BUTLER TWP — The Butler County Bears have clinched a berth in the Grid Iron Football Alliance playoffs and will play a critical game Saturday night at Art Bernardi Stadium.

The Bears (6-2) host the Youngstown Steelers in their regular season finale at 7 p.m.

A Butler win enables the Bears to host Youngstown in the league semifinal Aug. 27. The winner would then head to Erie for the GIFA championship game Sept. 11.

A Butler loss forces the Bears to travel to Erie for the Aug. 27 semifinal. That winner would then head to Youngstown for the title game.

The Bears are coming off a 40-14 win over the Rochester Renegades last Saturday at Bernardi Stadium. Eugene Clark had 10 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown while Moniteau graduate James Shope had four carries for 65 yards.

Butler trailed 8-7 before Randall Palakovich recovered a muffed punt at the Rochester 3-yard line, setting up his own short touchdown run. Karns City graduate Stephon Conto scored on a 25-yard run to give the Bears a 19-8 lead entering the final quarter.

The Bears broke the game open in the fourth quarter. Moniteau graduate Justin Sanderson scored on a 3-yard run, Clark on a 42-yard burst, and Karns City graduate Erik Fuhrer found Conto for a 43-yard touchdown pass.

Fuhrer scored on a 1-yard run to cap a 10-play Bears’ drive on their first possession of the game.