BUTLER TWP— One word best describes Butler football this season.

New.

The Golden Tornado have a new head coach, new coaching staff, new offense, new defense and new players.

And they're hoping for new results because Butler has not had a winning season since 1997.

"The goal has to be the playoffs,"first-year coach Jeff McAnallen said. "That has to be the goal every year.

"We'll take each week as it comes and try to put our kids in the best position to win the football game. Our job as coaches is to give the kids we have a chance to win."

AButler graduate, McAnallen succeeds Garry Cathell — now coaching at Elizabeth Forward — at the helm of the Tornado. McAnallen served as offensive and defensive line coach at North Hills for the past 10 years.

He inherits a team with only three returning lettermen — outside linebacker Tony Andreassi, running back-defensive back Mason McLaughlin and lineman Jeff Achezinski.

Of the 81 players on Butler's roster, 58 are sophomores and juniors.

"I knew what I was inheriting when I took this job,"McAnallen said. "It's high school football. The players change from year to year anyway.

"Experience makes little difference to me. We have to play as a team regardless."

Quarterback coach Eric Christy, also a Butler alumnus, said the program might benefit from being so green at the outset of camp.

"That can be better with a new staff,"he said, "We don't have to break any old habits. All we have to do is teach and develop."

Christy will be doing that with sophomore starting quarterback Cole Harvey, who started for the freshman team a year ago. Junior Adam Wolfe is in the mix there as well.

Harvey stands 5-feet-10 and weighs only 155 pounds. His predecessor, three-year starter Nick Monteleone, was 6-feet-3 and led the team in rushing and passing. He now is playing at Seton Hall University.

"Cole is more of a sprint-out quarterback who likes to get out of the pocket and throw on the run,"Christy said.

If Butler has its way this year, though, he won't be throwing much.

The Tornado will line up with multiple backs and run a misdirection attack.

"We can't rely on giving the ball to one kid and having him lead us to a big season,"McAnallen said. "Our concept has to be four or five kids running the ball.

"All of the backs will get their chance to run with the football. When they don't have the ball, they need to be blocking for whoever does."

Some of those backs will include McLaughlin, Christos Klutinoty, Harvey and Cameron McDonald-Cahill.

McDonald-Cahill will catch his share of passes as well, as will 6-3 sophomore tight end Jared Oesterling.

On defense, the Tornado are switching from a 44 to a 43. That means Andreassi, a safety last season, will line up at outside linebacker.

"Ilike it a lot,"Andreassi said of the switch. "We're tighter on the line of scrimmage now.

"Everyone's adapting to the new system pretty well. Nobody's expecting us to do too much, but I think we're gonna surprise some people."

T.J. Wisnieski and Tony Fudoli are others who may make an early impact at linebacker this season. The offensive and defensive lines have numerous candidates.

Nathan Blose, a senior soccer player, will do the kicking while Harvey will handle the punting chores.

"Shaler has all of its linemen back, North Allegheny and North Hills are first-class programs,"McAnallen said. "There are a lot of talented players in this league.

"We can play as a team and win as a team. We did that at North Hills every year. We play four games before we get into conference play and we're going out to win those four games.

"We have a chance to be a very good team this year,"McAnallen added.

Andreassi agreed.

"I'm a senior and I want to go to the playoffs,"he said. "It's going to take hard work, dedication and consistency to get there. But we can do it."