BUTLER TWP — The pedigree is there. The wins are not.

Tom Loughran is in his first year as head football coach at Fox Chapel. He joined the Foxes after closing the book on a coaching career at South Park that included two PIAA championships, two WPIAL titles, 186 wins and 14 playoff appearances.

“It was time for a change,” Loughran said. “I had retired as a teacher at South Park and recently moved to Oakmont. The Fox Chapel job was a fresh opportunity for me.”

He’s trying to get the program off to a fresh start Friday as the winless Foxes (0-7, 0-6) come to Butler to face the winless Golden Tornado (0-7, 0-5).

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Art Bernardi Stadium in what will be Butler’s home season finale.

“They’re in the same boat we are,” Butler coach Rob Densmore said. “We feel like we can get a win against them and I’m sure they’re talking the same way about us.

“Is this an absolute must win to build our program? No. But it’s a building block we’d like to add.”

Both teams have been beset by injuries this season and have been playing younger kids as a result. The Tornado played only three seniors last week, but are getting healthier.

Running back Damien Pickett (449 yards, 5 TDs), linebacker-fullback Tim Vernick, lineman Josh McCloskey and versatile J.J. Johnson may all return to the lineup Friday night.

During their absence, sophomores such as Luke Michalek, Brandon Fleeger, Logan Dubyak and Christian Sequete have been gaining valuable experience. Michalek rushed for 203 yards last week, Sequete for 77.

“Logan is a very coachable kid who keeps improving every week,” Densmore said of the linebacker.

Michalek and Fleeger will continue to divide time at quarterback “based on which package is most effective for us at the time,” the coach said.

Devin Fitz has missed only one PAT all season and has converted both of his field goal attempts. He had a 40-yard field goal and 68-yard punt in last week’s loss to Pine-Richland.

Fox Chapel’s offense is led by quarterback Dmitri Spina, who has completed 50 of 116 passes for 521 yards. He has been intercepted 10 times and has yet to throw a touchdown pass.

Brendan Whalen, a senior, was the Foxes’ starting QB at the beginning of the season.

“Dmitri is a junior and Brendan got hurt early in the year,” Loughran said. “He’s back in the lineuop playing a wideout for us.”

Tom Smith is the Foxes’ leading rusher with 451 yards and leading tackler with 39 stops, including 28 solos. Conner Romango has 19 catches for 164 yards as a receiver, 38 tackles and 30 solo stops on defense.

Smith is a strong safety, Romango a cornerback.

“We’re not a big team physically,” Loughran said. “But we’re happy with the work ethic of the kids. They’re buying into what we’re trying to implement offensively and defensively.

“We prepare our kids the same every week, giving them what we feel is their best opportunity to win the game that week, whether the opponent is Central Catholic or Butler.”

Butler holds an 8-3 record in the all-time series between the teams, but is just 2-3 against Fox Chapel since 2006. The Foxes have defeated the Tornado 21-0 and 49-17 the past two seasons.

But quarterback Billy Urso (Allegheny College), tight end David Brown (John Carroll) and running back Carrington Vaughn (Arizona) have graduated from those teams.

“They’ve lost a lot of starters like we did and like Altoona did,” Densmore said, recalling Butler’s season-opening 19-17 loss. “Fox Chapel isn’t as big and physical as the teams we’ve been playing. This is an interesting match-up between two teams hungry to win.”