Sophomores AJ Null and Trevor Hudson come off the field during their season opener against Fort Scott on Saturday Aug. 26. Butler beat the Greyhounds 42-14 to win their 25th straight home game over Fort Scott.
Charles Chaney
Student Sports Media
The Butler Grizzlies football squad has new faces and new names, but the result was the same as in years past against the Fort Scott Greyhounds. Two interceptions returned for touchdowns capped a 42-14 win over Fort Scott on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Butler beat the Greyhounds for the 25th consecutive time.
“I like how we didn’t get down on ourselves tonight,” Butler Head Coach Tim Schaffner said. “We battled hard.”
The Grizzlies forced four turnovers and committed zero themselves. It is the first time since September 2015 Butler has not turned the ball over.
The Grizzlies (1-0) found their first score of the game when sophomore Will Honas found a ball suspended in the air. The linebacker galloped 80 yards to put Butler on the board 7-0 with 3:04 left in the first quarter.
“You know, these guys [linebackers] weren’t well known coming into tonight,” Schaffner said. “They are now.”
Fort Scott tied the game up 14-all when Fort Scott’s Dalton Sneed scored on a three-yard run.
Butler exchanged quarterbacks as if they were going through revolving doors and never getting out. Sophomores Chris Helbig and Brady Rust took turns giving the Greyhounds fits.
The Grizzlies responded with a seven-play 75-yard drive, capped on a 35-yard run by Rust down the left sideline with 2:47 left in the first half.
“Once we got settled down, it was fun,” Helbig said.
Butler racked up 430 yards of offense. It was the first time since Aug. 26, 2012 the Grizzlies had two defensive touchdowns.
New starting quarterback Helbig finished 16-of-26 for 188 yards touchdown pass to sophomore CJ Sims.
Sophomore Kevon Abrams ran for 92 yards on 21 carries.
“We have a good amount of returning guys,” Helbig said. “We just need to keep building that mold.”
The night was capped off when newly appointed captain, sophomore Charlie Benton, took the interception into the end zone from 26 yards out. Benton led the Grizzlies’ defense with 11 tackles.
“Coach told me to do our thing,” Benton said. “That’s what we did tonight.”
The Grizzlies will travel to Coffeyville on Saturday, Sept. 9 to play rival Coffeyville. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on 88.1 KBTL the Grizz and online at Butler.listen2myradio.com.
