BUTLER TWP— The clock was showing mercy to Butler. The Golden Tornado were showing no mercy to Erie Cathedral Prep.

And Ramblers coach Don Holl didn't appreciate it.

Cathedral Prep (9-1) took a 35-0 lead against Butler with 9:46 remaining in the third quarter Friday night at Art Bernardi Stadium. The Ramblers converted a two-point conversion after their fifth touchdown so the 35-point mercy rule would kick in.

Cathedral Prep went on to post a 41-20 triumph. It's what transpired after the 35-0 lead that angered Holl.

"We did everything you're supposed to do,"the Ramblers coach said. "We pulled our starters. We got the mercy clock going.

"I don't know what (Butler coach Garry Cathell) was thinking. This whole mess at the end happened because he didn't know the right thing to do."

Cathell said Holl wouldn't shake hands with him after the game.

Cathedral Prep put its starters back in the game late, completed a 38-yard pass with just over a minute remaining, called timeout with the ball on Butler's 2-yard line with 49 seconds left rather than let the clock run out, scored a touchdown on the next play, then tried an onside kick.

"None of that stuff made me mad,"Cathell said. "I guess he was upset because we wouldn't quit playing."

Leading 27-0 at halftime after his team generated 305 yards of offense, Holl began the second half with sophomore Jeff Roach at quarterback. Dave Roach, his older brother, threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards and two scores in the first half.

The Ramblers' Kevin Baker recovered a Butler fumble at the Tornado 29-yard line on the third play of the second half. Akeem Satterfield scored on a 7-yard run shortly thereafter, then added a conversion run for the 35-0 lead.

Another 14 minutes, 36 seconds would tick off the clock before Cathedral Prep's offense touched the ball again.

Butler (3-7) got on the scoreboard on its next possession as quarterback Nick Monteleone concluded a 10-play, 65-yard drive against Cathedral Prep reserves with a 12-yard scoring pass to Jordan Roycroft.

Adam Zaccari recovered an onside kick for Butler, triggering a seven-play, 44-yard drive that ended with Ben Ashcraft's 1-yard touchdown run.

Mason McLaughlin recovered another onside kick for Butler, but the Tornado couldn't score. After a Tornado punt, the younger Roach fumbled at his own 17-yard line, setting up Monteleone for an 18-yard touchdown pass to Roycroft.

With 3:27 left in the game, Butler trailed 35-20.

And Holl was incensed.

"What they were doing was an insult to football," he said. "They know we have a playoff game next week. I don't want to get anyone hurt. We talked about that before the game."

Cathedral Prep plays Erie McDowell in the District 10 playoffs next week. Cathell shrugged off criticism of his second-half tactics.

"I know he's not gonna quit on his kids, well, I'm not going to quit on my kids, either,"Cathell said. "Our kids haven't given up all year.

"He's upset because we didn't lay down? If he (Holl) wanted to play a junior varsity game, he should have brought his kids back Saturday. We'd have played one."

Cathedral Prep's starters returned to the game once Butler pulled within 15 points of the lead.

Notes:Cathedral Prep lost three fumbles in the first quarter, Regan Young, Dan McPherson and Aaron Dorondo recovering for Butler. ... Monteleone threw for 119 yards and finished the season with 1,569 yards passing, including nine touchdowns. ... Roycroft had seven catches for 95 yards and ended the season with 46 catches for 657 yards and six TDs.