SHALER TWP — Two fumbles and a nightmarish game on special teams spoiled Butler's Northern Six Conference football opener Friday night.

The Golden Tornado fell behind 18-0 in the first half, scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half and still dropped a 37-20 decision to Shaler.

"This was not the kind of game we want to get involved in,"Butler coach Jeff McAnallen said. "It was like a roller-coaster ride, way too up and down."

The host Titans (5-0, 1-0) used a short field to post three scores in the first half.

On the first, Butler had to punt from its own 15-yard line and Shaler wound up with possession at the Tornado 40. On third-and-1 from the 31, Anthony Waskiewicz broke three tackles at the line and raced into the end zone.

Shaler faked a kick on the PAT and threw for two points, beginning a bevy of costly special teams plays for Butler.

Trailing 8-0, Butler kept the ball for 12 plays, moved 51 yards and used up 7:26, but the Tornado's Ryan Soule was wide right on a 27-yard field goal attempt.

The Titans' Jamal Conroy then recovered two Tornado fumbles — at the Butler 24 and 18, respectively — to set up a touchdown and field goal in the second quarter.

Undaunted, the Tornado took the second-half kickoff and drove 75 yards in 10 plays. Tony Fudoli scored on a 1-yard run to get Butler on the board.

Shaler's Dan McGinley answered with an 87-yard kickoff return, the first of two kick-return touchdowns for the Titans.

"Thank goodness we got them. We needed them,"Shaler coach Neil Gordon said. "We have six returns for touchdowns on the season now.

"It's grown into a confidence thing with our kids. They know they can score that way."

Butler answered again when Cole Harvey tossed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Eli Christy, cutting the deficit to 24-14 with 2:35 left in the third quarter.

The Tornado (3-2, 0-1) appeared to maintain momentum by forcing a three-and-out. But a Butler player ran into Shaler punter Rob Holtz after he got off the kick, handing the Titans a first down.

Nine players later — highlighted by completions of 21 and 32 yards to Steve Wirkowski and Jesse DellaValle — Shaler was in Butler's end zone.

"That penalty on the punt was the biggest play of this game,"McAnallen said. "We had a return set up on that play and weren't even trying to rush that kick.

"I'm not even sure what happened there. I'll have to see it on film."

Fudoli scored on another 1-yard run to cap a 66-play Tornado scoring drive to pull Butler within 30-20 with 7:58 left. Harvey was stopped short on an attempted conversion run that would have made it a one-possession game.

Shaler's Dan Swiderski removed all doubt when he returned the Butler kickoff 92 yards for a score.

"Giving up two touchdowns on returns ... you can't win any football game doing stuff like that,"McAnallen said.

Later in the game, Shaler's punter dropped a snap, dodged tacklers and ran 21 yards for a first down.

"Special teams were big, but so was field position,"Gordon said. "We played with a short field and they played with a long one.

"Our punt game pinned them back a number of times. It's tough to drive 80 or 90 yards to score. Coming into this game, I thought these two teams were even. Neither team should have been favored.

"We had to win the intangibles, and we did,"Gordon added.

Butler's defense entered the game having forced 12 turnovers. Shaler didn't turn the ball over Friday.

The Tornado outgained Shaler by 144 yards and doubled the Titans in first downs. Harvey threw for 178 yards and Christy had seven catches for 112 yards.

"I was surprised Butler threw the ball so well,"Gordon said. "I'm not surprised they threw the ball a little more tonight. (McAnallen) knows you have to be able to run and throw to survive in this league."

McAnallen agreed.

"We planned to throw more tonight," he said. "But when you fall behind like that, you have no choice."