Butler rallies for second straight big win. Bulldogs stuff No. 2 Weddington with defense
A pair of bad snaps nearly cost Butler a chance at a big win at home Friday against Weddington.
Nearly.
Butler gave Weddington some free points and some extra possessions, but rallied to earn a 22-15 win over the Warriors.
“We set up this non-conference schedule to get us ready,” Butler coach Brian Hales. “The kids trust each other. Tonight, when things weren’t going well and nobody got down on anyone. Tonight, especially tonight, we were unbelievably tough-minded and determined.”
Keyshawn Barrino’s touchdown run with 96 seconds left was the difference in the Deer Park Union County game of the week.
Butler (3-1) is No. 11 in The Charlotte Observer Sweet 16 regional high school football poll. Weddington (3-1) is No. 2.
The Bulldogs overcame those two snaps to pull the upset because of their defense.
The first one gave Weddington five points, off a safety and a field goal on the ensuing possession.
The second led to a red zone possession and a field goal.
Both times, though, the Butler defense stood tall and kept the Bulldogs in the game.
It was the second straight big win for the Bulldogs, who jumped into several national polls after upsetting Langston Hughes (GA) 30-27 last week, when Hughes was ranked among the nation’s top 20.
“I was really worried about this (game),” Hales said, “coming off a big win, reading your press clippings and everybody’s throwing praise at you. (Thursday), we didn’t have a great practice, so I was concerned they had a little bit big headedness, but they came in today and did everything I asked in terms of being on time, sticking to schedule. It made a big difference.”
Friday, that togetherness showed.
After getting those two earlier big stops on defense — plays that prevented scores that may have put the game out of reach — Butler’s defense came up big again.
Early in the fourth quarter, with the game tied at 15, Butler stopped Weddington on downs inside the Butler 20.
After a change of possession, Butler got a punt return from Dequadre Currence to the Weddington 36 with fewer than six minutes to play. That led to the winning score and a Bulldogs interception of Weddington’s final possession sealed it.
Early highlights
Butler took a 7-0 lead early in the first half and looked strong, but Weddington answered with a quick tying drive.
Mistakes from both teams defined the first quarter. Butler ran up a plethora of penalties, and when Weddington found a rhythm on offense, penalties slowed the Warriors down, too.
After missing a field goal attempt from 27 yards, Butler again drove and quarterback Zach Lawrence’s 35-yard run gave Butler the early lead.
A 28-yard run from Weddington QB Tyler Budge helped his team with a quick answer. Budge’s run got Weddington in the red zone and Javon Barber’s 14-yard run tied the game.
Weddington kept the lead for awhile thanks to some bad snaps. The first flew over the punter’s and out of the Butler end zone. The safety gave Weddington a 9-7 lead. Weddington got the ball back and added a field goal for a 12-7 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, another high snap on a punt attempt gave Weddington the ball inside Butler’s 10. The Bulldogs defense stood but the field goal gave Weddington at 15-7 lead.
Scoring Summary
Butler: 0 7 8 7 — 22
Weddington: 0 12 3 0 — 15
B — Zach Lawrence 35 rush (Nicolas Konieczynski kick)
W — Tyler Budge 14 pass to Javon Barber (Everett Scott kick)
W — Safety on a high snap through the end zone
W — Scott 34 yard field goal
W — Scott 21 yard field goal
B — Jayden Williams 3 rush (2 pt conversion successful)
B - Keyshawn Barino 4 rush (Konieczynski kick)
