Beth-Center rolls over Geibel
CONNELLSVILLE TWP. – Beth-Center went on the road Friday night for its final regular season game before the playoffs. The Bulldogs put together a solid running game and a couple of big plays by their special teams to beat the Geibel Catholic Gators on their Senior Night, 50-7. Jake Sofran led the Bulldog rushing attack with 92 yards, scoring two touchdowns on a pair of 4-yard runs. The Bulldogs’ special teams returned a punt for a touchdown and also returned a blocked punt for another score.
“The kids were ready to play at the beginning of the game, scoring 20 points, but I was concerned with a mental letdown in the second quarter,” Bulldogs coach Ed Woods said. “We’ve got to get ready for the playoffs, and we’ve got to be more consistent in some of the things we do, and eliminate mistakes.”
The Bulldogs came out smoking in the first quarter. Geibel received the opening kick, but was forced to punt.
Chuck Bowser got B-C on the board quickly with a 62-yard return for the score. B-C forced the Gators to punt after another three-and-out, and returned the ball to the Gators’ 21. Four plays later Deshan Brown scored on a one-yard run making the score 14-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, a short kick bounced off one of the Gators’ up-men and was recovered by the Bulldogs at the Geibel 44. Sal Faieta ended the 5-play drive with a one-yard run. The extra-point try failed giving the Bulldogs a 20-0 lead in the first quarter.
Geibel started to rally beginning late in the first quarter. Starting at their 26, the Gators drove 22 yards to the 48 where they faced a fourth-and-9 at the end of the first quarter.
On the first play of the second quarter, Hudnell “Huddie” Caldwell took a direct snap and raced 43-yards to the B-C 9-yard line, giving the Gators a first-and-goal. Caldwell, who finished his career rushing for 97 yards, scored on a two-yard run for the Gators’ only touchdown of the night.
“Our problem is we let teams get up on us early and we don’t have enough weapons at this time to overcome the deficit,” Geibel’s Ron Marciante said. “I thought our defense played well through the second quarter and most of the third. Then they got another score and pulled away from us. They’re pretty good, especially along the line.”
B-C added another score in the second on Sofran’s first touchdown of the night, a 4-yard run completing a 15-play, 71-yard march. The two-point conversion was good giving the Bulldogs a 28-7 halftime lead.
Two more touchdowns in the third quarter sealed the game for the Bulldogs. The first came when Frank Vorhes blocked a punt and returned it 27 yards for the score. Then, with a little more than a minute remaining, Sofran scored on a four-yard run to put the mercy rule into effect.