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Showing love, sportsmanship: Butts presents officiating crew with game ball at county rivalry game
With Clay City and Northview scheduled to play a boys basketball game against each other for the first time in 733 days, there was a prime opportunity for the school’s principals – Clay City’s Jeff Bell and Northview’s Chris Mauk – to thank their respective communities for all of the donations and prayers that have been sent the Butts and Rains family’s way after the automobile accident that left Clay City junior Russell Butts and his older brother and Northview alum Corbin Butts with countless injuries and a long pathway towards recovery.
So, with the Eel Dome packed to the gills, Bell and Mauk walked out in front of the scorer’s table with a microphone in hand prior to the game getting tipped off.
Bell thanked the Clay City community, as well as the Brazil community, for all of the thoughts and monetary efforts that have helped, and continue to help, Russell and Corbin get healed up with proper medical care. He then turned it over to Mauk, who echoed Bell’s sentiments and thanked Northview juniors Halle Miller and Katie Morrison for spearheading the school’s various fundraisers throughout the last several weeks.
Once both principals had finished thanking the crowd that was on hand Wednesday night, Bell brought Russell over and handed him the game ball and had him walk to midcourt where the 6-foot-1 forward presented it to the officiating crew.
With every person on their feet and cheering for Butts, he made the trip back to the Clay City sideline where his teammates and coaches embraced him with hugs and high-fives. Butts gave a wave to the crowd to show his appreciation and then returned to his seat at the end of the bench where he cheered on the Eels.
Afterwards, Clay City head boys basketball coach Chris Ames was grateful for the moment Butts got to have in front of his family and all of Clay County. Ames, who has lived in both the northern and southern parts of the county, stated over and over just how special the people are that make up the communities.
“This is a special place to be. There’s nothing better than Clay County. Now, I’m a little biased towards southern Clay County but I grew up in the northern part and it’s a great place and a great community. This, and I think Mr. Mauk and Mr. Bell said it, is a great place to be. You can’t take that for granted,” said Ames.
“People in this community take care of each other. It’s been that way for hundreds of years and it’s going to continue because that’s the way these kids have been raised. That’s what we need. [The Butts brothers] are walking miracles, and I say that wholeheartedly because sometimes, you need to put things into perspective. We were without some kids tonight, that’s a part of basketball, but Russ was here and that’s all that matters.”