Hanging Strong
BUTLER TWP — He heard the words nearly 15 years ago, but they still ring true in Clyde Conti's mind.
“You can play the game big or small, but you better play it strong.”
Shaler varsity football coach Neil Gordon — then at the helm of Penn Hills — uttered that comment at a football clinic first-year Butler coach Conti attended.
“I've never forgotten that because those words remain true in this sport ... and our kids need to play strong Friday,” Conti said.
The Golden Tornado (2-2, 0-2) are coming off a 35-0 loss at Pine-Richland while the Titans (3-1, 1-0) bring a three-game winning streak into Art Bernardi Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday.
“They have an excellent football team and they're really aggressive,” Conti said. “I don't mean that in a negative sense. Coach Gordon is old-school and he builds tough, physical teams.
“We need to be ready to match that.”
Butler has not defeated Shaler since posting a 17-14 win here in 2002. The recent meetings have not been close: 35-14 in 2007, 37-20 in 2008, 29-14 in 2009 and 30-6 last year.
Conti admitted his team didn't tackle or block well last week.
“But this is a new week and no matter what you've done, life is always about where do you go from here?” Conti said.
The coach did find a few positives from the Pine-Richland game. He said offensive lineman Ben McKnight blocked well, Chris Huselton played strong along the defensive line and sophomore Jacob Lenhart had 10 tackles.
“Tanner Wahler was playing hurt, but gave us all he had for as long as he could. I appreciate efforts like that. And Jarrod Werth has been a quiet leader and extremely consistent at corner,” Conti said.
Butler started sophomore Tom Jendesky at quarterback against Pine-Richland with senior QB Zach Rader playing a wingback role. Rader was back behind center in the second quarter.
“We need to evaluate these kids and I'm trying to be fair to everybody,” Conti said. “We're still evaluating. Nothing is etched in stone.
“With Shaler, you know you're getting Ryan Mincher at quarterback, J.P. Holtz is a stud who lines up all over the field. ... It's not that clear-cut for us.”
Conti emphasized that he has not lost any faith in Rader as a quarterback.
“The kid is a battler and he plays hard,” he said. “Jendesky is a 6-foot-4 sophomore. We have to give him a look. I've coached my share of high-caliber quarterbacks — Jono Powell (Slippery Rock), Hayden Johnston (Clarion-Limestone), Alex Isenberg and Brendan Lynch (Freeport) — to know what to look for at that position.
“Zach brings some good things to the table. So does Tommy.”
Bouncing back will be the key for Butler this week. P-R's Brock Baranowski ran for 163 yards against the Tornado last week.
This Friday, Shaler brings a more versatile running game as Holtz, Mike Thorpe and Sean Gavin can all run with the football, as can Mincher.
“Mincher has great poise and a quick release,” Conti said. “This team has a number of weapons. This conference is stacked and it's not going to get any easier for us.
“I've got a lot of faith in my boys. Just come out, compete and play hard. Our names are on everything we do in life. Winning or losing a high school football game is not life threatening. It's how you approach the task and respond from adversity that counts.”
