Another week of football, another victory for Beth-Center
Beth-Center’s Jason Stay (3) finds an opening through Jefferson-Morgan’s defense to score the Bulldogs’ third touchdown Friday evening at Beth-Center Stadium in Fredericktown. (Photo by Joel Brewton)
Jefferson-Morgan’s Gerald Metz (18) receives a pass and dodges a tackle from Beth-Center’s Tommy Strauss (85) to score the first touchdown of JM’s game against the Bulldogs. Jefferson-Morgan was eliminated from the playoffs with the loss, but rebounded to beat non-conference opponent Vincentian Academy last Friday. The Rockets host Mapletown tonight. (Photo by Joel Brewton)
Beth-Center’s Dominick Welsh (9) is slammed to the ground by Jefferson-Morgan’s Gerald Metz during Friday’s game in Fredericktown. (Photo by Joel Brewton)
Joel Brewton | Herald-Standard
Beth-Center’s Matt Riggle (4) is pursued downfield by Jefferson-Morgan’s defense during Friday’s game in Fredericktown.
FREDERICKTOWN — Another week of high school football in the WPIAL and another Tri-County South Conference win for the Beth-Center Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs rode another big performance from sophomore running back Anthony Welsh to an emphatic 54-7 victory over rival Jefferson-Morgan on Friday night. Welsh rushed just 10 times for an impressive 178 yards and four touchdowns.
Beth-Center (6-0, 6-0) improved its record to a mindboggling 39-3 since joining the Tri-County South in 2008, that stretch includes a 24-game winning streak against Greene County teams. Ironically enough, Beth Center’s last loss to a Greene County team came at J-M in 2007.
It looked like the Rockets (2-4, 2-4) would make a game of it after scoring first and being competitive in the first quarter. J-M got on the board first on the opening drive when senior Logan Bowman connected with receiver Gerald Metz for a 55-yard touchdown pass at the 9:36 mark of the first quarter. The Rockets converted the point after to put together an impressive five-play, 80-yard scoring drive.
However, Beth-Center answered right back on the ensuing possession with a nine-play touchdown drive. Bulldogs quarterback Gino Faieta powered in from one-yard for the touchdown. The score was tied at 7-7 after the extra point.
Things stayed that way until the second quarter. That is when the Bulldogs started their usual dominance. It started when Nico Brown raced 64 yards on a punt return and John Berdar followed it up to push it to 14-7. After forcing an interception on the following drive, B-C started on the six-yard line. Jason Stay bounced in from six yards out to make the score 21-7. Welsh rushed 18 yards at the 6:28 mark for another second-quarter score to make it 29-7 right before half.
Special teams and defense played a big part in the second quarter explosion for B-C and head coach Ed Woods hopes that continues.
“I am very happy with how our special teams has played all season long,” Woods said. “We started a little slow tonight and need to correct that. Sometimes you need to flip the switch earlier.”
It was more of the same as Beth-Center poured it on with three more touchdown runs from Welsh in the third quarter. Welsh tallied scores of 46, 38 and 11 yards, respectively, as the Bulldogs inflicted the mercy rule at 48-7 by time the third quarter finished.
Matt Riggle finished the scoring with a 24-yard run at the 8:13 mark of the fourth quarter, making it 54-7 Bulldogs. Behind the Bulldogs’ solid trio of backs, they totaled 301 rushing yards on 27 rushes. Jefferson-Morgan finished with just 166 yards of offense.
The victory gives the Bulldogs six-straight victories against J-M and helped them clinch their 11th straight trip to the WPIAL playoffs. Meanwhile, the Rockets suffered their third straight loss and all but ended its playoff hopes.
“These kids are tough,” said Rockets head coach Liam Ryan. “We can still end this right. Our goal has to become winning the next three games and finishing with a winning record. They will come ready.”
J-M steps out of conference action against Vincentian Academy next week. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have a big match-up against Frazier, who upended previously-undefeated Avella. The Commodores handed Beth-Center its only conference loss a year ago and that still stays with Woods.
“That’s a very memorable loss,” Woods said. “We have to play a perfect game to win. They are a sound football team that is well coached. We will be in for a battle.”