ERIE — Butler thought it had a back-breaking type of score.

Justin Kabay caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Baxter — sneaking behind the defense — to apparently give Butler an 18-7 lead over Erie with less than a minute to play in the first half of their football game Saturday night at Veterans Stadium.

The Golden Tornado were flagged for an illegal shift on the play, then fumbled the ball away on the next play. Erie scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter and went on to post a 35-25 victory in a battle of winless teams.

“That was a trick play we had set up in practice and it worked,” Butler coach Eric Christy said of Kabay's touchdown catch. “Nobody covered him.

“We told the officials we had a different formation coming and were told he could not be lined up along the line of scrimmage. He took a couple of steps back and we got the penalty.”

Erie coach Rob Katz agreed the play marked a turning point in the game.

“No doubt, that was a huge play,” Katz said. “But penalties are a part of the game. Goodness knows, we drew enough of them tonight.”

The Royals (1-2) were flagged 14 times for 150 yards. But Butler (0-3) turned the ball over four times — inclding three interceptions — in taking its 23rd straight loss over three seasons.

Two of the interceptions were deflected by would-be receivers.

“We started off well. We just didn't sustain it,” Christy said.

The Tornado grabbed a 12-0 lead in the first quarter. Byron Manchester pulled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Baxter, taking the ball away from the defender in the end zone. Kabay got loose for a 34-yard scoring run late in the period.

Erie got on the board with a 12-play, 78-yard march that ended with a JJ Woodward 16-yard scoring run with 9:05 left in the half.

Woodward scored three touchdowns on the night and had 96 yards rushing. Jermaine Selby led the Royals with 142 yards rushing and two TDs.

Erie rushed for 382 yards as a team.

“I don't know if it was fatigue or a strength thing for us,” Christy said of missed tackles on defense. “We need to get physically stronger in there. Until that happens, we're going to continue to struggle defensively.”

Butler rushed for 225 yards in its own right, including a 31-yard Julian Jones touchdown run that cut its deficit to 21-18 with 10:23 left to play.

Woodward's third touchdown capped a 55-yard drive to extend Erie's lead again. He then returned an interception 60 yards for a score that was nullified by a penalty.

Selby scored on a 41-yard jaunt two plays later to seal the victory.

“They (Butler) jumped on us early,” Matz said of his team's early 12-0 deficit. “We lost a starting guard on the first play of the game, then his fill-in got hurt. We were moving people around.

“We settled in and wound up moving the ball pretty well. I give Butler's coaches a lot of credit, though. Those kids never quit.”

Baxter scored on a 12-yard run for the Tornado with 3:02 to play. Butler's first successful PAT conversion cut the gap to 35-25.

Butler kicked off deep instead of attempting an onsides kick.

“It was a two-score game and I thought we'd go for the quick stop and get field position,” Christy said.

The Tornado got that stop, but Selby intercepted a pass on Butler's next snap from scrimmage with 1:32 remaining.

Butler returns home to host Cathedral Prep Friday night.

Butler 12 0 0 13 — 25Erie 0 7 14 14 — 35<b>First Quarter</b>B — Byron Manchester 24 pass from Cooper Baxter (kick failed), 4:37B — Justin Kabay 34 run (pass failed), 2:11<b>Second Quarter</b>E — JJ Woodward 1 run (Henry Polaski kick), 9:05<b>Third Quarter</b>E — Woodward 1 run (kick blocjked), 8:33E — Jermaine Selby 10 run (Marquelle Darnell pass from Jahlil Grandberry), 2:05<b>Fourth Quarter</b>B — Julian Jones 31 run (pass failed), 10:23E — Woodward 1 run (Polaski kick), 7:41E — Selby 41 run (Polaski kick), 6:11B — Baxter 12 run (Alexander Titus kick), 3:02<b>Individual Statistics</b>Rushing:Butler, Cooper Baxter 15-63, Byron Manchester 5-32, Justin Kabay 7-61, Isaiah Kelly 1-1, Julian Jones 5-66, Steven Green 1-2. Erie, Jahlil Grandberry 8-51, JJ Woodward 19-96, Jermaine Selby 12-142, Steve Smith 12-90, Hunter Mason 1-3, TEAM 1-0.Passing:Butler, Cooper Baxter 4-10-55-3. Erie, Jahlil Grandberry 3-7-53-0.Receiving: Butler, Charlie Kreinbucher 1-20, Lance Slater 1-(-3), Steven Green 1-14, Byron Manchester 1-24. Erie, Marquell Darnell 2-46, Jermaine Selby 1-7.