BUTLER TWP — Mac Schnur, Lance Slater and Ethan Trettel know plenty about footballs flying through the air — throwing them, catching them and defending them.

The Butler trio is part of a big reason why the Golden Tornado have been able to flourish since team captain and three-year starter Cooper Baxter was sidelined with a ruptured hamstring four weeks ago.

Baxter returned to the lineup last week — and came back to a much better football team than the Butler version he left behind.

“We knew this was in there,” Slater said of the Tornado's offensive surge. “We just needed to bring it out.”

A junior, Slater starts as a receiver and safety. Trettel, a senior, starts at receiver and cornerback. Schnur, a junior, starts at quarterback and corner.

“Lance and Ethan come up aggressively in run support. Mac is an excellent cover corner,” Butler coach Eric Christy said. “Lance is a student of the game, reads and reacts to plays extremely well. Ethan seems to have opposing receivers in his hip pocket all the time.

“As effective as they've been offensively, they've been every bit as valuable defensively.”

Now that's saying something.

Because offensively, these three have been dynamite.

Since stepping in behind center for the injured Baxter, Schnur has completed 45 passes for 750 yards — just under 17 yards per completion — five touchdowns and only two interceptions in three games.

Trettel has 17 catches for 325 yards and two touchdowns, Slater 15 catches for 296 yards and a score. Slater has also run for two touchdowns and had 105 yards rushing on four carries last week against Harbor Creek.

Trettel and Slater are both averaging 19 yards per reception.

“I was confident we'd be able to do this because we prepped for it during the summer,” Schnur said. “Coop and I were both going to see time at quarterback this year. That was the original plan.”

Baxter returned to his middle linebacker position last week. He figures to get some offensive snaps Friday night against Westinghouse.

He will likely line up at fullback for most of them.

“Mac has earned more playing time at quarterback,” Christy said. “We went to a passing camp in Greenville during the summer, did some 7-on-7's, and Cooper was away at baseball tournaments during much of those. Mac got a lot of reps in then.”

Schnur is making sure he's getting plenty of extra practice time in with the receivers now.

“He organizes some Sunday time where he and we receivers come out and he throws passes to us, just to get more reps in,” Trettel said.

“We're getting some big numbers in the passing game and that's helping our running game.”

Butler has rushed for 555 yards and eight touchdowns in its last two games. The Tornado threw only one pass in the second half last week.

“We don't want to be one-dimensional and we're not,” Christy said. “Give the opponent as much to worry about as possible. I feel like we're hard to defend right now.”

Schnur agrees.

And the return of Baxter to the offense may add to that.

“With Coop at fullback, it adds to our run game and he's a second quarterback on the field,” Schnur said. “We can do a lot with that.

“I've been putting too much air under my passes lately. I'd like to zip the ball in there more, but Lance, Ethan, Braylon (Littlejohn) ... these guys can all run. Just get the ball in their hands.

“Those guys catch everything. If we throw it up there, they're gonna come down with it,” Schnur added.

Besides playing receiver, safety and running the ball, Slater returns punts and holds for kicks from placement.

When he gets a break, it's usually on defense.

“We have a lot of depth defensively,” Slater said. “A lot of guys can do what I do. I just want to help the team any way I can.”

Christy describes Slater as having “football speed. He's fast with the pads on.”

Schnur describes Trettel as having “the best hands on the team.”

“All I have to do is wait for Ethan to fake his guy and then hit him deep,” Schnur continued. “I know he's gonna be there.

“All the times we've thrown the ball, I've only been sacked two or three times. Our line has been great. They're giving us the time we need,” Schnur added.

It all adds up to a total offensive package that can find the end zone from anywhere on the field at anytime.

“That's what makes it so much fun,” Slater said. “It's picking up everybody. Practices are better, attitudes are better, all because we know what we're capable of doing.”