BUTLER TWP — Baldwin coach Loran Cooley decided to give starting quarterback Mason Stahl a rest Friday night.

The rest of the team didn't follow suit.

The Highlanders scored touchdowns on all six of their first-half possessions and running back Angelo Priore had a monstrous half in a 42-21 non-conference football win over Butler at Art Bernardi Stadium.

Priore had seven carries for 241 yards and four touchdowns — scoring on runs of 80, 12, 70 and 11 yards — all in the first half. Baldwin (1-1) took a 42-7 lead into halftime.

“That's just pure speed,” Butler coach Eric Christy said of Priore. “We didn't handle it. It's hard to simulate that in practice.”

“He's healthy now,” Cooley said of his standout running back. “He was hampered by a quad injury last year. Now he's explosive again.”

Colton Brain, a junior, filled in for Stahl behind center. Stahl is being recruited by numerous Division II schools.

Brain completed seven of eight passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. All of his numbers came in the first half.

“Mason got dinged up pretty good last week and we decided to give him a rest,” Cooley said. “Our motto at Baldwin is 'next man up'. Colton stepped in there and did the job.”

The Golden Tornado (0-2) got an early takeaway for the second successive week. The Highlanders fumbled the opening kickoff and Butler's Jedidiah Wills recovered at the Baldwin 37.

The Tornado drive stalled, however, and Emerson Douthett's 42-yard field goal try was blocked. Priore took off around right end for an 80-yard score on the next play.

“We didn't take advantage of an early opportunity and they made us pay for it quickly,” Christy said. “They built that lead up pretty fast.”

Jarren Kelly had a punt return of 44 yards and kick return of 33 to help set up Baldwin scores. He had a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown wiped out by a penalty.

Baldwin was flagged 14 times for 130 yards, Butler 10 times for 60.

“We're still not playing disciplined football,” Cooley said. “We have to clean that up.”

The Highlanders were flagged 16 times for 177 yards last week.

Tornado quarterback Cooper Baxter threw for 104 yards, including TD passes of nine yards to Justin Kabay and 28 yards to Zach Slomers. Baxter rushed for 151 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown scamper.

“He (Cooley) pulled his starters at halftime and that was a nice gesture,” Christy said. “I told the kids at halftime, let's go out and win the second half.

“We did that. We never lost our fight.”

Hunter New recovered a fumble for the Tornado in the second half. Butler did not have a turnover.

Baldwin rolled up 472 yards of offense, 350 on the ground. Butler had 327 total yards.

The Tornado travel to Mt. Lebanon to begin league play next week.

Baldwin 28 14 0 0 — 42

Butler 0 7 7 7— 21

First Quarter

BA — Angelo Priore 80 run (kick blocked), 9:14

BA — Priore 12 run (Jarren Kelly pass from Colton Brain), 6:24

BA — Naseer Penn 18 pass from Brain (Emma Brandwene kick), 4:03

BA — Priore 70 run (Brandwene kick), 2:21

Second Quarter

B — Justin Kabay 9 pass from Cooper Baxter (Emerson Douthett kick), 8:40

BA — Connor Lavelle 13 pass from Brain (Brandwene kick), 7:04

BA — Priore 11 run (Brandwene kick), :36

Third Quarter

B — Baxter 61 run (Douthett kick), :06

Fourth Quarter

B — Zach Slomers 28 pass from Baxter (Douthett kick), 5:06

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Baldwin, Angelo Priore 7-241, Colton Brain 2-(-12), Jarren Kelly 1-26, Zaxch Pettit 3-17, Luke Loeffert 7-31, Derrick Turner 3-49, Justin Schmitt 1(-2). Butler, Cooper Baxter 21-151, Evan Orloski 2-5, Zach Slomers 4-21, Julian Jones 1-(-1), Justin Kabay 4-30.

Passing: Baldwin, Colton Brain 7-8-122-0. Butler, Cooper Baxter 9-20-104-0, Zach Slomers 1-1-17-0.

Receiving: Baldwin, Connor Lavelle 3-41, Jarren Kelly 2-54, Naseer Penn 1-18, C.J. Lucas 1-9. Butler, Anthony Daviduk 2-24, Justin Kabay 2-14, Zach Slomers 3-61, Evan Orloski 2-5, Cooper Baxter 1-17.