PINE TWP — Young and experienced.

Pine-Richland has that strange combination working for it this football season.

“We started a bunch of sophomores last year and we paid for it,” first-year Rams coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “But, hopefully, that will pay off for us this year.

“Now we’ve got a bunch of experienced juniors.”

The Rams (1-1) will host Butler (1-1) for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday in what shapes up to be a critical Northern Eight Conference game.

The Golden Tornado posted a 19-7 win over Pine-Richland at Art Bernardi Stadium last season.

“As it turned out, that game cost us a playoff spot,” Kasperowicz said. “The same scenario could play out again, so this is certainly a key game for both teams.”

Heading the list of experienced juniors for Pine-Richland are quarterback Ben DiNucci and running back Conner Slomka.

DiNucci threw for 1,200 yards as a sophomore and has completed 22 of 36 passes for 413 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Slomka is coming off a 1,000-yard season and has 59 carries for 336 yards so far in 2013.

Slomka scored five touchdowns in the Rams’ season-opening win over Fox Chapel.

“Conner’s been a workhorse for us,” Kasperowicz said. “He’s a gritty, hard-nosed football player.

“When you play quarterback at Pine-Richland, you need to be a good decision maker because we put a lot of responsibility on that position. Ben is growing into that and he’s improving in that area.

“We need to finish stronger as a team. We let the Seneca Valley game get away from us,” the coach added.

The Rams had a lead on the Raiders entering the final quarter, but surrendered 21 points in the final 12 minutes for a 43-25 loss.

Pine-Richland has only eight seniors on its roster. The Rams have some versatile receiving threats, however.

Mike Merhaut has eight catches for 118 yards, D’ondre Gastion seven catches for 118 yards and Anthony Battaglia four catches for 106. All three are underclassmen.

“Luke Merhaut led the WPIAL with 52 catches last year, but he was a one-man show,” Kasperowicz said. “This year, our passing game is much more diversified. There’s four or five guys we can go to, including the tight ends.”

Kasperowicz served as offensive coordinator at Pine-Richland the past two years under now-retired coach Clair Altemus.

Defensively, junior safety Brendan Burnham and junior linebacker Joe Lieberman pace the Rams in tackles. Burnham had 14 tackles in the Fox Chaoel game.

“Six of our starters defensively were sophomores last year,” Kasperowicz said. “This team is hungry. It’s one of the hardest-working groups I’ve ever been around.”

Kasperowicz anticipates facing a hard-working group of Butler athletes come Friday night.

“Butler is always physical,” he said. “They have tough kids up there. They’re very basic in what they do, but they do it effectively.”