This is the fifth and final article in a series commemorating the 50th anniversary of Butler varsity football’s 1963 undefeated team.BUTLER TWP — Walter Lonchena was a part of Butler football history — twice.He was the starting center on the Golden Tornado’s 1950 team, the first undefeated squad in Butler football history.Lonchena later returned to Butler and served as an assistant coach under Art Bernardi during the Tornado’s next perfect regular season of 1963.“It’s hard to compare teams,” Lonchena said. “But those teams were pretty similar to each other.“Both had coaches who believed in running the football behind a physical line. And both had versatile quarterbacks.”A.G. Cappezzuti coached the 1950 team and Dave Reed was the quarterback. Mike Zaccari was quarterback for Bernardi’s 1963 squad.“He (Reed) could run or pass just like Zaccari could. But neither team did it much,” Lonchena said. “Neither team had to.”After high school, Lonchena played football at Clarion University and received his degree in education. He returned to Butler as a teacher in the district.“I fell into a lucky spot,” he said. “I wanted to coach and there was an opening on the staff for me.“Back then, the assistant coaches were head coaches in other sports, too. I was the golf coach, (Paul) Red Uram coached gymnastics, George Bistransin did swimming.”Lonchena described coaching with Bernardi as “a pleasure.”“There was no bickering,” he recalled. “Whenever one of us had an idea, Bernardi would listen to it. He had the final say, of curse, but would often use our ideas.“We were a young staff that jelled together and liked each other. After our meetings, we’d often go out for a bite to eat together.”While the 1950 team was handed the district championship as its only undefeated team, the 1963 squad went on to lose a tight 12-6 decision to West Mifflin North in the WPIAL title game before 21,000 people at Forbes Field.“Even though we lost, a playoff is the way to determine a champion,” Lonchena said. “It should be decided on the field.”He quickly added, though, that “our 1950 team would have handled anybody they would have put us up against.”Lonchena described Cappezzuti and Bernardi as hard-nosed coaches “who never loafed” on their players or assistant coaches.“The 1950 team had about 25 players. That 1963 squad had about 110,” Lonchena said. “It was a different time. Bernardi had enough talent to run two platoons (offense and defense) and that really worked for us.”Now 80 years old, Lonchena still recalls those years fondly.While the 1963 defense allowed more than 13 points to just two opponents — Har-Brack and Beaver Falls — it scored only one touchdown itself. Tom, McGrath returned an interception 50 yards for a score against New Castle in the final regular season game.“There were no stars. No one thought of himself as a star back then,” Lonchena said. “Everybody was just happy playing football.”The 1963 varsity team will be honored prior to Butler’s 2013 football season opener Aug. 30 at Art Bernardi Stadium. Any of its players, coaches, managers or trainers wishing to attend may call Kevin Vogel at 724-822-5291.