Bethel Park continues to take on stiff opponents in preparation for USC showdown
The stretch of non-conference contests continues for Bethel Park as it prepares for its football showdown with rival Upper St. Clair on Oct. 7.
The Hawks will host Penn Hills at 7 p.m. Sept. 30. The Indians, who are on a streak after dropping its season opener to Seneca Valley, 17-15, are considered one of the top five football teams in Class 5A along with the Hawks.
Penn Hills boasts junior quarterback Julian Dugger. A dual threat, he has passed for nearly 500 yards in his first four games and gained more than 200 on the ground.
Amir Key is Dugger’s top target. He is also the team’s leading rusher with nearly 600 yards in the first four games.
“Penn Hills has some great athletes and great tradition,” said BP coach Brian DeLallo. “They might have the best QB in 5A. So they’ll be a handful.”
Ryan Petras is proving a handful for BP’s opponents.
A sophomore, who started last year in secondary for the Hawks, Petras returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and rushed for another 47-yard score in BP’s 36-28 non-conference win against Canon-McMillan on Sept. 16.
“Ryan is a special talent,” said DeLallo. “He is not only athletically gifted, but he is also such a hard worker and very smart. His intelligence allows us to play him in multiple positions and do a lot of different things with him that make us difficult to defend.”
Petras is also a proven winner. He started in center field for BP’s state championship baseball team this spring.
“Any time a kid is part of a state championship program in another sport, it has value on the football field,” DeLallo said. “Ryan has played in high-pressure situations and knows the habits and preparation that championship teams require.”
Preparation has brought BP to this spot in the season. In amassing a 3-1 record, the Hawks have gone toe-to-toe with Class 6A foes such as Mt. Lebanon, the defending district and state champion, Central Catholic and most recently the Big Macs.
“We feel like we play the toughest schedule of any 5A team in the state of Pennsylvania,” DeLallo said. “You take the gauntlet that is our league schedule, and then add our non-conference game plus a scrimmage against Erie McDowell, a very good 6A program. We feel like the difficult non-conference schedule will prepare us for conference and postseason play.”
Against Canon-Mac, Petras was not the only Hawk to excel.
Sophomore signal caller Tanner Pfeuffer completed nine passes for 106 yards. He rushed for two, 2-yard scores.
Senior tailback Austin Caye rushed for 116 yards. He had a 15-yard TD run and tacked on a 2-point conversion scramble.
DeLallo was pleased with his team’s performance against the Big Macs, especially after making some second-half adjustments. C-M bolted to a 28-15 lead before the BP defense shut out the Big Macs in the second half.
“Obviously, we were lucky to come out of that game with the victory,” DeLallo said. “They had a nice scheme in the first half, and to be honest, I felt like Mike (Evans) outcoached me in there.
“At halftime, our staff made some adjustments, and our kids did a great job of executing those adjustments. I was very proud of our kids and our coaching staff for how they responded in the second half.”