BUTLER TWP — Both teams moved the football up and down the field during last year’s season opener at Art Bernardi Stadium.

Butler and Shaler will get together again — this time to open the 2023 season — at 7 p.m. Friday at Shaler. Golden Tornado coach Eric Christy said he won’t be surprised if the contest winds up similar to Butler’s 35-28 victory last year.

“I can envision the same type of game,” he said. “Hopefully, we can do a better job of stopping them this year ... at least slowing them down. But it won’t be easy.”

The Titans finished 5-5 a year ago, missing the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs by one game. Shaler returns eight starters on both sides of the ball, including a number of weapons in a lethal passing attack.

Senior quarterback Keegan Smetanka threw for 2,113 yards in 2022. His top two receivers, seniors Joe DeSabato and Kaden Orga, are back, as is tight end Brandon London (6-foot-2, 235), who also plays linebacker. Smetanka is being recruited by FCS schools and London is drawing college looks as well.

“We graduated running back Luke Cignetti, who rushed for 1,000 yards last year,” Shaler coach Jim Ryan said. “We need to get adjust our running game, but we can definitely throw the football.

“Keegan can move around in the pocket pretty well, but we want to keep him in the pocket. He’s pretty much a pocket passer.”

Butler will be starting a pocket passer of its own in junior Alec Teff. He was in a competition with senior Noah Ritchie for the quarterback spot this summer.

“We may move Noah to receiver or get him some time at running back,” Christy said. “But we have to keep the mind-set that he needs to be ready to go in at quarterback at any time. Your other quarterback is always just one play away.”

David Graef will be the main running back for the Tornado, who are moving speedster Landon Lacey into the slot position — where he will get carries as well — and Braylon Littlejohn out to wide receiver.

“Landon is one of the fastest runners in the state and we want to utilize that speed,” Christy said. “I’m anticipating him having a breakout season. We’ve got some big-play people on the outside.”

Butler is already dealing with a key injury, however. Starting two-way lineman Keegan Bracken suffered an MCL injury in the team’s scrimmage with Armstrong last week and is sidelined indefinitely. AJ Baker, Butler’s center, was named the team’s Lineman of the Week in that scrimmage.

Littlejohn scored a couple of touchdowns and Owen Trettel scored in that scrimmage.

“We did OK, but they scored a couple of times on us, too,” Christy said. “We need to shore things up defensively a little bit.”

Ryan has similar concerns with his defense.

“We have to clean some things up, do better on gap control,” the Shaler coach said. “Butler has an athletic team with linemen who run well. This will be a tough opener for us.”

Christy said the first game is always critical — and tough to prepare for.

“You don’t really know what the other team has or what they’re planning to run,” he said. “The scheme we’re running in Week 1 may not be the same as in Week 5. Injuries and other things factor in.

“The first game sets the tone for the season. We really want this one.”

Butler was 4-7 last season and leads the series between the teams, 22-17-1. The Tornado have won the last two meetings, including a 47-0 decision in 2017.