Senior Kylie Butler scored 36 points, one point shy of tying a career high, and entered rare territory in Wisconsin high school basketball. She became just the 43rd player in state history to reach the 2,000 point career milestone. The accomplishment came as her current school, Argyle-Pecatonica, demolished her childhood school district, Black Hawk, 79-22 in Six Rivers East Conference action on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The feat also came on the birthday of her mother and assistant coach, Angie Butler.
Butler’s coach, Jen Krogman, said that Kylie is one of those rare athletes that come along only once in a while.
“Coaches don’t make those kids. Parents do. I truly believe her family is what made her the player she is,” said Krogman.
Butler grew up attending the Black Hawk school district, and her five siblings all graduated from the school, carving their names into Warrior lore along the way. Four of her five siblings are in the 1,000-point club. Sister Bailey, a 2021 Black Hawk graduate and former state player of the year, nearly reached the 2,000-point threshold, finishing her career with 1,960. Kylie said in an interview her goal was to surpass Bailey.
As a freshman, Kylie Butler played at Darlington, averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game and First Team All-SWAL honors. As a sophomore, she transferred to Argyle. That year, Argyle formed its co-op with Pecatonica and went 26-2 and reached the Division 5 State semifinal, losing to conference rival and eventual state champion Albany-Monticello 37-31. Butler averaged 22.4 points per game that season, the highest in the Six Rivers East, and was named league Co-Player of the Year.
For the 2024-2025 season, Butler averaged 22.5 points per game and earned First Team All-Six Rivers East for the second time. AP went 22-4, but lost to Belleville 61-58 in a Division 4 regional championship game.
This season, Butler is averaging 22.2 points per game while shooting 48% from the floor. She has long committed to playing college basketball at UW-Milwaukee. Butler was already one of eight players in Argyle girls basketball history with over 1,000 career points. Her 1,590 points at Argyle are the most for a girl in school history, recently passing Crystal Stietz (1993-1997), who had 1,568. Travis Tuttle (1988-1992) is the school’s all-time leader with 2,322. Butler is also the leading scorer in Pecatonica girls basketball history, while her assistant coach, AJ Hendrickson, is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,177.
Krogman added that Butler “is a true testament to working your best when people aren’t watching, and reaping the benefits when people are watching.”
In the win over Black Hawk (4-13, 1-8 Six Rivers East), Butler’s teammate, junior Brooke Wellnitz, scored 16 points. AP shot 58% from the field, including 35% from downtown. AP also had assists on 19 baskets and recorded 17 steals. Black Hawk, meanwhile, had just four assists, four steals, shot 21% from the floor and went without a 3-pointer.
Six Rivers crossover games were scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30, as Argyle-Pecatonica (15-2, 9-1) was to host Highland and Black Hawk was welcoming River Ridge. Black Hawk will then host Stockton on Monday, Feb. 2 before traveling to Albany-Monticello on Feb. 5. AP is scheduled to host Juda the same night.
