A tale of 2 halves
WEST VIEW — One play did not decide the game. But it certainly changed it.
Running back Matt Timko ran 58 yards on the first play of the second half Friday night, jump-starting North Hills' offense and sparking the Indians to a 42-7 football triumph over Butler Friday night at Martorelli Stadium.
North Hills (5-2, 2-1) led only 7-0 at halftime and rushed for only 39 yards in the first half. Timko's run took the ball to the Butler 18-yard line. He scored on an 11-yard run three plays later.
"Butler came out with a running attack and we weren't prepared for it,"North Hills coach Jack McCurry said. "They threw us off our game a little bit.
"Once we went up by two touchdowns, they had to try something else. And we started hitting some big plays."
And how.
On the Indians' next possession, quarterback Andrew Wyzkoski, making his first varsity start with Andrew Heck sidelined with a shoulder injury, connected with Brian Wisniewski for 35 yards and Michael Rainey-Wiles for 32 more. Rainey-Wiles scored on a 3-yard run to hike the North Hills lead to 21-0.
Timko returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown two minutes later and the rout was on.
"This was two different games,"Butler coach Garry Cathell said. "We only played 24 minutes. You have to play more than half a game."
Trailing 28-0, the Golden Tornado (2-5, 0-3) went to their no-huddle offense and marched 74 yards in 10 plays for their lone score of the night. Quarterback Nick Monteleone capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Roycroft.
Butler had two scoring chances in the first half, twice getting first downs inside the North Hills 30-yard line. Both drives were thwarted by the Indians' Ryan Welsh, who sacked Monteleone to end the possessions.
"Our defense has been coming up with big plays all year,"McCurry said. "We've been pretty consistent that way."
Timko scored the lone touchdown of the first half on a 1-yard run with 9:29 left in the second quarter, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive.
The Tornado lost receiver-cornerback Andy Strutt to a dislocated hip on the scoring play. Strutt was taken off the field on a stretcher and was transported to Allegheny General Hospital.
Once Butler pulled within 28-7, North Hills added a second defensive touchdown. Cody Patton scooped up a Lee Stalker fumble and ran 18 yards into the end zone with 7:59 left in the game.
Butler suffered three turnovers in the game, including an interception by Wisniewski in the end zone on a third-down play from the Indians 8-yard line with 5:36 remaining. Butler also muffed a punt and lost possession in the first half.
With reserves in the game, North Hills sophomore quarterback Justin Heinauer, son of Mars coach Scott Heinauer, ended the scoring with an 80-yard touchdown jaunt. It was his first varsity touchdown.
Monteleone threw for 180 yards — 151 in the second half — for Butler. The Tornado rushed for 87 yards in the first half, including five Monteleone sacks, but rushed for only 28 yards in the second half.
"I told the kids (after the game) our playoff chances look awfully slim right now and we only have two wins,"Cathell said. "We have three games left. We can show our character or run with our tails between our legs."
Notes: Regan Young intercepted a Wyzkoski pass deep in Butler territory to snuff a North Hills scoring threat late in the first half. Wyzkoski threw for 194 yards. ... Rainey-Wiles had 136 yards of total offense. ... Timko finished with 112 yards rushing, 102 in the second half. ... Butler plays at North Allegheny next Friday.
