BUTLER TWP— Mistakes and poor field position don't mix.

North Hills took advantage of both in hanging a 20-0 football homecoming defeat on winless Butler Friday night at Art Bernardi Stadium.

The Golden Tornado lost two critical fumbles in the first half, committed eight penalties and didn't take an offensive snap in North Hills territory.

"You can't turn the ball over twice in the first half and expect to beat anybody,"Butler coach Jeff McAnallen said.

The Indians (3-4, 1-2) took a 7-0 lead on their first possession, marching 72 yards in four plays. Ed Reith scored on a 17-yard run to end a drive highlighted by a 38-yard pass play from quarterback Justin Heinauer to Devin Zangaro.

Heinauer completed only two more passes the rest of the game as Reith wound up with 24 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

"That was our game plan: give the ball to Eddie and grind it out,"North Hills coach Jack McCurry said. "Our kids needed this game tonight."

The game plan was no surprise to McAnallen.

"I know Ed Reith real well," he said. "His running style is straight ahead and hit the hole as fast as he can. And when they're lining up with double-tights in the power-I, it's hard to get penetration.

"We just didn't stop it."

Butler (0-7, 0-3) crossed midfield on the final play of the first quarter when tight end Jared Oesterling caught a short pass over the middle and turned upfield for a 27-yard gain. He fumbled at the end of the play, however, and North Hills' Cody Patton recovered at the Indians 41-yard line.

A more costly fumble occurred late in the second quarter when Butler quarterback Cole Harvey tried scrambling up the middle, was hit and went to the turf with several players from both teams.

North Hills' Jeremiah Murphy emerged from the pile with the football at the Tornado 24 with 1:36 left.

Aided by a personal foul call on Butler, Reith scored on an 11-yard run two plays later.

"I thought that was a bad call,"McAnallen said. "I was standing near the official who called it and there was no way anybody could see what was going on.

"That was a huge play. It gave them momentum ... We could have gone into the locker room down only 7-0 and very much in the game."

North Hills' final scoring drive was a seven-play, 77-yard march in the third quarter. Heinauer tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to David Hollenberger with 1:43 left in the quarter. Butler's Cameron McDonald-Cahill blocked the PAT.

The Golden Tornado started all but three possessions inside their 30-yard line.

"That's the way North Hills plays,"McAnallen said. "But it didn't affect our play calling. We dropped a couple of passes, they penetrated and blocked a couple. ... We never got anything going."

The Tornado managed only 117 yards of offense.

After the game, many of North Hills' players ran directly to McAnallen, shook his hand and embraced their former longtime line coach.

"Our kids love that guy. They respect him. Ihope he wins every game he coaches at Butler, except our game,"McCurry said.

McAnallen said he received 15 calls from parents of North Hills players this week, wishing him well.

"That meant a lot to me,"McAnallen said of the Indians approaching him at game's end. "I was a junior high teacher there, so I worked with most of those kids for five or six years. I know them and their families well.

"North Hills is a class program. It always will be. But it wasn't hard, or even awkward, coaching against them. We just made too many mistakes to get the job done."