Butler's Adam Steiner carries an intercepted pass 10 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against North Hills Friday. It was the only score the Golden Tornado could muster in their 37-6 home loss to the Indians.

BUTLER TWP — Butler dug the hole in which North Hills buried the Golden Tornado.

The Indians took advantage of mistakes and injuries to hang a 37-6 loss on winless Butler Friday night at Art Bernardi Stadium.

Entering the game without three of their best players — Eric Christy, Cole Baxter and Brian Jendesky — due to injury, the Tornado lost two more key figures Friday as defensive lineman Steve Powers suffered a dislocated kneecap and quarterback Cole Harvey left the game in the third quarter.

"Cole's about the only weapon we have left," Butler coach Jeff McAnallen said. "He was pretty banged up. Once the game was no longer winnable, we had to get him out of there.

"We had junior varsity guys on the field at four or five positions. They found our weaknesses and exploited them."

The Tornado's lone score came on a 10-yard interception return by Adam Steiner with 5:12 left in the first half. Butler (0-7, 0-3) trailed 16-6 at intermission.

North Hills (4-3, 2-1) scored four plays into the game when Taylor Schmidt's 30-yard pass to Scott Zubik on third-and-9 set up his own 19-yard scoring run on the next play.

On Butler's next possession, Harvey was hit from his blindside and fumbled the ball. The Indians Matt Hirt scooped it up and ran 29 yards for a score.

A snap over Harvey's head short-circuited that possession. A punt snap sailed well over Harvey's head to end the Tornado's next possession. Harvey retrieved the ball in the end zone and desperately punted it out of bounds under heavy pressure.

The boot went out of bounds at the Tornado 7-yard line — making it a punt of minus-25 yards officially. But Harvey's hustle avoided a safety and, ultimately, a North Hills touchdown.

"Cole Harvey is a football player," McAnallen said. "He could play any position on the field. We need more like him.

"We keep hurting ourselves with mistakes. We practice the stuff every day, over and over ... I don't know what else to do."

Butler's defense stiffened as Powers nailed Elajah David for a 5-yard loss and John Cumpston sacked Schmidt for a 7-yard loss on third down. Anthony Chiappetta's 30-yard field goal gave the Indians a 16-0 lead with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Chiappetta missed the PAT on North Hills' second touchdown, the first errant PAT in the senior's career.

North Hills had rushed for only 22 yards at halftime, but used big plays to gain 159 yards on the ground in the second half.

"They were stacking the line and wouldn't let us run," Indians coach Jack McCurry said. "We didn't want to throw the ball. We had to."

Schmidt threw for 114 yards, 93 in the first half. A 26-yard run by David set up Max Creighan's 22-yard TD run early in the third quarter. Schmidt added a 65-yard scoring run with 21 seconds left in the quarter.

The Indians' final touchdown came on a 13-yard run by Troy Zangaro that was set up by Brody Zangaro's 41-yard punt return.

"(The Tornado) didn't have many of their players tonight," McCurry. "You can't compete when you're in the situation they were in."

"We're just trying to patch things together," McAnallen said. "Our kids are still playing hard. We're just outmanned right now."