Sports Editor A red 1992 Chevrolet two-door pickup truck parked on the curb in front of Piedmont’s multi-million-dollar softball facility is beginning to show its mileage.It’s an unassuming ride for the most decorated athlete in the history of Piedmont High School.
“It’s done the job,” Brianna Butler says and smiles.
If anyone has done the job, it’s Butler. A valedictorian in the class of 2023, Butler has been part of more state championships in the past four years than any other student-athlete in the history of Piedmont High School, athletic director Matt Bilyeu confirmed.
Butler is short in stature, but her list of accomplishments read like a New York City phonebook.
She’s a three-time state champion with the softball team, just won a state title with the Lady Wildcats soccer squad, and Butler played percussion in the Pride of Piedmont’s Bandmasters state championship. She was also a valedictorian.
“I was very shocked,” said Butler of her initial reaction to breaking the record. “All this hard work over the last four years has paid off in a way that I couldn’t have even imagined.”
It’s taken many late nights and early mornings to get here. There were too many rides to and from games, practices and school to count, Butler said. Before she got her truck, Butler relied on rides from Clara Pyle, the older sister of her best friend, Aubrey Pyle to get around.
Even when it was difficult, Butler never slowed down.
“High school is short, and you can’t waste a bit of it,” she said.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Born and raised in south Texas near Corpus Christi, Butler’s mom, Christle was a successful athlete in high school and also played in the band.
“I was always very determined and tried to succeed at as many things as I could. Life is short, so why not?
“I never wanted my girls to slow down. However, it was a balancing act,” Christle said. “I realized (Brianna) was going to tell me when enough was enough. She’s a very strong woman that knows what she wants, and she has proven that.”
Christle moved her three girls, Bailey, Brooke and Brianna to Piedmont when they were in elementary school. ‘Turkey,’ ‘Duck’ and ‘Goose’ have earned their nicknames during softball practice over the years.
Things haven’t always been easy for Butler, even if she made them look that way. She tore the ACL in her right knee during a club soccer game in 2021.
Two weeks later, she was a pinch runner for PHS at the state tournament as the Lady Wildcats won their second state championship. At the end of softball season, Butler delayed her surgery to play with the Pride of Piedmont in the Bandmasters contest, where she won another state championship.
“I knew that I had to push through it,” Butler said.
Dr. Michael Kiehn surgically repaired Butler’s ACL injury. Soon after, she began her recovery process, which became yet another of her success stories.
During rehab visits, the staff at Select Physical Therapy and PHS trainer Brian Smith marveled at Butler’s leg strength, and in less than nine months, ‘Goose’ was back at full strength.
Two weeks ago, Butler played her role as a tenacious defender perfectly in Piedmont’s 2-1 win over Bishop McGuinness in the Class 5A soccer state championship game. Her success was no surprise to head coach Brad Brucker, who got a glimpse of Butler’s competitive nature during a summer camp before her freshman year of high school.
“Usually, at the end of those camps, I will hop in and play with them and a lot of times, our female athletes are scared to go up against me or kind of shy away,” Brucker said. “That girl came straight at me, and I realized at that point that there was something different about that kid.”
Butler’s speed helped her carve out a role as a pinch runner on the softball field. Even after her knee injury, Butler continued to be a factor on the basepaths. She did her job so well that she earned All-District honors as a runner.
“That is so extremely rare,” coach Keith Coleman said.
As her final official act as a PHS student, Butler gave a Valedictorian speech during the school’s commencement ceremony last week. Later that evening, she walked across the stage as one of the most distinguished graduates in school history.
“It’s numbing in a great way, because I’m so proud of her. It took a lot of dedication,” Christle said. “As a mom, you always hope for the best for your kids, and you pray they’re safe at all times and you hope they do all the best things you’ve ever wanted. She’s far exceeded everything.”
Butler is headed to Oklahoma State University for college, where she plans to major in architectural engineering in OSU’s honors college. One day, she hopes to design self-sustaining buildings that don’t rely on traditional utilities.
No matter where her career path may take her, Piedmont will always be the place that her story began.
“I have built so many friendships – families really – across the entire student body. You’ve got to think, band, soccer and softball are three very different activities,” she said. “And, so, having those connections have really pushed me and inspired me to keep going, because I know I have a large group of people behind me wanting me to succeed…Piedmont has really taught me that connections make a difference.”
