Jake Trinkley raced 69 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and East Butler went on to defeat Meridian, 28-26, in Butler Area Midget Football League action Saturday at Memorial Park.

Kelly Kuharic scored on a 4-yard run for Meridian (1-1), which took the lead on a conversion run by Zack Henderson.

Trinkley got the lead right back on a 61-yard kickoff return for East Butler (2-0). Alec Bayer’s 12-yard TD pass to Kuharic put Meridian back in front.

Kuharic scored on a 2-yard run after an East Butler fumble to give Meridian a 20-12 lead. But a Dallas Hays 65-yard scoring run and subsequent conversion run knotted the score at 20 by halftime.

Kuharic put Meridian in front with a 1-yard plunge on fourth down in the fourth quarter. With seconds remaining, Hays scoered on an 18-yard run and won the game with a tiebreaking conversion run.

Butler City 36, Center Township 0 — Brandon Selfridge sprinted 56 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first offensive play. Tyler Coppersmith added the conversion run for Butler City (1-1).Selfridge added a TD on a 9-yard run and Lemont Hoy scored from 9 yards out. Zack Lowrie added a conversion run.A Lowrie interception set up a 24-yard Selfridge scoring run, Coppersmith adding the conversion. Chance Smith’s 9-yard scoring run capped the shutout win over Center Township (0-2).Games this Saturday pit East Butler against Butler City at 5 p.m., Meridian against Center Township at 7 p.m. at Memorial Park.