Austin Caye came back from injury after missing the last two weeks and ran the ball 37 times for 177 yards and a touchdown as Bethel Park knocked off undefeated Upper Saint Clair 27-14 in a battle for first place in 5A Friday night.
Bethel Park's defense forced a fumble on Upper Saint Clair's opening drive as Gavin Moul hit Julian Dahlem and Aiden Curry recovered it. Then Bethel Park got the run game going to move the ball inside the 10 and Ryan Petras capped it off with a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Blackhawks with 5:46 to play in the first quarter. They ran the ball 8 straight plays on the drive.
After a three and out from Upper Saint Clair, Bethel Park connected on a 54 yard gainer as Tanner Pfeuffer found Moul all the way inside the Upper Saint Clair 10 yard line to set up first and goal. Two plays later Pfeuffer capped off the drive with a 2 yard quarterback sneak and with 2:38 to play in the first quarter Bethel Park was in control 13-0, after a missed extra point.
Upper Saint Clair got the offense going as they responded with a 53 yard touchdown from Dahlem to Aidan Besselman and just like that it was a 13-7 game at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter opening drive for the Blackhawks, they went back to their run game with 10 straight rushing plays as they moved the ball inside the 20 yard line and converted on a fourth and two conversion to extend the drive. Three more run plays capped off a 13 play drive that took 6:21 off the clock, as Austin Caye took it into the end zone on a three yard run to make it 20-7 Bethel Park.
Upper Saint Clair on the next drive was faced with a 4th and 1 at the Bethel Park 39 yard line and they decided to roll the dice with a quarterback sneak up the middle and Bethel Park's defense stopped them short of the line to gain.
Upper Saint Clair's defense got their first stop of the game as they forced Bethel Park to a three and out. The Panthers would get one more drive with less than two minutes in the first half.
With 31 seconds left in the first half Upper Saint Clair moved the ball inside the red zone on a Dahlem 12 yard run moving the ball to the 20 yard line with 9 seconds to play in the half.
Dahlem connected with his 6'4 senior receiver Cody Marn in the end zone as he leaped over Jack Reilly for a 20 yard touchdown cutting the Bethel Park lead to 20-14 at the half.
"We seized momentum so we hope it transfers into the second half and that we can build on it because it was a tough half. We got pushed around upfront pretty good so hoping some adjustments make it more competitive in the second half," said Upper Saint Clair head coach Mike Junko to KDKA Radio's Robert Mangino after halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Bethel Park went back to the bread and butter of running the football. The Blackhawks took over 8 minutes off the clock but were stopped on 4th down and 6 as Upper Saint Clair would start their first drive of the half at their own 28 yard line with less than 4 minutes to play in the third quarter.
The third quarter felt like a blur thanks to the 8 minute drive as the two teams got ready for the fourth quarter with a 20-14 score.
Pfeuffer found Curry for a 36 yard gain on a third down conversion off a play-action that Upper Saint Clair bit on because Bethel Park had ran the ball so effectively in the game. The Blackhawks were set up with first down at Upper Saint Clair 35.
Pfeuffer went play action again and found Petras wide open downfield for a 33 yard touchdown and Bethel Park extended the lead to 27-14 with 9:56 to play in the game.
Petras doesn't just make plays on offense, he also makes plays on defense as he intercepted Dahlem's pass on the first play of the drive giving Bethel Park the ball back.
Upper Saint Clair got the ball back next possession and were faced with a 4th and 6 at their own 39 yard line and the Bethel Park defense got the stop with 6:05 to play in the game and a 13 point lead. They closed the game out running the clock out in the final 6:05.
Bethel Park is now in first place in 5A at 6-1 with the win over Upper Saint Clair.
"It's been a long time since we've been there in the regular season but it doesn't mean anything unless you're number one in the end," said Bethel Park head coach Brian DeLallo.
