Jake Kollinger takes off with 3 TDs, powering Butler football to shutout win over Allderdice
BUTLER TWP — Following his third rushing touchdown of the night, Jacob Kollinger bounded off the field with his helmet in hand, hair soaked and the tape running up his arms peeling at his triceps.
By the time the final whistle trilled on Butler football’s 36-0 home win over Taylor Allderdice, the senior running back/linebacker’s eye black had faded.
“I love ‘duo left.’ That’s a great play,” Kollinger said of his final score, a 42-yard jaunt up the middle with 3:31 to play. “Getting to break one tackle and then tying Mark Klemz’ (personal best) — the three touchdowns in one game — that’s awesome.”
Kollinger finished with 148 yards on 16 carries. The Golden Tornado’s starting quarterback, Nicco Baggetta, another senior, piled on another 111 yards on 13 totes, adding to a running game that punished the Dragons (0-2).
“Jake’s great because he can play fullback, he can play tailback, he’s our middle linebacker,” Butler coach Eric Christy said. “He doesn’t leave the field. He was second in tackles last year. … He’s just not getting tired, which is great.”
Kollinger makes it look easier than it actually is.
“To keep the energy up, it’s hard, definitely, playing both ways, too,” Kollinger said. “But just being surrounded by the guys and all of them hyping you up and stuff like that (helps).”
Kollinger credited Butler’s offensive linemen before a few of them dumped ice down his back.
“They’ve put so much work (in) over the offseason,” Kollinger said. “Working on speed, hand placement — just everything that you need, other than size.”
Baggetta got the scoring going with a 2-yard sneak off fullback-turned-center Jordan Vicari’s hip on the first play of the second quarter. Nearly six minutes later — on the visitors’ 2 once again — Baggetta handed it off to classmate Deacon Simko on a jet sweep that doubled the Golden Tornado’s lead.
Along with preventing the Dragons from touching the scoreboard, Butler’s defense held them 5 yards under 200 from scrimmage for the night. Taylor Allderdice turned it over on downs inside opposing territory three times, including getting as far as the Golden Tornado’s 3 shortly before halftime.
“We’re really focusing on that mentality (of), ‘Butler won’t quit,’” Kollinger said.
“There’s a lot more games, there’s a lot more season left and there’s gonna be a lot more good teams that are coming in here that we gotta face,” Christy said when asked how this team can build on last year’s 7-3 resurgence. “The two-year span that they would have as juniors and seniors … Butler football, if we can keep it rolling, who’s had a back-to-back (stretch) like that?”
Butler 0 22 0 14 — 36
Taylor Allderdice 0 0 0 0 — 0
2nd Quarter
B — Nicco Baggetta 2 run (Baggetta run), 11:56
B — Deacon Simko 2 run (Alex Morris kick), 6:01
B — Jacob Kollinger 17 run (Morris kick), 2:52
4th Quarter
B — Kollinger 8 run (Morris kick), 8:06
B — Kolinger 42 run (Morris kick), 3:31
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Taylor Allderdice, Jamier Smith 5-37, Taivaun Turner 8-31, Tre Ford 8-25, Darwin Christian 3-24, Darnell Ruffin 3-(-4), TEAM 1-(-9). Butler, Jacob Kollinger 16-148, Nicco Baggetta 13-111, Kevin Shriver 8-50, Patrick Kisoma 1-7, Deacon Simko 2-3.
Passing: Taylor Allderdice, Tre Ford 7-26-62-0, Darwin Christian 1-2-29-0. Butler, Will Dunaway 5-9-53-0, Nicco Baggetta 2-5-16-0.
Receiving: Taylor Allderdice, Dav’Veion Lee 5-63, Taivaun Turner 2-19, Lamaar Burke 1-9. Butler, Chase Boden 4-41, Deacon Simko 2-9.
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Butler's Deacon Simko (0) gets past a Taylor Allderdice defender in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nicco Baggetta (1) causes a fumble that he recovered against Taylor Allderdice in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Chase Boden (8) tries to sack Taylor Allderdice's quarterback in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nicco Baggetta (1) prepares to blast past a Taylor Allderdice defender in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Nicco Baggetta (1) skirts past a Taylor Allderdice defender in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Jacob Kollinger (42) explodes through the Taylor Allderdice defense, in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Patrick Kisoma (9) interrupts an Taylor Allderdice play, in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Deacon Simko (0) hurdles for additional yardage against Taylor Allderdice, in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler'ss Maddox Tack (19) and Nicco Baggetta (1) break up a pass play against Taylor Allderdice in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Butler's Jacob Kollinger ( 42) flies into the end zone for a score against Taylor Allderdice, in a football game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
