Bulldogs prep for assault on Century
FREDERICKTOWN – When you’ve been to the WPIAL playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons, continuity is certainly a good thing. So when 10th-year head coach Ed Woods says very little is new for the Beth-Center football team, area fans can relax and expect another likely playoff run. The biggest changes for the program are two additions to the Bulldogs’ coaching staff. Woods said “Beth-Center guys” Denny Welsh and Ron White join the staff as a middle school coach and volunteer assistant, respectively.
Welsh is the brother of Beth-Center defensive assistant coach Gary Welsh. Woods said that “otherwise our staff is pretty much the same,” including defensive coordinator Scott Faieta, offensive assistant Royce Sofran, assistant coach Dave Pohill, middle school coach Chuck Colborn, and volunteer assistant coach Frank Pryor.
Carryovers also include equipment managers George Trout and Alex Shashura and statisticians Ray Huffman and Alex Braddock.
The Bulldogs’ furthest advancement in the WPIAL playoffs in recent years was in 2006, when BC was eliminated by Clairton in the semifinals.
This year’s team is “a little down numbers-wise,” according to Woods, there are no concerns since 12 returning lettermen have a combined 20 seasons of experience under their belts, and all but four of those players are sophomores and juniors.
Even though Beth-Center must travel to Monessen once again this year, Wood said that they are anxious for a rematch after losing 13-12 in 2009.
Also on the midseason part of the schedule is a long drive for a non-conference game at perennial playoff power Avonworth, which will take the team and its followers to the North Hills area near Pittsburgh.
Perhaps the biggest change to the Tri-County Conference alignment is the addition of Frazier, a fact that will make fans in Perryopolis the happiest after several years of making trips to Clairton and Avella.
The other changes on the schedule this season are the removals of Carlynton and Burgettstown from the nine-game slate.