Backyard brawl has USC traveling to BP for conference title
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Anthony Chiccitt (13) sidesteps a tackle as Jack Evans (44) impedes the progress of Shane O’Connell (56) as he attempts to make a sack during Peters Township’s 35-0 victory against Bethel Park. The Hawks look to rebound from the defeat when they host Upper St. Clair at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the final regular season game for both rivals.
Ryan Magiske (No. 35) eludes the grasp of Bethel Park defenders William Patrizio (No. 4) and Cooper Shoemaker (No. 10) on his way to a 17-yard touchdown during Peters Township's 35-0 victory.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
David Pantellis (No. 11) is one of Upper St. Clair’s top targets and defensive weapons that concern Bethel Park in preparation of the two team’s conference clash at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Pantellis caught two passes and returned a blocked for touchdowns in USC’s 38-31 win against Chartiers Valley last week.
Seth Morgan leads Mt. Lebanon into battle this final week of the regular season. The quarterback has rushed for 440 yards and passed for 1,661 as the Blue Devils have clinched a playoff berth and tune up against Central Catholic on Oct. 26 at Highmark Stadium in Station Square.
Jim Render’s statement about playing at Bethel Park speaks volumes of the football rivalry between his Upper St. Clair Panthers and the Hawks.
“It’s not my favorite place to play,” said Render, who has been in the coaching business for nearly half a century.
More than 40 years later, Render has amassed many memories. Too many to print, he says.
“There are a lot of interesting stories,” said BP skipper Jeff Metheny. “Coaches going back and forth. Games where they came in as unbeatable and we won and times when we thought we were much better talent-wise and they beat us. There has always been good games and tough defeats. At first it wasn’t a good rivalry because we never beat them but it’s turned into one that’s great for high school football.”
The game at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 should live up to those expectations of another great backyard brawl when USC (8-1, 5-1) travels to Bethel Park (4-2, 5-3) for the Allegheny Eight Conference finale. A win for the Panthers would clinch their share of the conference championship. A win for the Hawks would be a morale booster as well as redemption for a miserable showing last week against Peters Township. BP lost the game, 35-0, and a chance at a league title.
“I wish I knew what happened,” Metheny said. “A lot smarter guys than me might be able to but give the opponent credit. We have good players. We just did not play well. It’s a strange conference.”
Render doesn’t anticipate administering a whipping.
“I expect to see a much better team on Friday,” he said. “If you face a Jeff Metheny team, you are always going to play a team that is well-coached and well-prepared. So your team had better be prepared.”
BP is preparing to be at its best. The Hawks always are.
“Those brothers are good players,” Metheny said. “The quarterback does a good job of getting the ball to the right players. Their running back is tough.”
The brothers are David and Chris Pantellis. In USC’s 38-31 win last week against Chartiers Valley, David caught two touchdown passes. He also returned a punt 55 yards for another score. He had four receptions for 97 yards to raise his multi-purpose yards to 802. Chris had three grabs for 53 yards, giving him 902 all-purpose yards this season. Both have six touchdowns each.
The quarterback, Jason Sweeney, completed 10 0f 17 attempts for 187 yards against the Colts, giving him 1,312 yards for the season.
Render said the rivalry makes this game special.
“It’s the same old story,” he said. “The players know each other. We are neighbors. It’s been a good rivalry and our league is very tough.”
Metheny agreed, adding they hope to rebound from last week’s disappointment.
“The best games make or break the season,” he said.
Baldwin at PT
Not since 1975 has a football game meant so much at Peters Township. When the Indians (7-2, 5-1) host Baldwin at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26, they have a chance to clinch at least a share of their first conference championship in 43 years.
“We all need goals in life and this was a goal of the players,” PT coach T.J. Plack said. “I am extremely excited for the players to achieve this objective. They have done the little things to put them into position to achieve their goal.”
The Indians did that emphatically when they thumped Bethel Park, 35-0, in last week’s Allegheny Eight Conference clash. The Hawks were limited to just seven first downs and 116 total yards and produced six quarterback sacks and a fumble.
“It was a total team effort on defense,” Plack said.
The defense got the offense rolling when it recovered a fumble, resulting in PT’s first score with a 4-yard pass from Logan Pfeuffer to Josh Casilli. Pfeuffer found McCall for a 17-yard strike as the Indians streaked to a 14-0 first frame advantage.
Pfeuffer went on to complete two more scoring strikes of 15 and 12 yards to Jackson McCloskey and Casilli in the second half. He finished with 139 yards passing and now stands at 1,487 yards passing on the season.
Despite their 2-4 league mark and 4-5 overall record, the Highlanders pose a threat to PT’s plans because Mason Stahl is one of the top quarterbacks in the WPIAL.
“They are a quickly improving program with physical players, mobile quarterback, and a couple guys that can make big plays,” Plack said.
Lebo at Central
Mt. Lebanon (4-5, 4-3) enters the final week of the regular season in football with a sigh of relief. By virtue of their win against Norwin, 34-28, the Blue Devils clinched a berth in the WPIAL Class 6A tournament and they’ll use this week’s visit to Highmark Stadium at Station Square against Central Catholic (7-2, 5-2) as a tuneup for the playoffs.
“It is always rewarding to get another game,” Lebo coach Mike Melnyk said. “The kids work very hard all year long for each opportunity and this is the first reward for their efforts.”
Against the Knights, there were plenty of great efforts.
Seth Morgan completed 12 of 18 passes for 189 yards. He connected on a 69-yard scoring strike to Mason Ventrone and also scampered in for a 1-yard touchdown.
Drew Vaughn and Everett Lefever rushed for touchdowns of 5 and 10 yards respectively. Lucas DeCaro hauled in seven receptions for 103 yards.
“Our ability to run the football and finish drives was the key to victory,” Melnyk said of the win against Norwin. “Also, our defense came up with some key stops in our territory to keep them at bay.”
From the triumph, the Blue Devils learned an important lesson that should help them against the Vikings.
“We can be pretty good if we do the little things right and eliminate mistakes,” Melnyk said.
Morgan has been doing little things that have added up to his being one of the top quarterbacks in the WPIAL. He has passed for 1,661 yards and 11 scores. He has also rushed for a team-high 440 yards and six TDs.
Vaughn is the second-leading rusher with 393 yards. He has six touchdowns, five on the ground.
The Blue Devils will need a total-team effort on both sides of the ball to topple Central, which is led by Gus Sunseri at quarterback. The Vikings are coming off a 35-7 win against Canon-McMillan.
“Central is big and strong and I think they have found an identity that they are comfortable with,” Melnyk said.
CV at Woodland Hills
All Dan Knause wants from his Chartiers Valley (0-6, 3-6) football team as it prepares for its final game of the season at Woodland Hills is a little consistency.
“Right now we are just not a consistent football team in all phases,” he said. “Wins and losses truly come down to doing the little things right.”
The Colts are at a spot where they are leaving victories on the table. Last week, they had an opportunity to win their first Allegheny Eight Conference game but succumbed to Upper St. Clair, 38-31.
“There are no moral victories,” Knause said. “We should have won the game and did not.”
In the loss, Griffin Beattie completed 9 of 18 passes for 142 yards and two scoring strikes of 25 and 28 yards to Sean Banas in the fourth quarter. Connor Barrett tossed two TD aerials of 30 and 58 yards to Thomas Heckroth and Antonio Zambrano that put the Colts within four points of the Panthers, 21-17, in the third quarter.
Against the Wolverines, the Colts will have their hands full. In a 20-10 win against Moon, William Clark rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
“Woodland Hills is fast and physical,” Knause said. “We have to make key stops on defense and build on our offensive production.”
While neither is a certainty, Knause is sure of one thing as his Colts head to the Wolvarena, Turtle Creek for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 26.
“Our kids are going to fight to the end,” he said.
SF at Montour
South Fayette (8-1, 6-0) looks to claim its ninth undefeated conference championship in 10 seasons when the Lions travel to Montour (3-6, 3-3) on Oct. 26. The Lions sewed up their post-season berth long before routing Ambridge, 55-0, last week.
In the victory, Jamie Diven completed 8 of 11 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns. He hit Payton Tinney from 60 and 51 yards, Raquin Glover from 6 yards and Joey Audia from 43 yards.
Defensively, the Lions limited the Bridgers to 37 total yards and three first downs. Tristan Bedillion had an interception.
While the Spartans are saddled with solving the SF offense, which is led by Diven’s 1,915 passing yards and 28 TDs, they pose a threat with Luke Persinger calling the signals. But the SF defense, led by Ryan Kokoski and Nolan Lutz with 48 tackles each and Tom Elia, Ben Coyne and Glover in the sack department, ranks among the best in the WPIAL, allowing only 11 points per game.