BUTLER TWP — Butler will end its varsity football season Friday, facing an undefeated team and doing so with a depleted roster.

But the Golden Tornado will show up.

“I’m pleased we have the opportunity to play, one more chance to compete,” Butler coach Clyde Conti said.

“You don’t shy away from things because of failure.”

While Butler (1-7, 1-5) has dropped six straight games, Central Catholic (8-0, 6-0) has allowed only three touchdowns all season.

The Tornado will face the Vikings at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Carnegie Mellon University.

Just who will be on the field for Butler remains to be seen.

In last week’s 49-17 loss at Fox Chapel, Butler started three sophomore linebackers — Tim Vernick, Damien Pickett and Dom Noel — because of injuries and Vernick eventually got hurt.

Starting quarterback Tom Jendesky and running back Matt Christy both left the Fox Chapel game with injuries as well. Jendesky is the Tornado’s leading rusher with 467 yards and three touchdowns while Christy began the game as Butler’s only healthy experienced running back.

Neither is expected to play this week. Neither are linebackers Jeremy Hanford and Lucas Dubyak, two of the team’s top three tacklers.

Jake Hays, Butler’s second-leading tackler with 30 solo stops and eight assists, has been in the lineup consistently.

“We’ve had 15 boys concussed within the past two weeks,” Conti said. “That’s just what we’re dealing with right now.”

“We made some mistakes Friday, but they weren’t our fault. We’ve got a lot of inexperienced, younger kids out there.”

Rob Kunst, a first-year player as a junior, played tight end Friday, made a reception and held his own blocking-wise.

“He did a good job. We have kids still working hard, still giving all they’ve got and I’m proud of that,” Conti said.

“The adversity our kids have gone through and responded to this season will bode well for them in the future. They’ve never given up and they’ve learned that when you get knocked down, you get back up.”

Reid Werth has made 24 solo tackles from his cornerback position and has limited the production of the opponent’s top receiver virtually every week.

“Reid comes from a quality family and he’s a cerebral player,” Conti said. “He’s not the fastest or the biggest kid, but he knows how to play football.

“He’s a bright boy and he succeeds with effort.”

Jamnison Smith will likely get the start at quarterback for Butler.

“We’ve asked a lot of Jamison this year,” Conti said. “We’ve moved him around quite a bit and he hasn’t gotten many reps at quarterback.”

Central Catholic will likely hold out a few of its banged up players Friday, including running back Luigi Lista-Brinza, who has rushed for more than 3,000 yards in his prep career.

“They’ll work on their passing game, I’m sure, to get ready for the playoffs,” Conti said. “They’ve got a number of good backs and their defense is filled with top-caliber athletes.

“But we won’t back away from them. We’ll come hard with who we have available.”