BUTLER TWP — Let the Clyde Conti era begin.

Butler opens its 2011 varsity football season under Conti — the Golden Tornado's third head coach in as many years — Friday at 7:30 p.m. when New Castle comes calling at Art Bernardi Stadium.

The Red Hurricane missed the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs last year. The Tornado missed out on winning a game for the third time in four years and will try to snap a 23-game losing streak Friday night.

Conti is just looking for improvement.

“We made some improvement from the Woodland Hills scrimmage to the Blackhawk scrimmage and now we're looking for more this week,” Conti said. “That will be our approach all season. Just keep getting better.”

That doesn't mean winning can't go along with it.

“A number of our starters are seniors going into this first game,” Conti said. “I'm going to put our best kids on the field and we'll give it our best effort every game.

“I'll be very disappointed if we don't play hard Friday night. I expect us to be competitive.”

Zach Rader, a senior, will get the start at quarterback for Butler. Tom Jendesky, a sophomore, has looked solid in camp and may get a few snaps as well.

“That's a possibility, not a guarantee,” Conti said. “A lot of that will depend on the flow of the game.”

Conti will employ a number of running backs, including Trevor Wideman Demetrius Lockley, Jake Olenik and Jake Como at halfback, Bob Vernick and Claude Clark at fullback.

Canan Roskovski will be the prime wideout with Carlos Sanchez, a running back last year, starting at tight end.

“I've been very happy with Carlos,” Conti said. “He's bought into the team concept and has been one of our most positive and consistent players in camp.”

Up front, the Tornado have senior Tyler Milko (5-foot-11, 250 pounds) at center, senior Ben McKnight (5-11, 230) at one guard, junior Dylan Schmidt (6-4, 275) and sophomore Ryan Hannon (5-10, 200) at the other, junior Hayden Smith (6-4, 310) and senior Chris Albert (6-4, 300) at tackle.

“We haven't been able to run the ball in our two scrimmages,” Conti said. “We're working on blocking assignments and getting the mental side of the game down that way.

“You want to control the ball against a team like New Castle. Keep that spread offense and big plays on the sideline. But that's not so easy.”

Defensively, Sanchez, Tanner Whahler and Steve Shoemaker figure to see action at end, McKnight and Chris Huselton at tackle.

Vernick, Como, sophomore Trevor Monteleone and Dakoda Collins are at linebacker, Lockley, Jarrod Werth and Olenik in the secondary.

“We're trying to change the mindset of kids getting tired playing both ways,” Conti said. “You play your best people at each position. If two guys are close to even, you rest the guy playing on the other side of the ball.

“We might have won a state championship (at Slippery Rock) if (Aliquippa's) Darrelle Revis only played on one side of the ball. Sean Lee had a pretty good career at Upper St. Clair playing both ways. A number of guys have. It's a mindset. You go out and do it.”

Friday's forecast calls for a warm, humid night and Conti said “we'll adjust accordingly.”

He described New Castle as athletic, fast and able to hit the big play at any time.

“Their trigger man (quarterback John Matarazzo) is outstanding and you have to play disciplined defense against that bunch,” Conti said.

They've got four or five guys who can play college ball if they want. They're that good. The challenge is there. We have a long way to go and we're going to have to match their toughness to play competitively with them.”