WEXFORD — Butler was in position to turn its season around, only to watch North Allegheny turn the field around.

Clinging to a three-point lead, the Tigers were backed up to their 2-yard line midway through the third quarter, but they drove 98 yards for a critical touchdown en route to a 24-7 football victory Friday night at Newman Stadium.

The win clinched a WPIALplayoff berth for North Allegheny (5-3, 3-1) and eliminated the Golden Tornado (3-5, 0-4) from postseason consideration for a 10th straight season.

Butler pinned the Tigers back with a Cole Harvey punt from the NA38 that was downed on the 2-yard line. NAquarterback Mike Locke bobbled the snap on first down, but was able to fall on it.

"That was the decisive point in the game,"NAcoach Art Walker Jr. said. "We almost lost the ball on the first snap. ... That could have been disastrous.

"I know they were hoping to get us to punt from our end zone. That possession was huge."

"They seem to bobble a snap or two like that every game,"Butler coach Jeff McAnallen said. "We just couldn't get possession of it."

On the next play, sophomore running back Alex Papson got loose for a 54-yard run — his biggest of the night. He finished the game sporting 20 carries for 190 yards.

"He's a great back and he cut it back at the right time,"McAnallen said.

On third-and-2 from the Butler 25, Locke found Wes Henderson behind the secondary for an easy touchdown pass and the Tigers had a 17-7 lead with 1:12 left in the third quarter.

The Tornado, who managed only five first downs, never got into North Allegheny territory again.

"We shut them out in the second half. That was big for us,"Walker said.

The Tigers' other second-half score came on defense. Butler's Tony Fudoli caught a pass for a would-be first down, but NA defensive back Jon Lowery stripped the ball from Fudoli and raced 30 yards for a score with 4:42 left in the game.

Butler had good field position early in the game, starting its first three possessions from midfield, its own 48 and own 43, but failed to take advantage of it.

On the second possession, quarterback Cole Harvey was sacked on the first play and fumbled, and NA's Josh Patten recovered at the Tornado 39. Papson scored on a 21-yard run two plays later.

Butler reached the Tigers' 23-yard line on its next possession, only to turn the ball over on downs.

"Our offense moved the ball in spurts tonight, but not enough,"McAnallen said.

The Tornado tied the game with a 20-yard scoring drive late in the first quarter. NA punter Justin Brozick fumbled the snap and was tackled by Cole Baxter to give Butler possession deep in NA territory.

Fudoli rambled 19 yards to set up his own 1-yard scoring plunge with 1:40 left in the quarter.

North Allegheny put together a 10-play, 66-yard drive that netted a 33-yard field goal by Jackson Cox to end the first half. Papson's 32-yard run highlighted the drive.

"Butler is a much-improved football team over last year," Walker said. "We knew points were going to be tough to come by in this game. That's why it was so important to shut them out in the second half."

Butler hosts Seneca Valley next Friday with the Butler Eagle Traveling Trophy on the line.

Notes:The Tornado lost receiver Jared Oesterling to a knee injury in the first half. ... Jordan Emrick had two sacks on North Allegheny's first possession. Butler had five sacks in the game.