Home not so sweet
BUTLER TWP — Butler got the lead, then couldn't get the ball.
After Trevor Wideman's 3-yard scoring run gave the Golden Tornado a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter, Pine-Richland ran off 33 of the game's next 37 plays, scoring 21 points in the process.
That helped the visiting Rams (1-3, 1-1) cruise to a 35-7 Northern Seven Conference victory Friday night at Art Bernardi Stadium.
The loss was Butler's 18th in a row, dating back to Week 5 of the 2008 season. Pine-Richland snapped a six-game losing streak of its own.
"It's been a while for us," Rams coach Clair Altemus said.
Wideman's touchdown run capped an eight-play, 76-yard drive for the Tornado, who worked the crowd into a frenzy during Butler's home opener.
But Pine-Richland followed with scoring drives of 82 yards on 13 plays and 80 yards on nine plays during the second quarter. The Rams then began the third period with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that took 5:34 to complete.
Midway through the third period, Butler (0-4, 0-2) found itself trailing 21-7.
"We have to learn how to play the game," Butler coach Jim Rankin said. "We're still taking penalties at bad times and hurting ourselves with mistakes.
"We should have been competitive with this team. I feel badly that we weren't."
With the score even at seven late in the second quarter, Butler stopped Rams fullback Conor Mincer a yard short of the sticks on third-and-2 from the Rams 28. But the Tornado were flagged for a block in the back, extending the possession.
Andy Borgen's 27-yard pass to Eddie Baranowski set up Borgen's 2-yard scoring run with 38 seconds left in the half. The touchdown gave Pine-Richland the lead for good.
Borgen completed 14-of-19 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns. Justin Williams caught a flare out of the backfield for a 19-yard score, Tommy Berexa caught a 9-yard TD toss and Mike Colosimo pulled in a 59-yard bomb early in the fourth quarter.
"We set up our defense to stop their run tonight," Rankin said. "I felt we had to do that because of the Williams kid.
"They did a great job exploiting us with their passing game. That's how they possessed the ball."
Pine-Richland rushed for 94 yards on 30 carries. Williams was held to 41 yards on 12 carries.
The Rams' final score came on a 58-yard punt return by Brock Baranowski with 3:37 left in the game.
Butler pieced together three first downs on its lone scoring drive. The Tornado managed only three other first downs.
Cole Baxter had 24 yards on 10 carries to lead a ground game that managed only 63 yards on 35 carries. The Tornado's biggest play was a 36-yard halfback pass by Baxter to David Hohn. That play set up Wideman's score.
Notes: The inaugural class of the Butler High School Athletic Hall of Fame was presented induction plaques before the game. The inductees were coaches Art Bernardi and Paul "Red" Uram, along with athletes Bill, Rich and Ron Saul, Terry Hanratty, Matt Clement, John Stuper, Eric Namesnik, David Pichler, Annessa Schnur and Leatha Dudek Baker. ... Butler travels to Shaler next Friday.
