High school football update
Beth-Center still tops among area teams After Sunday’s game, maybe the Steelers should come down and watch Beth-Center’s double-barreled lineup in action.
Especially on defense.
The Steelers gave up more points on their first possession alone than the Bulldogs have surrendered in their last four games.
With their 48-0 blanking of Chartiers-Houston, Beth-Center cemented their double lead on both sides of the ball among teams in the Herald-Standard’s coverage area, and assured themselves of taking top honors for the season in both respects.
Defensively, the Bulldogs have allowed less than one touchdown per game, ceding 39 points to eight opponents – just 4.9 points per game – while the offense is geared to 36.9 every four quarters.
The shutout win was the fourth in a row for B-C, which has not ceded a point since their 13-12 loss to unbeaten Bishop Canevin in game four. In that span, the Dogs have outscored the opposition 202-0, and for the season they have scored 295 points. Their closest rival in the latter respect is Jefferson-Morgan, with 218.
Defensively,. Beth-Center is the only team with a sub-10 allowance per game, almost 10 points ahead of their closest contender, Mapletown. The Maples moved up two spots, into second place with a 14-4 allowance, after a 28-6 win over Frazier.
The next two places have been a close battle between cross-town rivals Laurel Highlands and Uniontown , who were in those respective positions A week ago. But while Uniontown held onto third with its 35-13 win over Albert Gallatin, the Mustangs gave up their highest total of the season in a 36-19 loss to Yough, and dropped two spots down to fourth with 16-per game.
The only change in the top five this week was Carmichaels taking over fifth with a 24-0 collaring of Geibel, in place of Jefferson-Morgan, a 42-21 winner over Monessen. But the edge is a slim one – one-tenth of a point, 17.8 to 17.9 per game.
Offensively, the top five teams from a week ago are still up there, just in a little different order.
Beth-Center kept the lead, but Jefferson-Morgan moved up to second with a 27.3 per game average, replacing Mapletown, which dropped to third with 26.8 per game.
Waynesburg and California traded places, the Raiders up to fourth with 23.6 after a 30-19 win over East Allegheny, and California dropping to fifth. But again, the edge is a slim one, Waynesburg 23.6 per game, and California just one-tenth of a point back at 23.5 after a 28-25 overtime win against West Greene.
Individual honors the past week included:
-Pass-Run TD – 49 yards, Nate Turner to Mark Brown, Albert Gallatin vs. Uniontown.
-TD Run – 89 and 56 yards, Dominique Young, Uniontown vs. Albert Gallatin; 50, Justin Falcon, Jefferson-Morgan vs. Monessen; 45, Logan Phillips, Carmichaels, vs. Geibel; 42, Dante Valentino, California, vs. West Greene; and 41, Jim Caldwell, Mapletown, vs. Frazier. Valentino had another TD run, and while it was only one-fourth as long, it was the biggest of the night, a 10-yard burst in overtime that clinched the Trojan win.
-Field Goal – 30 yards, Nick Patton, Waynesburg, vs. East Allegheny; 28, Jeremy Ganocy, Carmichaels, vs. Geibel.
-Kick Points – 6, Matt Kline, Jefferson-Morgan, vs. Monessen (PAT); 6, Nick Patton, Waynesburg, vs. East Allegheny (3 PAT, 1 field goal); 6, Ben Sakel, Beth-Center, vs. Chartiers-Houston (PAT).
Grid Topics
When Connellsville scored in the third and fourth (7 each) against Penn-Trafford, it marked the first time this season that the Falcons had scored in both second half quarters. And in every quarter of one game. Defensively, the Falcons had their second game shutting out the opposition in the first half. Norwin was the other…..Uniontown’s defense surrendered its first points of the season in the fourth, when Albert Gallatin got a touchdown. Overall, the Raiders have allowed only 35 second half points…..Belle Vernon has scored 15 points all season, and all in the second quarter.
There are still 10 undefeated teams left in the WPIAL, but that number will be reduced by at least two this week There are no perfectos left in Quad-A, while 3-A has two. Thomas Jefferson (17-3 winner over Chartiers Valley), and West Mifflin (42-14 over Elizabeth-Forward). But that will be down to one this week, when the two collide at West Mifflin.
Five are still unbeaten in 2-A, but that will be cut to at least four. The perfectos are South Park, 35-6 winner over Northgate; Greensburg Central Catholic, 40-0 over McGuffey; Jeannette, 27-0 over Southmoreland; Center, 26-7 over Ellwood City, and Mohawk, 35-0 over Neshannock. The big game this week pairs bitter backyard rivals Jeannette at home with Greensburg CC. South Park plays South Fayette (7-1), Center meets Aliquippa (7-1), and Mohawk tests Mars (5-3).
Three are still perfect in 1-A – Bishop Canevin (41-20 over Bentworth), Duquesne (51-14 over Leechburg), and Rochester (28-8 over Farrell). This week, Canevin meets Charleroi (5-3), Duquesne vs. Serra (5-3), and Rochester vs. Monaca (1-5).
On the other hand, there are still seven teams seeking their first wins. Steel Valley dropped out of that list with their first win last week, 14-12 over Seton-LaSalle.