Bulldogs work on conditioning, become scouts
There was an attendance boost at Friday’s Carmichaels at Frazier football game that transcended the importance of the key Tri-County South Conference match-up of undefeated teams.
Most, if not all, of the Beth-Center football players were on hand. Nothing against the Mikes or Commodores, but the Beth-Center players would rather have been somewhere else.
They would rather have been at their home field in Fredericktown, playing a football game of their own. The Bulldogs were scheduled to host Geibel Catholic, but the game was canceled because the Gators have only 12 healthy players, one shy of the PIAA-mandated minimum for a football game.
“It’s very frustrating,” said senior quarterback Gino Faieta. “This is the second year in a row this happened. Everybody gets pumped to play a game, but there’s only practice this week. Practices have been good. It feel like a game week.”
Except there is no game.
“We haven’t really changed a whole lot,” Bulldogs coach Ed Woods said. “Without getting to play our second game, conditioning becomes an issue and I’m concerned about it. We’ll continue to go through our practices, including a Saturday practice this week.”
Frustration was a common word among the Beth-Center players and coaches.
“Sure it’s frustrating,” Woods echoed. “But they are frustrated, too. This is the second year that this has happened to us (Geibel Catholic forfeited its first two games last season). The kids feel cheated. It shouldn’t have happened, but I don’t know the answer.”
Woods believes the PIAA roster minimum is too low at 13 and hopes it is addressed by the state high school governing body in the offseason. Of course, it is the rule now and Geibel Catholic, Beth-Center and the rest of the WPIAL must deal with it.
Geibel Catholic opened the season with 16 healthy players, but suffered some injuries in an 81-0 loss at Frazier on opening night and were down to 12 players as of Monday afternoon, when Woods and B-C got the word that the game could not be played.
“You’ve got to know that you will have injuries, regardless of whether you have 15 kids or 50,” said Woods. “I just think 13 isn’t enough. I’m not sure what the right number is, but I think 13 isn’t enough.”
Even though the Tri-County South Conference had a loose agreement with the Black Hills Conference (where Imani Christian had already forfeited its season due to low numbers). Under the agreement, the Bulldogs would have hosted Serra Catholic Friday night.
But by the time Beth-Center learned of the forfeit, Serra had already scheduled another opponent.
“We didn’t know soon enough,” Woods said. “We went through last weekend under the assumption that Geibel was good to go.”
“It’s upsetting to miss a game,” said B-C senior running back Matt Riggle. “Especially a home game. Our fans get one less game to come out and watch us play, but I feel bad for Geibel, too. It’s not their fault. You’ve got to feel for their seniors, too. They are missing a game, too.”
If you are thinking that the Bulldogs were licking their chops waiting for an out-manned, over-matched opponent to come in a serve as sacrificial lambs, you are mistaken.
“Those types of games are not fun for anybody,” Woods said. “We don’t get anything out of that. I’m sure Frazier would say the same thing.”
Except that Frazier got to have a game, lopsided though it was. At least the Commodores got to wear their equipment and play football against someone else.
“You look forward all week to playing and having another game under your belts,” said senior tight end Dominic Welsh. “We are looking toward our Carmichaels game next week and it sure would have helped just to go out there, getting plays in, going live against another team.”
Instead, all they got to do on this Friday was watch other kids do what they wanted to be doing themselves.
Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at mciarochi@heraldstandard.com.