While footballs were flying around the county Friday night, something else flies faster.

Time.

With the opening of the 2020 high school football season finally upon us, I couldn't help but reminisce, thinking back to my first opening night of prep gridiron action in this area.

Penn Hills at Butler, Aug. 29, 1997.

I had been on the job at the Eagle for all of four days, having covered Slippery Rock University's game at Youngstown State the night before.

The Rock had a freshman quarterback — Randy McKavish — starting that Thursday night and lost handily. Little did I know SRU would go on to win every regular season game the rest of the way and win the PSAC West championship.

I walk into Butler's stadium on that Friday night and run into then-Golden Tornado radio personality Mike Kelly. A former Butler fooball great who went on to play at Notre Dame — and later becme a congressman, of course — Kelly was particularly enthused about the Tornado's prognosis that season.

He told me I arrived on the scene at Butler at just the right time, that this team was about to have a breakthrough season in the WPIAL and return to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

He wasn't far off.

The Tornado pummeled Penn Hills 42-14 in that 1997 opener and looked darn good doing it. Troy Nunes was in his senior year at quarterback and went on to a solid collegiate career at Syracuse.

Jason Butler was the team's top running back. He is now coaching in both the Butler Area Midget Football League and junior high programs.

Butler also defeated Central Catholic and North Hills during the regular season. The Tornado were 5-3 entering their final section game at Seneca Valley. A heartbreaking 21-18 loss at Seneca Valley denied Butler a playoff berth.

A cross-over game against Bethel Park closed the season with a 42-34 victory and a 6-4 record.

The Tornado haven't posted a winning season since. Eric Christy is the program's sixth head coaching change since.

Now the program is in District 10, trying to jump-start things in the right direction. Drawing state powerhouse Cathedral Prep in this year's opener wasn't exactly good fortune in that regard.

But one never knows how the fortunes of a season may pan out.

All I have to do is recall 1997, SRU and Butler.

One game does not a season make.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle