Butler football dominates New Milford to stay undefeated, clinch division title

BUTLER − Butler won a battle of unbeatens and secured its spot in the elusive New Jersey Interscholastic Conference playoffs.

The Bulldogs, No. 11 in the North Jersey Public Top 20 rankings , took out Meadowlands division rival No. 20 New Milford, 41-7, on Friday night on the home blue turf in front of an overflow crowd at Memorial Field in Morris County.

The win pushes Butler (5-0) into the NJIC playoffs for the first time since joining the small-school conference in 2018.

“Last year we were right there with Park Ridge. They beat us on our turf and that would have been our ticket to the NJIC playoffs, but we came up a little short,” Butler coach Jason Luciani said. “It’s nice to have almost all the kids back from last year and to come out and do something that has been their goal for four years.

“It feels really good to be a part of this conference. We’re really, really proud of this conference.”

Matt Barile scored two first-half rushing touchdowns, and quarterback David Smith and receiver Michael Henehan hooked up in each of the first two quarters as Butler scored on its first four series and five of seven to take a 35-0 lead into halftime.

PJ Coffey opened the scoring on the first series of the game when he barreled in from the 4-yard line to cap a three play, 54-yard drive just 58 seconds into the game.

Barile added to the lead when he scored on a 10-yard run with 4:38 left to play in the opening quarter. He peeled off a 52-yard run the play before to put the Bulldogs into the red zone.

“I felt comfortable running the ball tonight. I’ve been waiting all season and whenever they call my number, I’m ready. Every time I touch the ball, I’m looking to break a big play and kickstart the offense,” Barile said. “The line was great tonight. They opened up holes perfectly. I make sure after the game I give each one of the linemen a hug. I appreciate them. They’re the best.”

Smith hooked up with Henehan on a 9-yard scoring pass as time expired in the first quarter to open up a 21-0 lead. The duo did it again on the next series, this time from eight yards with 9:48 left in the first half and a 28-0 advantage.

“We practiced the game plan all week. We knew what we wanted and we got what we wanted,” Smith said. “We know the talent we have on offense let alone the defense and we know if we come out firing there’s not a lot of teams that can play with us.”

What it means

Butler clinched the NJIC Meadowlands division title, it’s first division title since joining the conference six years ago.

Butler has won its first five games of a season for the first time since 2013, Luciani’s first year as head coach.

The Bulldogs will meet Colonial division winner Becton (5-0) in two weeks in the NJIC semifinals. This year's conference playoffs will be the ninth in league history, and the championship game will be played on either Oct. 25 or 26. Rutherford has won the last three championships.

In five games, Butler has outscored its opponents, 213-27 with two shutouts.

By the numbers

∎ Barile finished with 121 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns.

∎ Smith carried the ball seven times for 49 yards and was 6 of 8passing for 85 yards and two touchdowns.

∎ Coffey rushed for 22 yards on three carries and a touchdown and had five tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions on defense.

They said it

“What you’re seeing now is a culmination of all those hard-fought battles over the years. We’re battle-tested and maybe not from this particular season. But they’ve been through the ringer. They’re forged in fire and it’s showing up in the box score. Now what you’re seeing is a group of kids that had to go through it. This isn’t just happening. They had to fight and claw and scratch to get where they are and I’m proud of them.” – Luciani.

“This program has always been run well, especially because of coach Luciani. He’s done a great job throughout the years, including his involvement in the youth programs and getting us to even come here in general. Butler has a history of pride, strength and tradition. We take football to heart and it means a lot to accomplish our goals.”- Coffey.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Butler football dominates New Milford to stay undefeated, clinch division title