BUTLER TWP - Its playoff hopes are finished. Its football season isn't.

Butler (2-5, 0-5) will try to snap a five-game losing streak - this season and against Mt. Lebanon - when the Golden Tornado meet the Blue Devils on the road Friday night.

"Nobody around here is walking around with his helmet off, sulking," Butler coach Garry Cathell said. "The mood at practice is the same as it was back in August.

"Sure, the kids are frustrated, we all are. We're not happy to be where we are, but these kids love to play football."

Butler still can finish the season at .500, with a three-game winning streak and a three-year hold on the Butler Eagle Traveling Trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual Butler-Seneca Valley game.

"We don't have a lot of seniors, but the ones we do have still have a lot pride," Cathell said. "They want to go out on a positive note."

The Tornado have been competitive with Mt. Lebanon only once in the past five years - a 10-6 loss in Butler in 2002. Besides that, the Blue Devils have defeated them 35-6, 45-0, 34-7 and 42-7 in their meetings since 2000.

Cathell sees the Blue Devil program as where he wants to take the Butler's.

"They're always a senior-oriented team that plugs in new faces to a system," Cathell said. "Our program has been off kilter that way, but we've been catching up.

"Last year, we were two years behind, starting a bunch of sophomores at the varsity level. We weren't all that competitive and our junior varsity was getting clobbered because our sophomores were playing varsity ball.

"This year, our varsity has been more competitive. We hoped to have a few more wins by now, but it hasn't worked out that way," the coach added.

Butler's freshman team is 3-2-1 this season. The junior varsity is losing but has been competitive.

"Our JVs just lost 14-6 to Bethel Park and our JV lineup will be the same next year," Cathell said. "Those close losses this year will be wins next year - at the junior varsity and varsity level."

Cathell added that when next year's seniors graduate, a seasoned crop of seniors will be ready to take over.

"We have solid numbers from our junior class on down, 30 or more per class, all the way down to seventh grade," he said.

"They hired me to build a program here, and that's exactly what I've been doing. All that's missing are the wins - and they're coming. Sometimes you stumble and bumble before you get finished."

Butler finally has gotten healthy as well. The Tornado's once-lengthy injury list has been reduced to linebacker Phil Scialabba and backup tailback Michael Bresnahan.

Defensive back Ian Haley played his first game of the season at Bethel Park and led the team in tackles.

"That's the kind of impact player he is," Cathell said. "(Lineman) Marcus Hough played very well, too, but got a little winded late in the game. He'll be in better football shape this week."

Butler's passing game continues to shine. Quarterback Nick Monteleone threw for 163 yards last week and rushed for a pair of touchdowns.

Monteleone has completed 84 of 166 passes for 1,033 yards and has been intercepted just six times all year. Receiver Jordan Roycroft has 28 catches for 402 yards and Andy Strutt has 25 catches for 366.

Running back Bobby Alexander was among the injured players who returned last week. He has 75 carries for 261 yards on the year.

Cathell described Mt. Lebanon as a team with no outstanding players, but with a lot of very good ones.

"I consider them as good as Bethel Park," he said. "They're very solid and they're a little quicker team-wise and have more team speed.

"(Mt. Lebanon coach Chris Haering) has a program that graduates seniors and plugs new kids in. That's what we want to have happen here. And it will."