Injuries, losses weigh on Butler
BUTLER TWP — When it rains, it pours.
The Butler High football team is saddled with a 21-game losing streak. It has been outscored 231-27 this season, has no running back with as many as 200 yards rushing and has gotten no touchdown passes from its first- or second-string quarterback.
Now the Golden Tornado (0-7, 0-4) must travel to Erie for a 7 p.m. Friday kickoff with McDowell, (5-2, 3-2), which is coming off a 19-14 upset of previously unbeaten North Hills at Martorelli Stadium.
On top of all that, injuries are taking their toll on Butler. Trevor Wideman, its most productive running back, is unlikely to play Friday due to an injury. Sophomore linebacker Bobby Vernick, one of the team's best defensive players, will miss the rest of the year with a broken collarbone.
A.J. Lee, the Tornado's top receiver the past two weeks, is injured and won't play Friday. Sophomore tight end Travis Reid is done for the year with a concussion and fellow sophomore nose guard Austin Cranmer is out with an ankle injury.
"There is no magic formula here," Butler coach Jim Rankin said. "You play with the kids you have, put a plan together that can be successful with their skills, have a good week of practice and go play football.
"That's all you can do. You roll the dice and see what happens. I just want us to play a competitive game at this point," he added.
Injured center T.J. Hays returns but likely will be moved to another position on the line. Sophomore Curtis Hunka will remain at center.
"We've been playing a lot of younger kids," Rankin said. "Unfortunately, when you play sophomores at the Quad-A level, especially with the physicality in our league, sometimes guys are going to get hurt."
The Tornado have been shut out four times and haven't scored a point since a pair of sophomores — quarterback Jordan Cratty and receiver Jacob Alston — hooked up for a touchdown pass on the final play of the Shaler game three weeks ago.
Butler is coming off a 40-0 loss to Mars.
"Our pass protection was pretty good in that game. It's improved over the last couple of games," Rankin said. "Other than that, I can't take any positives from that night.
"I've said it many times: We have tough kids. Last Friday was an aberration more than anything," he added. "These kids haven't won a game in two years and they've busted their tails all year. Mars is a good, physical, well-coached football team. Emotionally, our kids were a little empty that night.
"That can happen in this game, at the pro, college and high school levels," the coach added.
