SHALER TWP - Butler couldn't do anything with a short field Friday night at Shaler.

The host Titans were handed a long field Saturday afternoon - and did plenty.

Shaler put together a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives Saturday to go with a 99-yard scoring march Friday and edged the Golden Tornado, 21-17, in a lightning-suspended high school football game.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Butler coach Garry Cathell said. "And we didn't finish today."

The Tornado (2-2, 0-2) failed to score Friday night despite starting possessions at Shaler's 39- and 28-yard lines. A first down and a facemask penalty helped to give Butler a first down at the Shaler 34 late in the first half Friday, trailing 8-0.

Facing third-and-2 from the 26, Butler's drive - and the game - were suspended until Saturday because of heavy lightning in the area with 3:39 left in the half.

"We thought that would help us," Shaler coach Jacque DeMatteo admitted. "Having to drive all the way home, then all the way back down here … we figured Butler would come back out a little bit flat and not very into the game.

"They were anything but that."

Butler running back Bobby Alexander picked up the first down on a 3-yard run, quarterback Nick Monteleone connected with Ben Ashcraft for a 21-yard pass and Alexander scored on a 1-yard run.

Butler misfired on a conversion pass, but Eric Petanovich recovered a Shaler fumble at the Titans 44 three plays later.

Alexander scored on a 24-yard run with 20 seconds left, Monteleone ran for two points and the Tornado had a 14-8 lead at intermission.

"They jumped on us, plain and simple," DeMatteo said.

But the lead didn't hold up.

A 12-yard pass to Aaron Dorondo, a 10-yard toss to Andy Strutt and a 13-yard run by Ashcraft keyed a 52-yard drive that gave Butler a first down at the Shaler 29 midway through the third quarter.

The drive fizzled when Shaler's Kevin Barry sacked Monteleone on the next play, which was followed by an illegal procedure penalty. The Tornado wound up punting the ball into the end zone from Shaler's 39.

A 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive followed. Besides two short passes, the march was all on the ground. Tim Weidner scored on a 13-yard run with 8:22 left in the game. Drew Barry's PAT gave the Titans (2-2, 1-1) a 15-14 lead.

Shaler rolled up 304 yards rushing and 23 first downs in the game running out of the Wing-T.

"We shouldn't have had the confusion (on running plays) we were showing out there," Cathell said. "With the Wing-T, there are tendencies to show where the ball is going. We weren't picking them up."

Butler answered with a 12-play, 69-yard drive as Monteleone found Andy Strutt for a 26-yard completion on a third-and-22 play, then scrambled for 36 yards to the Shaler 9-yard line.

Playing without Alexander, who twisted his knee early in the third quarter, and tight end Noah Hartung, who missed the game with a sore knee, the Tornado couldn't punch the ball in on third down from the 2-yard line. Chris Haley booted a 19-yard field goal with 4:19 remaining.

"With a kicker like Chris, we had to take the guaranteed three on fourth down," Cathell said. "But, no excuses, we needed to get that ball in the end zone."

They also needed to stop Shaler - and couldn't.

The Titans took possession at their own 20 and promptly marched 80 yards in eight plays, never facing a third down.

Matt Davis tossed a 21-yard pass to Noah Meister on the drive's first play. Weider ran for 12 yards, caught a screen pass for 15 more and scored on a 15-yard run with 1:26 remaining.

Butler got to midfield on its final possession, but got no closer.

"We finished strong, but we can play better," DeMatteo said. "We weren't very disciplined today."

Jon Fitzpatrick rushed for 103 yards, Mack Stotts for 79 and Weidner for 64, but the Titans suffered 11 penalties for 110 yards.

Butler travels to North Hills Friday night.