Rams race around Tornado
BUTLER TWP — The only thing that stopped Pine-Richland was the clock.
The unbeaten Rams (7-0, 5-0) scored touchdowns on every possession but one Friday night in a 67-30 Northern Eight football victory over Butler at Art Bernardi Stadium. Time expired in the first half with P-R possessing the ball on the Golden Tornado 32.
“We couldn't stop them. They are that athletic. They are that good,” Butler coach Rob Densmore said.
The Rams tallied 685 yards of total offense and 31 first downs. Sophomore quarterback Phil Jurkovec threw for 300 yards and a touchdown, ran for 61 and two scores in the first half alone.
Jurkovec did not play in the second half. Max Devinney completed 10 of 11 aerials for 117 yards and a touchdown in the final two quarters.
“They had a huge lead in the fourth quarter and they were still throwing the ball around. I'm not going to lie. That bugged me a little bit,” Densmore said.
What didn't bug him was the effort of his kids. Butler (0-7, 0-5) played only three seniors Friday due to injuries, yet rolled up 364 yards of offense of its own, including 302 rushing.
Sophomore quarterback Luke Michalek was the Golden Tornado standout, carrying 15 times for 203 yards — including touchdown bursts of 76 and 73 yards. He also tossed a 32-yard scoring pass to Kelley Kuharic.
“That kid is the future of Butler football,” Pine-Richland coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “We were in position to get him. He was making us miss.”
While the Rams played reserves in the second half, Michalek's 76-yard touchdown run came in the second quarter, against the first unit.
“Luke is a different kind of athlete,” Densmore said. “He ran away from their defense. He opened some eyes on that play.”
Devin Fitz booted a 40-yard field goal and a 68-yard punt for Butler. Dallas Hays had 126 yards in kickoff returns. Sophomore Christian Sequete rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.
“We had sophomores and juniors all over the field tonight,” Densmore said. “I couldn't be prouder of my team. Our guys played hard. We played our hearts out.”
Pine-Richland's offense featured 12 different players catching the football and eight players rushing with the ball.
“A lot of guys got invaluable experience in this game,” Kasperowicz said. “I wasn't pleased that we have up three touchdowns in the second half, but we'll learn from that.
“We take a lot of pride in our offense. This doesn't just happen. We've been working hard since March to put a product on the field that's hard to stop.
“Everybody thinks it's the quarterback. He's only part of it. Our offensive line keeps him clean, our running backs block and we run clean routes,” the coach added.
Butler hosts winless Fox Chapel next Friday.
“We found some things to build on tonight,” Densmore said. “Our effort will pay off not only in the future, but immediately as we move forward.”
