.
Unlike Stevens, who was born and bred to be a running back, Butler was a reluctant quarterback. He thought he should be playing wide receiver, the first position he had when he entered Lincoln four years ago.
“He was such a gifted receiver and it’s probably his best position,” Hampton said. “So, yes, he didn’t want to be a quarterback. I tried to sell him on the idea that he could be a poor man’s Will Hill [referring to the former St. Peter’s Prep great now playing at the University of Florida]. Every time Hill came into a game at quarterback, he commanded attention and you knew he was going to make the big play. That’s what we wanted from Ronald.”
“At first, I didn’t like it at all,” Butler said. “I went home and told my mother, ‘Coach Hampton is going to try to make me play quarterback.’ I really didn’t want it. But my Mom told me that if the coach thought it was right, then it was right for the team. I knew that I wanted to win more than I wanted to play receiver.”
Butler got a little taste at being a quarterback, when he threw a touchdown pass as a sophomore in the state playoff loss to Caldwell. He then played there a few games last year when starter Lamar McKnight went down with an injury.
But to start this year, the job of signal caller was all Butler’s.
“I figured that if I had time to learn and I had the role, I could do it,” Butler said. “I knew I could make the best of it.”
Hampton knew that Butler was poised for a breakthrough game against the Red Wings.
“After that St. Anthony game, I could see that Ronald was trying to will the team to the win,” Hampton said. “You could tell it was coming. Ronald had to do a little bit more and he did. He got everyone involved and you can see what happened. It’s insane.”
Hampton said that Butler’s performance has turned the Lions into a better team.
“We’re a true spread team now, much like West Virginia was with Pat White [the former Miami Dolphins’ QB],” Hampton said. “You really don’t know if he’s going to run or pass. You have to account for him every play. And Ronald’s performance has inspired the defense to play better.
Added Hampton, “I asked Ronald what he wanted his legacy to be. He said he wanted to lead our team to a state championship. I’ve been fortunate to have had some decent signal callers in the past, but Ronald is definitely leading this team and the team is relying on him. It makes the game a lot easier.”
Hampton said that he did some research about Butler’s game and realized no Lincoln quarterback ever posted those numbers.
“I am very happy for Ronald,” Hampton said. “I went through some old yearbooks and talked to some of the Lincoln legends and no one has seen or heard of anything like this. It’s just Ronald being Ronald and it’s a beautiful thing to see.”
Butler had no idea he was creating history.
“After the game, I had people coming up to me all weekend, congratulating me and asking me if I really got 200 yards passing and running,” Butler said. “I really didn’t feel like I had that much. I never want to think that I’m better than the team. Other people made it bigger than what it was. I’m just glad we got the win.”
Butler feels like he can do that every week. He has a tough test this week in facing North Bergen.
“I feel more confident now,” Butler said. “I know what I have to do. I have to keep my eyes downfield and look to make plays. I have to do the simple things that make me a better quarterback.”
Yes, the reluctant quarterback is settled into his digs as the Lions’ signal caller.
“I’m comfortable with it now,” Butler said. “It’s a great feeling.”
Butler began the season ranked among the top all-around football players in New Jersey. The McCarthy Report had him listed at No. 55. Rivals places Butler somewhere in the 70-range.
“There are so many good players in New Jersey and for me to be in the top 100 is just spectacular,” Butler said.
Butler is being looked at by schools like Pittsburgh and Rutgers, but as a defensive back. He also has another challenge in front of him.
“I have to work on my grades and SATS in order to get eligible,” Butler said. “Hopefully, I can do well. Most colleges want me as a defensive back, but I want to prove to everyone that I can do a little bit of everything.”
Hoboken already knows that all too well. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.