Austintown Fitch unceremoniously ends Butler football’s unbeaten start in blowout
AUSTINTOWN TWP, Ohio — One game does not a season make.
Butler football can take solace in that, though it returned Friday from Ohio with few positives after being dominated by Austintown Fitch 77-6.
The Golden Tornado had won their first three games of the season but were blitzed by the host Falcons, who scored six touchdowns in the second quarter alone.
“Even when we win, we enjoy it that night, then the next day the focus turns to our next game,” Butler coach Eric Christy said. “This is no different. It’s one game, and now we have a tough Hickory team to prepare for.”
Butler (3-1) began the night with an impressive opening drive.
Kevin Shriver rushed for a first down on a fourth-and-1 from his team’s 29-yard line.
Quarterback Will Dunaway completed his first four passes for 54 yards, including a 26-yard strike to Nicco Baggetta that set the Tornado up at Fitch’s 11.
“We knew they’d be giving us some cushion, and we were successful in hitting the underneath stuff,” said Baggetta, who caught four passes for 46 yards in the game. “Will did a good job early of finding the open guys.”
But one play after Baggetta’s big gainer, the Falcons sacked Dunaway, who fumbled, and Bre Bunch recovered for Fitch at his own 22.
It took the Falcons (3-1) just six plays to open the scoring. A 42-yard pass from Collin Kalaher to Isaiah Porch set up Deon’Dray Richard’s 3-yard scoring run.
He scored again on a short run following Butler’s three-and-out.
Fitch then recovered the first of two onside kicks in the first half, and Kalaher hooked up with Antwan Williams for a 21-0 lead with 2:18 left in the first quarter.
“We tried to prepare for those (onside kicks),” Christy said. “We had some guys out of practice this week because of injury, and the moment was a bit too big for the ones playing tonight. It’s tough to duplicate in practice.”
The second quarter is when the game really got out of hand as the Falcons scored four times in the last four minutes of the period. Included were an interception and fumble return for touchdowns.
Kalaher tossed two more TD passes from 17 and 34 yards out.
“All of their skill players have speed,” Christy said. “They have an offensive lineman going to Alabama (Anthony Blalock), and there’s a kid bigger than him on the other side of their line.”
Butler’s score came when Dunaway hit Mason Bundy from 19 yards in the third quarter.
Dunaway finished the game completing 9 of 25 passes for 117 yards. The Tornado ground game was held to minus-3 yards.
The Tornado host Hickory next Friday.
“I know the guys on this team,” Baggetta said. “They have a lot of grit and determination. We’re as low as we can get right now, but I expect that we’ll come back and have the best week of practice.”
Butler 0 0 6 0 — 6
A. Fitch 21 42 7 7 — 77
First Quarter
AF — Deon’Dray Richard 3 run (Kalib Myers kick), 5:39
AF — Richard 3 run (Myers kick), 2:38
AF — Antwan Williams 34 pass from Collin Kalaher (Myers kick), 2:18
Second Quarter
AF — Dyionn Tutwiler 28 run (Myers kick), 10:47
AF — Al-Tahire Iluono 17 pass from Kalaher (Myers kick), 9:42
AF — Williams 34 pass from Kalaher (Myers kick), 3:58
AF — Rashad Harris 34 interception return (Myers kick), 3:16
AF — Mykeim Barnette 4 run (Luis Martinez kick), :57
AF — Vinny DiFlorio 30 fumble return (Martinez kick), :03
Third Quarter
B — Mason Bundy 19 pass from Will Dunaway (kick failed), 6:33
AF — Landon Masterson 12 run (Martinez kick), 2:58
Fourth Quarter
AF — Najeh Sam 17 run (Martinez kick), 1:50
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Butler, Kevin Shriver 7-(-3), Nicco Baggetta 3-4, Will Dunaway 1-(-9), Chase Boden 1-5. Austintown Fitch, Deon’Dray Richard 9-88, Collin Kalaher 4-23, Dyionn Tutwiler 4-81, Mykeim Barnette 3-46, Regan Kalaher 1-6, Najeh Sam 7-115, Landon Masterson 1-12.
Passing: Butler, Will Dunaway 9-25-117-1. Austintown Fitch, Collin Kalaher 8-10-184-0, Regan Kalaher 2-2-4-0, Jayden Sheridan 1-1-10-0.
Receiving: Butler, Jacob Kollinger 1-11, Nicco Baggetta 4-46, Vance Elliott 1-9, Deacon Simko 1-27, Mason Bundy 1-19, Patrick Kisoma 1-5. Austintown Fitch, Isaiah Porch 1-42, Antwan Williams 3-73, Wayne Holloway 2-44, Dyionn Tutwiler 1-8, Al-Tahire Iluono 1-17, Kevin Clark 1-7, David Jorge 1-10, Prince-John Lard 1-(-3).
