The Butler County Bears semi-pro football team begins its fifth season this weekend.

The Bears, coming off an 8-4 season that ended with a loss in their conference championship game, were scheduled to open the 2014 season Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pride at JC Stone Field in North Park.

All four of the team’s home games will be played at Butler’s Memorial Park, beginning with the June 7 game against the Strabane Spartans.

All home games begin at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

“We began our home schedule at Moniteau last year, then wound up at Memorial Park,” Bears owner and head coach Kirk Bergbigler said. “It’s a nice location for us in that it’s centrally located in Butler.

“Our last two home games drew sizable crowds for this level and we’re anticipating more of the same.”

Attendance was approximately 550 for the Bears’ home playoff game last season.

While the team remains in the Ohio Football League, that circuit has been restructured. The Bears will compete in the 21-team Premiere Amateur Football League this season.

“It’s the same league, but they split the teams into two different leagues, keeping the well-established programs in one league and the less stable franchises in another,” Bergbigler said.

The Bears begin the season with a 50-player roster, including 27 who either live in or played high school football in Butler County.

Quarterbacks Erik Fuhrer (Karns City) and Bob Manno (Slippery Rock) did not return this year. Ford City graduate Cody Gispanski will begin the season as the starting quarterback.

Antawane Davis, not quite 100 percent after tearing his ACL in the final regular season game last season, may challenge for the starting spot.

“We had 86 guys sign up for the team in preseason, but that number always falls off due to work schedules, family commitments, etc.,” Bergbigler said. “We’re happy with where we’re at in terms of roster size.”

Safety Bill McCaslin (Butler) and linebacker Randall Palakovich (Aliquippa) are the only two players who have been with the Bears for all five seasons.

Other key veteran players on the team include receiver Brian Perry (Cranberry Township), entering his ninth year of semi-pro football, and third-year linebacker Justin Switzer from Karns City.

Other home games on the Bears’ eight-game regular season schedule are June 14 against Pittsburgh Stealth, June 28 against the Oil City Rampage and July 12 against the Pittsburgh Pride.