Beth-Center, Washington football rivalry goes way back
The intensity went up. Excitement built and focus was sharpened.
That was the week leading up to a football game between Beth-Center and Washington high schools starting in the 1970s, hitting its peak in the 1980s and meeting in the WPIAL playoffs the one and only time in 1991.
Washington leads the all-time series 18-10-1.
The Bulldogs and the Little Prexies meet tonight at Charleroi’s Myron Pottios Stadium in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals. They enter the game with identical 10-1 records. Washington is the No. 1 seed. Beth-Center is the No. 8 seed.
And while this has not been a series of trash talking or histrionics, it has been about hard-hitting, high energy and mutual respect.
Beth-Center and Washington have not met on the field since 2020, however, the Bulldogs forfeited to the Little Prexies in 2021.
“We’d get excited and hyped up,” said Washington wide receiver-defensive back Randy Jackson (1983-85). “We always knew it was going to be a good game and both teams were got to bring their A game. Beth-Center was good all the way around, and so were we. We knew we had to be on our best and play our best.”
Conversely, the Bulldogs had nothing else on their minds than being their buttoned-up best to take down the Little Prexies.
“Brian Davis. Jamie LeMon, Mark Wise. Who am I forgetting from the early to mid 1980s,” said standout tight end, strong safety and placekicker Frank Hoak of Beth-Center. “They always had next-level talent. Every time we played them, we had to bring our best. Both teams knew if they didn’t bring their best, they were going to take it on the chin and unfortunately, I took it on the chin twice in that rivalry.”
Over the course of the rivalry, which dates to 1971, and the beginning of the Century Conference, there have been some special moments.
“You knew as a player that Wash High was the measuring stick for us,” said Joe Kuhns, quarterback of the Bulldogs’ WPIAL runner-up team, former Beth-Center coach and current Waynesburg Central head coach. “Every season the question was how we going to deal with the Prexies?'”
Said Chris Winfield, a two-way lineman for Washington (1977-1979): “It was very exciting because it was big rival, and we were always up for that game. Unfortunately, we didn’t play well in 1977 (when only the winner qualified for the playoffs).
“We missed two field goals, and we gave up a long fourth-quarter drive, aided by two facemask penalties. It hurt.”
Four coaches who participated in the series are members of the Washington-Greene Sports Hall of Fame: Dave Johnston and Guy Montecalvo (also as a player) of Washington and Bill Connors and Don Bartolomucci of Beth-Center. Montecalvo and Bartolomucci are members of the Pennsylvania State Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
These men oversaw some the great games in the series history.
Those include:
*1972: Wash High got a safety with 3:03 to play to take a 2-0 lead and then scored on a 45-yard run by Montecalvo to secure an 8-0 victory, which helped them claim a conference title for a second consecutive season.
*1974: Beth-Center marched into Wash High Stadium and blasted the Little Prexies, 35-6, handing the home team its lone loss of the season. Wash High went on to defeat Albert Gallatin in the final week but the Colonials were given the playoff berth and went onto win the WPIAL title. As for the Bulldogs, the win over Washington was a springboard to a 1975 championship season.
*1975: The Bulldogs were flawless in a 21-0 victory in a driving rainstorm and muddy conditions. The game was played Friday afternoon – moved up from a night game to avoid a predicted hurricane.
*1982: Davis’ breakout game. He led a 40-32 Wash High victory at B-C by rushing for 236 yards on 16 carries. He scored TDs on runs of 56, 76 and 32 yards, caught a 23-yard pass from Wise for another TD and threw a 46-yard TD pass to LeMon for good measure. It led to the Little Prexies’ first conference title since 1974.
“It was my coming out party,” Davis said. “That’s when my high school career blossomed. Make no mistake, they had some tough teams and Hoak was such a good ball player. Beth-Center was good at my time and we had to prove ourselves. There was no ill will at all. For the schools to be doing it again, it’s going to be a hard, physical fight. It’s going to be huge.”
*1983: Wash High toughed out an 18-7 victory at Wash High Stadium en route to an undefeated regular season
*1991: The Bulldogs beat the Little Prexies twice, 34-28 in the regular-season and 42-26 in the WPIAL playoffs – the lone postseason contest in series history. It’s the last time Beth-Center defeated Wash High, which has gone on to win the last eight meetings between the schools.
Beth-Center-Washington was also about community pride, big crowds and winning conference championships.
“The history of both programs at that time, strong tradition and big-time pride in the programs was apparent,” said B-C linebacker-running back Shawn Rohrer. “(Washington) always had a good team.
“My junior year (1991) there was a big storm. Lightning chased us into the locker room. I can’t remember exactly how long we were in there. But when we came back out, we played really well. We got it done.”
In 1982, the Little Prexies lost to Brownsville, 14-11, early in season. Every game became must-win.
“It was a big week,” said Wise, Washington’s quarterback and defensive back. “The B-C game was a must-win. Beth-Center was very good. It’s a rivalry. But there was still a little extra added for us because we had to win.
“You go out there and it’s packed. I don’t care if it was in Washington or Fredericktown. It just had an atmosphere. It was electric. It made you excited to play the game. Wash High-Beth-Center says it all.”