Butler made the WPIAL playoffs in Nate’s sophmore thru senior years. In junior year Butler finished 3rd in WPIAL tournament and was a PIAA quarter finalist. In senior year Butler again finished 3rd in WPIAL tournament despite being the 15 seed in the tournament. The team would not have had any of this success without Nate at point-guard.

Nate’s senior year was special. Not only did he do the “heavy” ball handling of the point guard, he scored 514 points, averaged 21 points and 5.7 assists per game. He averaged 91% at the foul line(170 of 189), field-goal 49%, 3-point 44%. . He played his best games at the end of the season and during the WPIAL playoffs. Averaged 33.5 points in WPIAL playoff games.

NATE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
4.51 GPA, Highest in Butler Senior class
WPIAL Scholar Athlete(runner-up)
Post-Gazette Fab-Five
P-G North Fab-Five
All-State Quad-A 3rd Team
Pittsburgh Tribune Review “Terrific Ten”
WPIAL Section 3 All Section Team
Butler County Boy’s Player of the Year presented by the Butler Eagle
Coaches All-Star game at Chartiers Valley & Round-ball Classic at Geneva College
Committed to U.S. Naval Academy on a full scholarship
Clearview Federal Credit Union Student Athlete of the week
Pittsburgh Basketball Report Player of the week
Scored 1132 career points, 4th behind Shawn Bellis, Mark Maier and Tyrell Sales
Scored 42 points in one game, 5th behind Shawn Bellis, John Graham, Bill Saul and Mark Maier
We believe his 91% foul shooting is highest ever at Butler

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Nate’s greatest game:
In the quarter final round of the WPIAL playoffs, trying to beat North Allegheny for the 3rd time in the season, Nate had maybe the greatest 2nd half of a game in Butler history.
He took over the game scoring 32 of Butler’s 42 2nd half points. He made a desperation 3 pointer with 2 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Nate then controlled the ball for the final 3 1/2 minutes and made the winning shot with 2 seconds left in overtime. The win sent Butler into the WPIAL semi-finals and the PIAA tournament.

In this same game Nate set up Cody West for 8 3-pointers(tying a WPIAL Quad-A playoff record). Together, Nate and Cody scored 60 of Butler’s points in a 63-61 victory. A truly remarkable game.

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The coaches went out of their way to praise each player for their effort and improvement and challenge the underclassmen to exceed the level of play of previous teams. Open gyms start this week.

At the end of banquet each senior stood up and passed on their “words of wisdom” to the underclassmen. Matt Baranchak was clearly the most “moved” by his basketball experience.

The words I heard used the most was “respect”. It is obvious that there is mutual respect between the coaches and  players.

It is also obvious that Coach Clement has established an environment for player improvement and the players have bought into it.

Click below to read the Butler Eagle article.

In 1991 Butler beat Hempfield to win the WPIAL championship. Unarguably this was the greatest win because it provided Butler’s only WPIAL championship.

Last year, 20 years later, Butler came up with another great win. Led by Bobby Swartout (and Zach Slater’s 3 pointer in overtime) they upset top-seeded Shaler in the qtr-finals of the WPIAL tournament. This win got them into the PIAA tournament where they won 2 more games before losing in the state quarter finals.

Was the Butler boys win against North Allegheny last Saturday at Fox Chapel the equal (or better than?) the 1991 and 2011 wins? Was the performance by Nate Snodgrass and Cody West the best performance by two Butler players ever? Was the 2nd-half performance by Nate Snodgrass the best ever by a Butler player. I have been watching Butler basketball since the early ’50′s and I say “yes” to all three questions.

When you consider this was the third win this year against long time nemesis North Allegheny, kept us alive to win the WPIAL championship and qualified us for the PIAA tournament and when you look at how well North Allegheny played and how the game was won, I don’t think there is any question this was maybe the best ever game.

When have you seen a game where one player, Cody West, opened the game making 6 consecutive 3 pointers and scoring the 1st 18 points of the game for Butler. Cody ended up with 8 three pointers(tieing the WPIAL Quad-A playoff record) and 26 points.

In the 2nd half Nate Snodgrass took over the game scoring 32 of Butler’s 42 2nd half points. He made a desperation 3 pointer with 2 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Nate then controlled the ball for 3 1/2 minutes and made the winning shot with 2 seconds left in overtime.

This game had a lot on the line and Cody and Nate “stepped up” to make Butler’s maybe greatest win happen.

Your comments to my opinions would be appreciated. Please comment about other great games you remember. Click the O in the upper right corner of the posting to enter your comment.

Needing a win in the last game of the season against Seneca Valley and down by 7 points with 5 minutes to play, the boys “refused to lose”. Led by the seniors they rallied to tie the game in regulation and the 1st overtime. In the 2nd overtime, with the score tied Seneca is holding the ball for the last shot. They missed the shot and David Tompkins got the rebound, outletted to Nate Snodgrass who rushed down the court and made a beautiful pass to Matt Baranchak who “laid it in” as time expired. Butler 52 Seneca Valley 50.

The Butler players and students rushed on to the floor and there was a big pile of celebrants under the Butler hoop.

With the win Butler is part of a 3-way tie for 3rd & 4th place in the section and qualifies for the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row.