NEW CASTLE — Last year's Butler-New Castle season opener didn't prove to be a harbinger of things to come.

The Golden Tornado scored a 28-21 win at New Castle, but dropped their final five games. The Red Hurricanes won eight in a row before losing in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals.

"We'll be putting a younger team on the field this year, but we can't afford to get off to a slow start again," said New Castle coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. "You can't fall behind early and expect to catch up later in the season all the time.

"This game doesn't work that way."

The 'Canes finished 8-4 last season and graduated quarterback Michael Bongivengo, who threw for 2,011 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 923 yards and 17 scores. He now is a quarterback at Seton Hill University.

Sophomore John Matarazzo will be behind center for New Castle when it invades Butler for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday.

"John's 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, a big, strong kid with a very strong arm," Coach Bongivengo said. "He can get the ball down the field, and we've got some kids who can get down there in a hurry to catch it."

One of those players is senior receiver Jajuan Jay, who caught 33 passes for 569 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008. The other starting receiver is sophomore Marcus Carter.

Senior running back Keith Keene set New Castle's single-season rushing record with 1,484 yards last year. He scored 17 TDs rushing and caught 19 passes for 252 yards.

"We won't center everything we do around Keith, but he will get his share of carries," Bongivengo said. "He's one of those guys who can break a long touchdown run any time he touches the ball."

New Castle returns five starters on offense and seven on defense. Some of the 'Canes' newcomers played for a junior varsity squad that went 8-0.

"We'll have a lot of inexperienced kids getting a lot of playing time," the coach said. "These guys are talented, sure, but young players make mistakes."

The New Castle defense boasts three all-conference returnees: inside linebacker John Fields, lineman Dom Cook and cornerback Jay. Fields had 102 tackles a year ago, including 43 solo stops.

Cook had 55 tackles, including 16 solos, and sophomore defensive end Latrell McKnight saw varsity time as a freshman.

Bongivengo admitted his team "is one of the fastest we've had in a number of years." For that reason, he won't be surprised if Butler tries to play ball-control.

"That's how most of our opponents try to play against us," he said. "If they succeed, we're in for a long night."

Bongivengo saw both of Butler's scrimmages and came away expecting a tight, physical battle Friday.

"They're aggressive and they run to the football on defense," he said. "This game should be a knock-down, drag-out affair in the fourth quarter just like last year's game was."

Regardless of the outcome Friday, New Castle's goal is clear.

"It's always a struggle at the beginning of the year for everybody because you're looking for guys to step up and replace productivity from the previous year's seniors," he said.

"We want to win the WPIAL championship. That's every team's goal. That's what we're all working toward."