H.S. football: Butler gallops past Kinnelon

BUTLER — Jason Luciani challenged the Butler football team to produce its best effort of the season Friday night against rival Kinnelon.

The unbeaten Bulldogs exceeded even their coach's expectations. They rushed for 401 yards, four Bulldogs scored touchdowns and they defeated the defending North 1, Group 2 champion, 44-13.

Senior quarterback Glenn Reger rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries and junior tailback Ryan Cirillo ran for 140 yards and two scores for Butler, which improved to 4-0. Butler extended its winning streak to five over Kinnelon, dating from 2009.

"As a first-year head coach, you couldn't be more proud of this team," said Luciani, who was Butler's defensive coordinator for 15 seasons. "I'm really happy for the kids. They had a really great week of practice. They worked hard. They take this game seriously. They're our next-door neighbors. They wanted to come out and make a statement [Friday night] and they did just that."

Sophomore tailback Dan Castiglia also scored two touchdowns for Butler's dynamic offense, which has averaged 33.8 points.

It was Reger, however, who set the tone for this Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference game.

He scored the first of his two touchdowns on an 8-yard run just 2:03 into the game. By the end of the first quarter, Reger had scored twice and the Bulldogs led comfortably, 26-6.

They took a 38-6 lead into halftime and removed their offensive starters early in the third quarter.

"We didn't take them for granted at all," Reger said. "Last year, they were state champs. They're our rivals. The coaches put a fire in our stomachs and challenged us to come out with one of our best games. I think we did that."

Reger, also a starting linebacker, continued a steady beginning to his first season as Butler's starting quarterback.

"He's been doing a great job for us," Cirillo said. "He's been a field general. I'm glad that he's our quarterback. He's a great player and a smart kid."

Cirillo also has been essential to Butler's strong start. He has rushed for 609 yards and eight touchdowns on just 77 carries.

"We're in a good position right now, but we're not going to take what we have for granted," Reger said. "Yes, it's great to be 4-0. But our ultimate goal is to move on and on and on. We still have a lot of work to do."

Luciani and his staff will keep reminding them of that.