Butler 41 Rutherford 20 

October 25, 2025

After a slow start, Butler gained momentum and controlled the fourth quarter to beat Rutherford, 41-20, and captured its second consecutive NJIC championship. 

First Quarter: After a Butler punt, Rutherford started on their 28 and began to move when Myles Balchan connected with Quinn Weber for 16 yards, followed by a 24-yard run by John Gioia, getting to the Butler 32. They scored on fourth-and-2 on the 13, when Balchan found AJ Nunziato for an 11-yard touchdown. Another Butler punt gave Rutherford the ball on their 38. They moved the ball, advancing to the Butler 19, but a fourth-and-3 reverse by Nunziato lost 6 yards, and turned the ball over on downs. 

Second Quarter: Midway through the quarter, Butler got moving when CJ Bentley took the jet-sweep handoff down the left sideline, gaining 65 yards to the Rutherford 10. On fourth down, David Smith scrambled back and forth before finding Daniel Wilson in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown, tying the score at 7-7. Rutherford punted on their next drive, with Butler taking over on their 11. Two plays later, Smith found Evan Croker for 72 yards to the 14, and the two connected on the following play for a touchdown and a 13-7 lead with 3:13 remaining. Rutherford moved the ball on the subsequent drive, and a 23-yard pass to Nunziato gave them a first-and-goal on the 8. On third down on the 5, Balchan found Weber for a double-pass attempt, but Weber lost 6 yards. With the clock winding down, Balchan spiked the ball to stop the clock, but it was fourth down, and Butler took possession with six seconds left. 

Third Quarter: After a Rutherford punt, Butler gained possession on their 30. A pass to Croker gained 23 yards, and they had fourth-and-1 on the Rutherford 19 when Smith found Jayden DiNatale for 13 yards to the 6, before Smith scored from the 1-yard line on fourth down for a 20-7 lead. Rutherford came right back with some big plays when Balchan handed off to Weber, who passed to Hank Schroeder for 49 yards to the 23, before Balchan found Weber for 17 yards to the 8. Balchan kept the ball and scored on the following play to cut the deficit to 20-13. 

Fourth Quarter: Butler chewed up almost six minutes, and Smith scored on a 10-yard run, barreling through two defenders near the left pylon. Rutherford’s next play was an interception by Nunziato at midfield, who returned it to the 2-yard line. Yadi Perez scored on the following play to make it 34-13 with six minutes left. Rutherford came back quickly when Balchan found JoJo Marullo downfield for a 40-yard touchdown. Butler tried running out the last five minutes, staying on the ground. But Bentley ran around the left end with no defenders around, getting to the end zone for a 26-yard score and a 41-20 lead with 2:36 remaining. 

Comments: Butler started slowly, but got better as the game went on. Smith was the catalyst, passing for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushing for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bentley ran for 100 yards and a touchdown, and had 3 receptions for 29 yards. Croker had 3 receptions for 109 yards, and his 2 fourth-quarter interceptions stopped Rutherford’s comebacks. 

Rutherford moved well into Butler territory three times in the first half with no points to show, going to the 19, 18, and 5. Balchan was 21-38-217-1 passing and ran for 99 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Weber and Nunziato had 6 receptions each, while Gioia had 5. This is a young team with only 2 seniors that showed flashes, but not enough to beat a veteran Butler team.