Butler football beats University, secures .500 season on RB Mark Klemz’s big night

October 04, 2025 Last Updated: October 04, 2025 12:38 AM Sports

Butler’s Mark Klemz (2) breaks a tackle from University’s defense for a touchdown in a football game on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

ROB MCGRAW

BUTLER TWP — Rather than trying to mentally calculate stats in the heat of the moment, Mark Klemz usually waits until the next day to see what his numbers were.

“Half the time, I can’t even think,” the senior Butler running back said after the Golden Tornado’s 35-27 win over University (W.Va.) on Friday night. “Usually (I figure it out) the next morning watching film, just to see what I got.

“I’m addicted to it during school. Every day on my Chromebook (laptop), I’ve gotta check it. ... I’ve gotta see where I’m standing.”

Klemz will have a lot to tally up this time around.

He returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown on Hawks (4-2) quarterback Harrison Helbig’s first pass of the night at Art Bernardi Stadium, crashed into a defender to burst into the end zone on a 9-yard carry in the third quarter and zoomed by the visitors for a 64-yard scoring sprint in the fourth.

He finished with 187 yards on 23 carries and also had a fumble recovery to help set up his lengthy scoring run.

“Dale VanLaningham does our stats, and he does a great job of getting them in,” Butler coach Eric Christy said. “It’ll be in tonight by the end of the night. It’ll be on MaxPreps. ... He has them updated.”

As a whole, Butler (5-2) ensured it will finish with at least a .500 record this season, against a pretty good crew, too.

“I checked my MaxPreps,” Klemz said. “They’re 13th in West Virginia. I did my research.”

“(Going) 1-0 is what’s great,” Christy said. “Every week we just wanna go 1-0, and we’ve got to do that five times this year. I know the team (was) talking about the last four games left, saying, ‘Hey, we could go be .500.’ I said, ‘Why wait? Just go get it now.’

“And they responded to that and they were excited for it. ... When’s the last time Butler had six wins?”

Junior Nash Cuffman pounced on Hawks returner Khalil Coleman’s fumble on the kickoff following Klemz’ pick-six. Junior quarterback Nicco Baggetta hit classmate Deacon Simko down the seam for a 21-yard touchdown on the next play.

The Golden Tornado allowed 21 unanswered points after that, including Marcos Kniska’s 1-yard plunge and a 10-yard connection between Helbig and Kaleil Lewis, both in the second frame. Helbig gave University its first — and only — lead by finding Hayden George for a 27-yard touchdown on the first series after the midway point.

George entered the night averaging 119 receiving yards per game. He finished with 144 on a dozen grabs against Butler.

Just over five minutes after that, Baggetta knotted the score with a laser of a 19-yard touchdown pass to Cuffman on a fourth-and-10. Coleman coughed up another kick return right after, which Tornado senior Max Rihn came up with. Less than half a minute later, Klemz took the advantage back for good.

Klemz had 23 rushing yards on 10 carries at halftime. His longest tote to that point was for 5 yards. It wasn’t for lack of effort.

“He’s not gonna let the first guy hit him, so he makes guys miss him,” Christy said. “So he’s got a quickness. Then, when he gets hit, he carries them and leans forward. Just a tough kid all around.”

He might’ve predicted the future, too.

“I told Jake (Kollinger) before the play, I said, ‘I’m a one-block running back. Give me a block and I’m taking it to the the house,’” Klemz said. “And I did. I’m a running back. That always feels good. I love long runs, but that’s my first pick-six ever.”

University (W.Va.) 0 14 7 6 — 27

Butler 14 0 14 7 — 35

First quarter

B — Mark Klemz 37 interception return (Alex Fulmer kick), 6:23

B — Deacon Simko 36 pass from Nicco Baggetta (Fulmer kick)

Second quarter

U — Marcos Kniska 1 run (Brady Goodenow kick), 7:18

U — Kaleil Lewis 10 pass from Harrison Helbig (Goodenow kick), 3:48

Third quarter

U — Hayden George 27 pass from Helbig (Goodenow kick), 10:01

B — Nash Cuffman 19 pass from Baggetta (Fulmer kick), 4:59

B — Klemz 9 run (Fulmer kick), 4:30

Fourth quarter

B — Klemz 64 run (Fulmer kick), 11:51

U — George 23 pass from Helbig (Goodenow kick blocked by Mason Lacey)

Individual statistics

Rushing: University, Marcos Kniska 13-47, Jaedyn Katchur 5-8, Harrison Helbig 11-(-2). Butler, Mark Klemz 23-187, Nicco Baggetta 15-17, Deacon Simko 1-11.

Passing: University, Harrison Helbig 29-44-317-1. Butler, Nicco Baggetta 11-26-144-1.

Receiving: University, Hayden George 12-144, Kaleil Lewis 8-70, Marcos Kniska 3-48, Glenn Brown 1-21, Brandon Custer 3-18, Kyle Weaver 2-16. Butler, Deacon Simko 5-81, Nash Cuffman 1-19, Mark Klemz 3-19, Jacob Kollinger 1-17, Tyson Pino 1-8.