News

Butler all-conference linebacker Tyrell Sales watched Virginia Tech's lopsided victory over Marshall on ESPN Thursday. On Friday morning, Virginia Tech came looking for him.

"I sat down at school, and the teacher put a Virginia Tech letter on my desk," Sales said. "I had just watched them beat on Marshall. It was wild."

It was the first recruiting letter from Virginia Tech for Sales, who is only three games into his junior season but already considered one of the top linebackers in recent memory at the Quad A school.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder also is drawing interest from Pitt and Purdue, and many more Division I schools are sure to join the list.

First-year coach Garry Cathell sent a pair of linebackers to Virginia Tech during his days at Peters Township — Jason Berish and Bob Ruff — and he compares Sales to the two Division I players.

"They were great linebackers and at this level in his career, Tyrell is much better than them," he said. "If college coaches aren't taking a look at him, I don't know what they want. Everyone we play against knows about him."

For sure, Sales is a big reason for high expectations at Butler. The Golden Tornado have reached the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs only once in the past six seasons. One victory this season came via forfeit, when Kiski Area admitted using an ineligible player in its 29-28 overtime decision.

Sales joins senior John Pribis and Pete Lavorini to form one of the top linebacking corps in the Quad North.

"I want to get 100 tackles," Sales said. "But mostly I want to make the playoffs as a team."

Sales burst onto the scene last season as an athletic, mean-spirited linebacker for last-place Butler. The Quad North coaches voted him to the second-team all-conference, making him the only sophomore to earn first or second-team all-Quad North honors on defense.

Sales, who has 17 tackles in the opening two games, is a devastating pass-rusher.

"No one guy is going to be able to block him," Cathell said. "They may slow him down, but he will find a way."

Standout linebackers are rare at Butler Area High School. Golden Tornado football fan Ed Codi has a Web site dedicated to the Butler football program, and on his list of the all-time top players from 1950-2000, the most recent linebacker is Matt Bachman from the early 1980s.

Sales is assured of making the list.

"I believe he's one of the top linebackers in all of western Pennsylvania," Cathell said. "He does everything well. He has all the physical tools. He has tremendous growing potential. He has good speed and quickness, he's intelligent, and he hits like a truck.

"He's one of the best I've seen. I saw Brandon Short and Ron Graham, and I really believe Tyrell could be a dominating force. I think he's going to continue to get better and better. I'll be surprised — and disappointed — if he's not offered a scholarship at the end of the year."

Sales is a three-sport standout at the largest school in the WPIAL. He was an all-section basketball player last winter and placed in the top six in the discus and javelin at the 2002 WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field championships.

But football is his meal ticket. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds. He bench presses 300 pounds and squats 400. His teeth-rattling tackles are required viewing at the booster club film review on Thursday night.

Sales' two tackles on Albert Gallatin quarterback Zack Dawson in last week's 35-8 victory drew gasps from the roomful of boosters.

"It looked like a whale swallowing up a fish," Cathell said.

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News