Butler football falls to Central Clarion in 2nd half of season-ending loss
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Owen Trettel tacks Central Clarion in a football game against at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Quinlan Hanley tosses the ball during a game against Central Clarion on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle(10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Central Clarion defeated Butler 49-14 in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Owen Trettel attempts to tackle Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Leland Anderson reacts to the team's 49-14 loss against Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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A Butler cheerleader reacts to a play during a football game against Central Clarion at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Evan Reinsel attempts to tackle Central Clarion in a football game against at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Leland Anderson reacts to the team's 49-14 loss against Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Patryk Lyon hugs a teammate after the team's 49-14 loss against Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Alejandro Palacios hugs a teammate after the team's 49-14 loss against Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler walks off the field after scoring their second touchdown in a football game against Central Clarion at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Tears run down Butler's Leland Anderson's face during the last quarter of a football game against Central Clarion at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Patryk Lyon reacts to the team's 49-14 loss against Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's Keyante Edwards and Mason Myers embrace after the team's 49-14 loss against Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
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Butler's football team receives high fives from the student section in a show of support after their loss to loss Central Clarion in a football game at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Friday, Oct. 25. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/25/2024)
BUTLER TWP — Central Clarion needed time to adjust. Then it ran away.
Quite literally.
The Wildcats (10-0) capped a perfect regular season Friday night at Art Bernardi Stadium, scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half in rolling to a 49-14 football victory over Butler.
Central Clarion held just a14-6 lead at halftime over the Golden Tornado (4-6).
“It took us a while to adjust to their speed,” Wildcats coach Dave Eggleton said. “That’s the best team we’ve played all season. We haven’t faced athletes like Butler has. It took our kids by surprise a little bit.
“That’s why we wanted to play this game. This is a good prep for the playoffs.”
Central Clarion rushed for 324 yards on the night, 242 in the second half.
“They have a big offensive line,” Butler coach Eric Christy said. “They came out in the second half and ran the ball down our throats.”
The Golden Tornado had their moments, however. Alec Teff threw for 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 9-yarder to Preston Simko and a 16-yarder to Marcus Vicari. Teff threw for 1,304 yards and 10 TDs on the year.
“Alec had a good season,” Christy said. “He wanted to throw for a few more and catch my total (when Christy played QB at Butler). I was hoping he’d get there.”
Butler turned the ball over twice on downs inside the Wildcats’ 20 during a highly competitive first half. The Tornado had nine first downs and Central Clarion 10 in the first two quarters.
“We bent, but didn’t break defensively in that first half,” Eggleton said. “That was a big part of this game.”
Central Clarion quarterback Jase Ferguson was a bigger part.
The senior ran for 205 yards and a touchdown. He also threw for 126 yards and three scores. Ferguson’s third touchdown pass —15 yards to Ethan Rex in the third quarter — was the quarterback’s 138th career TD toss. That broke the previous District 9 record of 137 that stood for more than a decade. Ferguson had 41 touchdown passes this season.
“It’s an exciting achievement, but Jase credits the entire team for it,” Eggleton said. “That’s the kind of kid he is.”
Christy agreed.
“I’ve known his family for years,” the Butler coach said of Ferguson. “They are all great people. Jase is a tremendous athlete. It was fun watching him play.”
Central Clarion entered the game averaging 58 points per contest and with shutouts in its last four games. Butler’s 14 points were the most allowed by the Wildcats since their season opener. Central Clarion has sent all 10 of its games to the mercy rule this year.
Ferguson threw only three interceptions in his first nine games, but the Tornado’s Tyson Pino and Simko picked him off Friday.
Butler’s loss marked the end of its season, the program’s first playing an independent schedule.
“I enjoyed this year. The kids played hard all year and we kept fighting despite losing people to injuries,” Christy said. “We traveled to some different places, played some new schools and made new friends.
“We have a lot of talent coming back next year. We have a lot to look forward to.”
Central Clarion 0 14 21 14 -49
Butler 0 6 8 0 - 14
Second Quarter
CC - Ethan Rex 32 pass from Jase Ferguson (Brendan Bettwy kick), 10:39
B - Preston Simko 9 pass from Alec Teff (kick blocked), 4:28
CC - Braylon Beckwith 1 run (Bettwy kick), :40
Third Quarter
CC - Rex 21 run (Bettwy kick), 10:57
CC - Mason Burford 30 pass from Ferguson (Bettwy kick), 6:12
CC - Rex 15 pass from Ferguson (Bettwy kick), 3:06
B - Marcus Vicari 16 pass from Teff (Simko pass from Teff), :43
Fourth Quarter
CC - Ferguson 5 run (Bettwy kick), 9:39
CC - Beckwith 34 run (Bettwy kick), 3:01
Individual Statistics
Passing: Central Clarion, Jase Ferguson 7-16-126-2. Butler, Alec Teff 19-40-190-1.
Rushing: Central Clarion, Jase Ferguson 19-205, Ethan Rex 11-81, Noah Harrison 1-3, Braylon Beckwith 2-35. Butler, Alec Teff 1-(-5), Mark Klemz 12-20, Leo Iarrapino 6-9, Nico Baggetta 3-14, TEAM 1-(-11), Jabaree Jennings 3-25.
Receiving: Central Clarion, Ethan Rex 3-50, Jesse Siwiecki 2-34, Mason Burford 2-42. Butler, Quinlan Hanley 5-38, Preston Simko 4-59, Owen Trettel 1-6, Marcus Vicari 2-26, Evan Reinsel 1-4, Nico Baggetta 4-28, Mark Klemz 2-29.
