VANDERGRIFT - Mychal Skinner struck before lightning did Friday night at Davis Field.

Skinner returned a Butler punt 95 yards for a touchdown with 8:17 left in the second quarter, breaking open a close game and guiding Kiski Area to a 27-10 high school football victory.

"A couple of plays changed the complexion of this entire game," Butler coach Garry Cathell said.

Skinner's punt return was definitely one of them.

The Cavaliers were leading 7-3 when Butler's Andrew Goettler got away his best punt of the night, a 47-yarder that Skinner muffed while trying to make an over-the-shoulder catch.

The ball caromed toward the sideline and Skinner corralled it at his own 5-yard line.

"Butler's kids were running downfield with blood in their eyes," Kiski coach Dave Grimm. "They figured they were going to jump on him down there.

"That bobble probably gave that wall time to form. That's Kiski football, forming the wall and running behind it. They've been doing that here for years," he added.

Skinner avoided two Golden Tornado tacklers and sprinted across the field toward the right sideline, outrunning the pursuit to the end zone as Kiski took a 14-3 lead.

Later in the half, Skinner returned a punt 42 yards to set up a 55-yard scoring drive. Skinner scored the touchdown on a 15-yard rollout with 1:33 left in the half.

The PAT was blocked, but the Cavaliers had a 20-3 lead at halftime - along with 186 yards on kick and punt returns.

"That really surprised me," Cathell said. "We didn't have that problem last year.

"Once we fell behind big, we had to keep throwing the football and they (Kiski's line) knew it. They were rushing seven, and with our three-receiver sets, we only had six guys to block. They had a good scheme," he added.

The Cavaliers sacked Butler sophomore quarterback Nick Monteleone six times and hurried him on numerous occasions.

"When we were up 20-3, I told our kids not to worry about the trap or dive up the middle," Grimm said. "They were gonna throw the ball."

The Tornado did run the ball somewhat effectively. Bobby Ridley had eight carries for 57 yards in the first half before leaving the game with a concussion. Ridley had a 37-yard run to set up a Chris Haley 28-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Bob Alexander replaced him and had five carries for 70 yards.

Kiski tailback Nate Kriger had 19 carries for 144 yards and a touchdown. Kriger's 50-yard run set up his own 1-yard TD burst on the Cavaliers' first possession.

Kiski had a 27-3 lead with 4:02 remaining when the rains came and a lightning strike suspended play for 30 minutes.

"I told Dave (Grimm) we weren't going to quit," Cathell said. "I didn't want to call the game. I'm not going to send my kids that kind of message."

Shortly after play resumed, Butler linebacker Phil Scialabba recovered a Kiski fumble and returned it 15 yards to the Cavaliers' 11-yard line. Scialabba also had an interception earlier in the game.

Alexander scored on the next play for the Tornado's first touchdown of the season.

"The kids will keep on working. We'll all keep on working," Cathell said. "You never want to lose, but you can't have people jumping ship, which you know some people will do.

"We had a lot of sophomores get some valuable experience. I saw some good things. We'll get back at it."

Butler travels to Hempfield - a 20-17 winner over Greensburg Salem Friday night - next Friday.