Chris Butler
Graduating class: 1991
Inducted into Hall of Fame: 2018
Hall of Fame Category: Athlete
For three winter seasons from 1988 – 1991 Christopher Butler was the dominant big man on the Blue Devil basketball team. He began his Varsity career as a 6’ 4” sophomore and had a good season scoring 166 points for a team that finished 8-12 in Hall of Fame Coach Bob Baldwin’s first season. Chris had a breakout season during his junior year for the Blue Devils. He averaged 17 points per game and led his team back into the post season State Tournament with a 13-8 record. His outstanding play caught the attention of many New England D-II colleges, and Chris decided to make an early decision and accept a full scholarship to Stonehill College.
With the pressure of making a college decision removed so early, Chris was able to keep his focus completely on the basketball court during his senior season. He had now developed into a 6’ 7” dominating post player, and fulfilled all of his potential as a complete basketball player. In his last regular season game Chris scored 30 points against Dartmouth to set the stage for Fairhaven’s run in the State Tournament in Division II. Chris had averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game leading his team to a 16-4 record and a co-championship in the South Coast Conference with Apponequet and Seekonk.
The Blue Devils opened the post-season with a 60-50 home victory against their conference rival Apponequet, with sophomore Nate Pickup scoring 29 points and Chris adding 18 points and 17 rebounds to the cause. Next up was a tough road game at number two seeded Rockland. Fairhaven fell behind 18-5 in front of a very hostile crowd, and then came charging back to take a five point lead at half-time. They held on to beat Rockland 55-51 with Chris scoring 18 points to go along with 12 rebounds. The South Sectional Semi-Final matchup was in Brockton against #3 seeded Jeremiah Burke and it was a battle. Burke won the game 61-54 but Chris ended his high school career with a 25 point / 15 rebound effort. The Blue Devils finished their terrific season with a record of 18-5.
Chris Butler had capped off his high school career with his best individual season statistically which left him with 920 career points, and a member of every area All-Star Team as well. He was also chosen as the winner of the annual Dave Cowens Award in 1991 given to the outstanding high school basketball player in Southeastern Massachusetts. Coach Baldwin states that “Chris was a coach’s dream. He was dedicated, unselfish and extremely motivated to make himself and his team better”. Chris Butler went on to have an outstanding career on the Division II collegiate level with Stonehill College in Easton, MA where he became a 1,000 point scorer.