Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park battle for conference championship
Cole Rogers eludes tacklers during Bethel Park’s 35-0 win against Altoona.
Terron Murphy rambles 69 yards untouched into the end zone for the first of two bigs scores in Bethel Park’s victory against Altoona. Murphy also rushed for a 67-yard score in the triumph.
As Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park prepare for their Southeastern Conference football showdown at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Hawks’ Nest, one word rolls off the tip of the rival coaches’ tongues. “Finishing,” said BP skipper Jeff Metheny. “That is a big concern. We have to finish the play. Finish the series. Finish the quarter. Make plays. We’ve got to finish.”
That term will definitely determine the victor.
“Obviously, I think the team that is playing the best at the end of the game will be the winner, Lebo head coach Mike Melnyk added. “Our kids are undaunted by close games and are getting better at finishing them.”
Throughout the 2016 campaign, the Blue Devils (4-1, 6-3) have hung close to opponents before erupting for wins. For examples, after a scoreless first half, they came back to beat Canon-McMillan, 32-7, and they overcame a 21-7 deficit to defeat Peters Township, 42-28. Last week was no exception either. The Blue Devils led Penn Hills, 35-26, after three frames before exploding for 21 points in the fourth quarter and finishing with a 56-26 triumph.
Meanwhile, the Hawks (5-0, 5-3) hung with ranked opponents such as North Allegheny, Pine-Richland and Seneca Valley before suffering defeats this fall. Those three squads represent the top teams behind Central Catholic in the North Seven Conference.
“We’ve played good teams that have had a lot of good players,” Metheny said. “Give the other teams credit.”
In those losses, BP was outplayed, says Metheny, for 15 to 20 seconds. And, Metheny gives Lebo lots of credit. Under Melnyk, the Blue Devils have won one conference championship in 2012 and lost last year’s title by a slim margin.
“I know our kids will be hungry to play well this week,” he said.
David Harvey is among those playing best for the Blue Devils. Against Penn Hills, he rushed for 199 yards and four scores on 31 carries. Harvey’s TDs measured 9, 14, 3 and 70 yards. Harvey ranks among the WPIAL’s top rushers with 1,161 yards on 164 carries for a 7-yard average and 14 touchdowns. He has one scoring reception and a two-point conversion pass catch.
“The Harvey kid is definitely a big concern,” Metheny said. “Lebo does a nice job of getting the ball to him and not overworking him.”
The Blue Devils don’t overwork Harvey because, Metheny said, “they have got really good players that have a lot of experience.” Many of the Blue Devils have two years of experience as starters.
Jack Young and James Stocker proved an unstoppable force against Penn Hills. Young hauled in five aerials for 93 yards while Stocker passes for 119 yards on nine completions. The pair hooked up for two scoring strikes of 10 and 20 yards. Stocker also connected with Joe Postufka for a 2-point conversion. Stocker ranks among the WPIAL passing leaders with 1,648 yards and 14 touchdowns. Young has 48 receptions for 719 yards and seven scores. Edgar Parilla follows with 30 grabs for 390 yards and five total TDs.
“Lebo likes to throw it,” Metheny said. “They throw the ball well.”
So BP’s tactics are simple.
“We have to cover the field, tackle well and keep the ball away from them,” Metheny said. “But, we are excited about the game. It will be a lot of fun.”
Despite a non-stop downpour Oct. 21, the Hawks had fun recording their first shutout of the season, blanking Altoona, 35-0.
In the victory, Terron Murphy rushed for scores on 67- and 69-yard rambles. He finished with 202 yards on 19 carries. Cole Rogers rushed for a 9-yard TD and tossed a 6-yard scoring strike to Zachary Taylor. Jeremy Lazzari also scored on a 5-yard run and Shawn Halligan kicked the extra points.
“Bethel Park is a good team and we have always had a rivalry with them being neighboring schools,” Melnyk said. “There is a lot on the line this week.”
The last time, the Hawks had this much at stake was several seasons ago. They won back-to-back conference championships in 2008 and 2009. And, while the Blue Devils are not as big a rival as Upper St. Clair or Baldwin, the Hawks look forward to the regular-season finale.
“When the conferences changed, they took our close rivals away. Lebo is the team that is left and we haven’t had a very good stretch against them recently,” Metheny said. “But I think we are two evenly matched teams that are well-coached. If we don’t turn the ball over and play good defense, then we will be in the game for sure.
“I know I like our kids. They have a lot of grit. They believe in themselves and will keep on playing.”
Likewise, Lebo will fight to the finish.
“Our kids will be hungry to play,” Melnyk said.