Bethel Park muscles way to win over Mt. Lebanon
Tanner Pfeuffer’s 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown propelled Bethel Park to an overtime victory, 27-24, against Mt. Lebanon in WPIAL non-conference football action on Sept. 2.
“Just an amazing effort,” said BP skipper Brian DeLallo.
“Every one in the stadium knew it was a quarterback sneak. Every one,” he emphasized to his players during a post-game huddle. “That’s why you lift the weights, run on the track, push the gates.”
As a result, the Hawks pushed off the Blue Devils to move to 2-0 on the season. Lebo, which is the defending WPIAL and state champions, dropped to 0-2.
“You see Lebo’s linemen,” DeLallo said. “They are big, tough and physical. We were blocking bigger kids the whole game and our five interior guys paved the way for us.”
Center Logan Pettigrew, guards Toby D’Andrea and Braedon Del Duca as well as tackles Dylan Prindle and Jake Brown provided the surge BP needed to push Pfeuffer into the end zone. The fourth-and-one play capped the victory.
“Logan, who we affectionately call ‘The Sauce’ is smaller than all of their linemen. He makes sure we get the snap and he just fights. Toby and Braedon were in the middle of the fracas too,” said DeLallo.
DeLallo added that Prindle, who replaced the injured Sammy Sciullo, did a great job at left tackle while Brown at the right tackle is having a fantastic year.
“Anytime you beat a program like Lebo, it’s a big win,” DeLallo continued. “We have a lot or respect for them.”
In addition to BP’s O-line, the Hawk defense garnered props, especially when it stopped the Blue Devils on their first possession in overtime. Gavin Moul picked up two tackles for Lebo losses then Dinari Clacks made the next stop forcing the Blue Devils to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Bernard McAuley.
“Defensively, we had to move around a lot because we couldn’t stand up to them physically,” explained DeLallo. “We had three plays to stop them. We tried to get our best player loose on some blitzes. We were lucky to shake (Moul) loose and let him do what he does. We forced them into the field goal and that gave us a chance to win it.”
BP didn’t appear to have a chance to win as Lebo bolted to a 14-0 advantage to start the contest.
An interception by Will Hartung set up Grayson Dee’s 1-yard TD run with 2:09 remaining in the first frame. Nathan Sala bolted 76 yards for another Lebo score with 7:05 to go in the second stanza.
Austin Caye then went to work behind his O-Line. The BP senior rushed for 151 yards and three scores. The first touchdown came on a 5-yard plunge into the end zone, to close the gap, 14-7, with 3:10 remaining before intermission.
BP fumbled away the opening possession of the second half. Cole Markel recovered for the Blue Devils.
Ryan Petras atoned for the turnover though. He picked off a Lebo pass that triggered BP’s second score. Pfeuffer completed a long pass to Clacks that set up Caye’s 4-yard score.
Caye added a 16-yard TD with 9:56 to play to give the Hawks their first lead but on the ensuing kick Lebo returned the kickoff deep into BP territory. Blake Striegel forced a fumble that David Shelpman recovered for the Hawks.
“That plays sticks out in my mind as it epitomizes the team effort we had,” DeLallo said. “So many guys made plays and so many coaches made great calls.”
Lebo made the pivotal play to force overtime when David Shields connected with Garrett Pavlick for a 48-yard scoring strike that evened the score with 1:10 remaining in regulation.
“They drove the field on us a few times but we were able to get the stops when we needed them.
“They were tough to defend. So big and physical,” DeLallo said. “They even had that No. 32 in there at quarterback. He’s gigantic,” he continued of the 6-2, 230-pound Grayson Dee. “They get an extra blocker and this huge kid rushing the ball down your throat. Makes for a long night.
“It was physical,” DeLallo added. “That’s what our kids need to learn. We can hang with these big, physical programs.
“Anytime you step up in class, there is something to be said for that. But when you step up and you’re not just playing a step up, you are playing the defending state champion, who year in and year out, has an incredible program with the most decorated coach in the WPIAl history. That means something.”
NOTES: Shields completed 10 of 18 passes for 107 yards for the Blue Devils.
Injuries prevented Kade Capristo and Alex Gevaudan from playing in the game for Lebo. A Richmond recruit, Capristo is a 6-3, 285-pound lineman while Gevaudan started at quarterback for the Blue Devils in their season-opening loss to Gateway.