Inexperience vs. experience.

That's how second-year Kiski Area football coach Chris Heater sees his team's season opener Friday night against Butler.

The Cavaliers, 3-7 a year ago, return only two players who scored touchdowns in 2005. The Golden Tornado return nine starters on both sides of the ball.

"We look at this first game as a big challenge for us,"Heater said. "We have a lot of guys trying to gain Friday night experience going up against a bunch of guys with plenty of Friday night experience.

"Most of these Butler seniors started as sophomores. They took their lumps for a while. Now they're ready to give them back."

Kiski Area won't enter this game unarmed, however. The Cavaliers return junior quarterback Josh Vick, who completed 22 of 57 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns in the team's latter three-plus games last season.

Vick stood 6-foot-1 and weighed 184 pounds last year. He won the PIAAClass AAAjavelin title as well.

This year, Vick stands 6-3 and weighs 205 pounds.

"We're looking for big things from Josh,"Heater said. "He went to the Pitt camp and Notre Dame quarterback-receiver camp over the summer and has really improved.

"With his size and arm strength, he's attracting looks from Division I schools already."

Vick has senior Zach Pugliese in the backfield with him. He rushed for 137 yards in limited duty last season, but had a 110-yard game against Fox Chapel.

Senior receiver Don Mignogna brings some experience to that position and junior James O'Quinn provides speed at the other wideout spot.

"You need to be balanced offensively between run and pass,"Heater said. "If you load up on just one phase, someone's going to successfully defend it and force you to do the other.

"We have a lot of confidence in our passing game because of Josh. I'd have no problem with going to a spread set and throwing a lot if circumstances dictated that."

The Cavaliers' offensive line has been bolstered by the return of senior guard Luke McDermott (6-0, 261), who has been cleared to play after fighting off testicular cancer during the off-season.

"There's no sign of the cancer now and it's full steam ahead with him,"Heater said. "Everybody around here is thrilled Luke won't be denied the opportunity of playing football his senior year."

Also returning up front is 286-pound senior guard Jim Woodring, a third-year starter.

Defensively, the Cavaliers play a 44 and are anchored by third-year starting tackle Matt Vida, third-year starting outside linebacker Pugliese and secondary player Mignogna, who can play cornerback or safety.

Senior kicker-punter Chris Dunlay (6-3, 212) also returns. He booted a 42-yard field goal last season.

Dunlay won the kicking competition at the Pitt camp this summer, hitting a 50-yard field goal there.

"He averages 36 yards per punt, too,"Heater said. "Chris does a solid job for us in both departments."

In facing Butler, Heater figures his team will be playing a lot of pass defense.

"If I had a veteran, productive kid like (Nick)Monteleone, I'd be throwing it a lot as well," he said. "But Butler will run the ball enough to keep you honest.

"We have maybe three or four kids who started fulltime last season. It will be a chore trying to shut that offense down."

Butler defeated Kiski Area, 24-14, at Bernardi Stadium last season. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. in Vandergrift.