Fox Chapel pulls away from Butler in 2nd half
FOX CHAPEL — Big plays provided a big night for Fox Chapel — and continued a nightmare for Butler.
Nigel Garnett scored touchdowns on runs of 81, 49 and 34 yards and Billy Urso connected on two long passes to set up points as the Foxes rolled to a 49-17 Northern Eight football victory Friday night.
The already injury-depleted Golden Tornado (1-7, 1-5) lost a few more players in this contest, including quarterback Tom Jendesky and running back Matt Christy.
Butler lined up with an empty backfield at times because of its shortage of running backs.
“This win is bittersweet to me,” Fox Chapel coach Eric Ravotti said. “I feel for (Butler coach) Clyde (Conti).
“I don't think I've seen that many kids hurt so badly in one game before.”
Butler trailed only 13-7 at halftime before the Foxes (2-6, 2-4) broke the game open with three touchdowns in the third quarter.
Garnett scored on an 81-yard run less than two minutes into the second half. The Tornado drove 60 yards on their next possession, but Devin Fitz sailed a 29-yard field goal attempt wide left.
Urso added his second and third touchdown passes of the game — a 9-yarder to Keith Frankert and a 25-yarder to Greg Yaksich — before the quarter ended.
“These kids haven't known what it's like to finish off a game,” Ravotti said. “This is a team of underclassmen and they haven't had a senior group show them how that's done.
“They're beginning to figure it out. This was a big step for us.”
Both of Butler's touchdowns were set up by muffed punts. Jake Hays recovered a punt that deflected off a Fox Chapel player's leg at the Foxes' 24 late in the first half. Five plays later, Jendesky scored on a 4-yard run.
Reid Werth recovered a punt that bounced off the body of a Fox Chapel player at the Foxes' 23 with 9:18 left in the game. Jamison Smith found Christy for a 21-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-7 play.
Smith took over at quarterback after Jendesky left the game earlier in the half with an apparent leg injury.
Vince Lowerre intercepted a pass for Butler as the Tornado had three takeaways in the game. But Butler fumbled seven times, losing three, and Smith threw an interception on a gadget play late in the first quarter.
Butler ran the ball 40 times on the night, quarterbacks Jendesky and Smith getting 32 of those carries. Jendesky ran for 82 yards before getting hurt.
Urso threw for 221 yards and the three scores while Garnett had 13 carries for 211 yards for Fox Chapel.
Fitz connected on a 25-yard field goal for Butler to conclude the scoring with 11 seconds to play.
Conti did not offer comment about the game.
