Tommy Butler, Hiawatha aiming for big season

KIRKLAND – Tommy Butler has literally been a leader on the field for three years, plowing the way as lead blocker for a stable of speedy Hiawatha running backs.

Butler may be running the ball more as the senior becomes a team leader for a Hawks team that graduated 11 seniors.

“It’s definitely been a work in progress,” Butler said. “But now that we’ve gotten to the point in this season, everybody’s coming together and really showing, I would say, good team love for everyone. Everybody wants to be something. I like all the energy and effort everybody is putting in every day. It really makes me want to be a good leader for the team.”

Butler spent the past three years as lead blocker for Cole Brantley and Lucas Norvell. He’ll still be a lead blocker for sophomore Tim Pruitt, but second-year coach Kenny McPeek said there will be more misdirection in the Hawks’ offense, which will result in more carries for Butler.

McPeek said he’s always been impressed with Butler’s ability on the field. He said he likes the way Butler has stepped up as one of five returning seniors on this year’s team.

“He’s always been a leader, he just always had to take a step behind the older guys,” McPeek said. “I think that was harder than being the front-and-center leader now. He wants to be that guy all the time. That’s just his attitude.”

Pruitt will be in the backfield with Butler this season, bringing speed and explosiveness if he can get to the edge, McPeek said.

McPeek said the team will do more things schematically to get the ball to Butler.

“I’m definitely more excited,” Butler said. “I’m happy to get more yards and see what I can do at the running back position, to see how many yards I can get.”

Senior three-year starter Mike Bryowsky returns to center, while senior Braden Ross, a stalwart on the defensive line for the Hawks, may also see time blocking.

Junior Aiden Cooper will take over at quarterback. He’s had some time there the past two seasons but will take over full-time.

“It might be a little rough starting, but I’ll get into it,” Cooper said. “Getting the flow of everyone, handling everyone, getting them all in order.”

McPeek said there are 28 players on the roster, down from the 31 last year, but still higher than where the team was before it transitioned to eight-man.

McPeek said one of the big focuses is making sure the team is physically ready for four quarters of 8-man football.

“That’s one thing that dragged us down last year, their ability to last long in games,” McPeek said. “That’s where we’re at. We’re doing a lot more running. Punishment isn’t running. We’re running no matter what, so we’re trying to change the attitude and the atmosphere of the whole thing.”

McPeek said there may be some freshmen starting for the Hawks this year as well, pointing to Colby Wylde at safety and Kaden Rasmus at linebacker. A coach for the Kirkland-Kingston-Genoa area youth team, McPeek said he’s coached five of the six freshmen on the team since they were five years old.

For a team that went 4-5 last year and has made three straight postseasons at the 8-man level, McPeek said getting the young players up to speed is important.

Players like Butler and Cooper, who played as freshmen, know what that’s like.

“The younger kids have some stepping up to do,” Cooper said. “They’re going to need to mature a lot before the first game. But they’ll get there. They’ll get the hang of things once we get into it.”

Hiawatha at a glance

Coach: Kenny McPeek

2023 record: 4-6

Top players: Tommy Butler, sr., RB/LB; Aiden Cooper, jr., DE/QB; Braden Ross, sr., DL; Mike Bryowsky, sr., OL; Tim Pruitt, soph., RB; Michael Hobson, jr., TE

Schedule: Aug. 30 at Rockford Christian Life; Sept. 6 West Carroll; Sept. 13 at Polo; Sept. 20 South Beloit; Sept. 27 at River Ridge; Oct. 4 Orangeville; Oct. 11 Ashton-Franklin Center; Aug. 18 at Alden-Hebron; Aug. 25 Milledgeville