BUTLER TWP — Central Catholic was searching for effective personnel combinations.

Butler was searching for a touchdown.

Both teams found what they wanted Friday night in the Vikings' 45-10 Quad County Conference football victory over the Golden Tornado at Art Bernardi Stadiumn.

Central Catholic (6-2, 4-2) scored on its first four possessions and never punted. The Vikings had a 24-0 lead before Butler (0-8, 0-6) could manage a first down.

“We put the ball on the ground four times early in this game (losing it once),” Butler coach Eric Christy said. “That's a lack of focus coming out of the gate and we can't have that.”

Central took the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards in seven plays. Gavin Thomson caught a screen pass and rambled 23 yards for the game's first touchdown.

A 27-yard Thomson punt return set up a Viking field goal. Theo Newhouse-Goldine recovered a Tornado fumble at the Butler 30 and Eddie Tillman scored on an 8-yard run three plays later.

Finally, Gus Sunseri raced 55 yards for a touchdown and Central had a 24-0 lead with 1:22 left in the opening quarter.

“We had not been getting off to fast starts and that's something we've been telling our kids all week,” Viking coach Terry Totten said. “It was good to see us do it tonight.”

An Emery Douthett 37-yard field goal capped a long Tornado drive late in the second quarter. Butler marched 60 yards in 13 plays, eating 7:17 off the clock following a J.R. Herold interception.

Tyler Howe caught a 16-yard pass to help extend that field goal drive. Herold recovered a Central fumble in the third quarter.

“We want to drive the ball, use long possessions,” Christy said. “That's what we've been trying to do. But all year, when we get into the red zone, something bad happens.

“A penalty, fumble, bad snap ... something. Tonight, we finally punched one in there.”

Sunseri led Central's ground attack with 86 yards and three touchdowns on only six carries. His third score of the night — a 1-yard run with 4:17 left in the third period — put Butler's game into the mercy rule clock (at 38-3) for the eighth straight week.

“We ran an effective Wildcat package with Gus,” Totten said. “We're looking for things we can use, combinations that will work. I liked how we moved the ball with him in there.”

Central put four quarterbacks behind center and had seven players run the ball on the night.

Visawn Pennix added 76 yards on the ground as the Vikings rushed for 288 as a team.

Kyler Callihan's 3-yard scoring run with 8:35 left in the contest capped an 11-play, 73-yard drive for Butler. It marked the Tornado's first touchdown in five games.

Callihan led Butler's offense with 76 yards on 21 carries while sharing time at quarterback with Bryan Presco.

“We let the kids set the goals for this game and one of them was to score a touchdown against the opponent's first-team,” Christy said. “That didn't happen, but we continued to make progress moving the football.”

Zach Slomers had 133 yards in kickoff returns for the Tornado.

“I was impressed by that team,” Totten said of Butler. “They kept hitting hard all night and were running hard, hitting the gaps.

“Those coaches are doing it right. None of those guys are giving up.”

Butler travels to Hempfield next Friday.

Central Cath. 24 7 7 7 — 45

Butler 0 3 0 7 — 10

First Quarter

CC —Gavin Thomson 23 pass from Dom Pieto (Johnathan Opalko kick), 9:09

CC — Opalko 35 field goal, 5:08

CC — Eddie Tillman 8 run (Opalko kick), 4:12

CC — Gus Sunseri 55 run (Opalko kick), 1:22

Second Quarter

B — Emery Douthett 37 field goal, 3:15

CC — Sunseri 19 run (Opalko kick), :47

Third Quarter

CC — Sunseri 1 run (Opalko kick), 4:17

Fourth Quarter

B — Kyler Callihan 3 run (Douthett kick), 8:35

CC — Visawn Pennix 3 run (Vanderlee Stevenson kick), 3:23

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Central Catholic, Dom Pieto 1-1, Eddie Tillman 9-45, Kenneth Blake 6-53, Visawn Pennix 10-73, Gus Sunseri 6-86, J.D. Younger 3-33, Mark Craighead 1-(-3). Butler, Kyler Callihan 21-76, Bryan Presco 5-(-29), Logan Donnel 1-2, Chris Mertz 7-19, Zach Slomers 1-6.

Passing: Central Catholic, Dom Pieto 4-6-48-1, Dontre Jones 1-1-19-0. Butler, Kyler Callihan 3-56-21-1, Bryan Presco 1-3-0-0.

Receiving: Central Catholic, Gavin Thomson 5-67. Butler, Chris Mertz 1-0, Tyler Howe 1-16, J.R. Herold 1-2, Zach Slomers 1-3.