Butler football’s blowout of Baldwin ‘just what we needed’ in clash of former WPIAL programs
Editor’s note: This story appears courtesy of The Butler Eagle, where it first appeared. NewsWorks Lab has embedded with the Baldwin football team for the 2026 season to document its departure from the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) for an independent schedule. The Highlanders, which compete in WPIAL Class 5A, had not won a game in their past three seasons. This series includes previous stories about the state of high school football across Pennsylvania, surging rosters in some communities, a look at Baldwin’s start to the season and a mid-season update.
By John Enrietto, Eagle Correspondent
BUTLER TWP — Three snaps, three impact plays — and Butler ran away.
The game wasn’t over 38 seconds in. It just felt that way as Butler football turned a quick 14-0 lead into a 42-0 shutout of Baldwin in a battle of former WPIAL teams Friday night at Butler’s Art Bernardi Stadium.
“That was just what we needed,” Butler head coach Eric Christy said of the fast start. “It shot our confidence way up.”
The Golden Tornado (4-3) received the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Jacob Kollinger got loose around the left end and rambled 71 yards for a touchdown.
On Baldwin’s first play from scrimmage, Sadiq Anderson tried a swing pass in the backfield, but Butler’s Patrick Kisoma jumped the route and laid out for an interception at the Highlanders’ 31-yard line.
“We practiced that play over and over this week,” Kisoma said. “Their offense was going to that play quite a bit. I just timed it and was able to get my hands on the ball.”
“We were there once. It’s rough, but they just have to stay the course. We’re in the same boat. We’re just five or six years ahead of them.”
– Butler head coach Eric Christy
On the game’s third snap, Nicco Baggetta took a handoff and broke clear for a 31-yard scoring run. Three plays and 38 seconds into the game, the Tornado had a 14-0 lead.
“Nicco threw the lead block that freed Jacob on his run, then they swapped places and Jacob threw the block that got Nicco loose,” Christy said. “It was great seeing two veteran seniors work together like that.
“Before Patrick’s interception, we jumped offsides and they (Baldwin) sort of gave away that bubble screen they were gonna run. Then they didn’t change the play and Patrick was ready for it.”
The Tornado stormed to a 35-0 lead by halftime. Butler turned the ball over on its other two first-half possessions. Anthony Petro picked off a Butler pass in the end zone and Butler lost a fumble around midfield.
Besides that, quarterback Will Dunaway scored on a 1-yard run and hit Deacon Simko for a 39-yard touchdown strike. Simko scored on a 2-yard run, as well.
Baggetta had 11 carries for 132 yards on the night, all in the first half.
“We had lost three in a row and were down a little bit,” Baggetta said. “That quick start got everybody into the game right away. Baldwin likes to run a trick-play offense, and everyone did his job defensively.
“We just rolled from there.”
Baldwin (1-6) entered Butler territory for the first time late in the first half. But on fourth-and-3 from the Tornado 34, Anderson’s pass was batted away by Coltyn Povlick to end the threat.
The Tornado scored once in the second half, with the mercy clock running. Kisoma caught a 30-yard pass inside the Baldwin 10 to set up Kollinger’s 6-yard scoring run with 3:50 left in the third quarter.
With Butler’s reserves in the game, the Highlanders appeared set to break the shutout bid late. But on second down from the Tornado 20, Anderson was sacked by freshman Judd Prescott. Baldwin’s 44-yard field goal attempt was well short.
“This is what Butler football should look like,” Kisoma said. “We were electric, full of confidence, aggressive. … When you have a team down, stomp on their throat. We did that tonight.”
Dunaway threw for 198 yards for Butler. Baldwin — in its first year of playing an independent schedule — was limited to 73 net yards and five first downs.
The Highlanders have lost 44 of 47 games over the past five seasons.
“I know their coach well and can empathize with him, because we were there once,” Christy said. “It’s rough, but they just have to stay the course. We’re in the same boat. We’re just five or six years ahead of them.”
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