SHALER TWP - Butler couldn't stop Shaler's Wing-T Friday night, but the Golden Tornado have a chance to stop it Saturday.

Friday's high school football game was stopped by lightning with 3:39 remaining in the first half and the host Titans holding an 8-0 lead.

Play was scheduled to resume at 1 p.m. here Saturday, with Butler facing a third-and-2 from the Shaler 26-yard line.

"This game is far from over," Shaler coach Jacque DeMatteo said. "The outcome is very much in doubt."

The lone score of the first half came on a 16-play, 99-yard drive that ate 8:47 off the clock. The Titans gained possession when Kevin Hathaway intercepted a pass by Butler quarterback Nick Monteleone deep down the right sideline, near the end zone.

Hathaway appeared to catch the ball in the end zone, but the officials ruled he caught the ball at the 1-yard line and awarded it to Shaler there.

The Titans danced around a couple of penalties during their scoring drive, including a holding call that turned a 14-yard completion for a first down into a third-and-11 from the Shaler 29-yard line.

On the next play, Butler's Regan Young intercepted a deep Matt Davis pass and returned it into Shaler territory. The Tornado were whistled for pass interference on the play, however, and Shaler kept the football.

Shaler converted three third-downs during the drive, which ended with Davis scoring on a 1-yard plunge with 6:43 left in the half.

At that point, Shaler had nine first downs to Butler's zero. The Tornado started two possessions in Titan territory.

"We had field position and didn't do a thing with it," Butler coach Garry Cathell said. "That was frustrating."

Jordan Roycroft returned a Shaler punt 29 yards to the Titans' 39-yard line midway through the first quarter. A backfield collision between Monteleone and running back Bobby Alexander resulted in the quarterback taking a 4-yard loss on second down.

Shaler's Will Moushey sacked Monteleone on third down, forcing as punt.

Butler's Cory Haley intercepted a Davis pass and returned it 17 yards to the Shaler 28-yard line for the Tornado, but Monteleone was picked off near the goal line on the next play.

Shaler ran 24 plays for 132 yards, including 112 on the ground. Butler ran 10 plays for a net 23 yards.

"They held the ball forever and we couldn't get our offense out there," Cathell said.

After Shaler scored, Butler picked up its initial first down, then got another on a facemask penalty. On the final play before the game was suspended, Haley rambled seven yards to the Shaler 26-yard line.

"I was involved in a suspended game like this once before," Cathell said. "When I was with Peters Township in 1987 or '88, our game with Burgettstown was stopped. We tried to play again Saturday and couldn't do it. We had to wait until Monday."

DeMatteo said he has never been involved in a suspended game as a coach.

"All I know is I've got a curfew on these guys tonight," he said. "Whoever doesn't honor it doesn't get on the field tomorrow."

Butler's band will not return to Shaler Saturday, as there will be no halftime performances.