Path to Acrisure
Leopards, Bulldogs, Trojans seek spot in football semifinals
Lori C. Padilla
Every WPIAL high school football team’s dream is to play for a district championship at Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Three area teams are two wins away from that goal.
Belle Vernon, California and Beth-Center all advanced to the quarterfinals with first-round victories last week.
They’ll each take their shot at reaching the semifinals Friday night.
Coach Scott Bryer’s Leopards find themselves in a rematch with Elizabeth Forward in Class 3A. Belle Vernon won an epic battle just two weeks ago, rallying for two late touchdowns to stun the Warriors on their own field, 29-28, in securing the Interstate Conference championship.
This time the two will meet at West Mifflin High School.
Bryer wasn’t surprised to see a potential rematch with EF when the pairings were released.
“When we played such a tight, thrilling game that could’ve gone either way, I get it where people would want to see us go at it again,” Bryner said.
The fourth-seeded Leopards (10-1), led by a trio of touchdown runs by Chace Petrosky, disposed of No. 13 Shady Side Academy in the first round, 35-8.
The fifth-seeded Warriors (9-2) used a 28-point second quarter to take control of its first-round game against visiting Highlands and went on to win a 54-38 shootout.
The winner will face either top-seeded Avonworth or No. 9 West Mifflin in the semifinals.
Coach Tim Trump’s eighth-seeded Bulldogs (10-1) trampled visiting No. 9 Burgettstown, 34-8, in their Class A first-round game with five different players — Enzo Brown, Homer Headlee, DeSean Whipkey, Dan Duncan and Cyler Myers — scoring touchdowns.
It was B-C’s first playoff win since 1990.
Beth-Center, which finished second to California in the Tri-County South Conference, now faces top-seeded Washington at Charleroi High School’s Myron Pottios Stadium.
Coach Mike Bosnic’s Prexies (10-1), who won the Black Hills Conference, romped over No. 16 Frazier in their playoff opener, 58-8.
Trump laid out his team’s scenario to his players after the win over the Blue Devils.
“I told them next week you know who we got. The No. 1 seed,” Trump said. “You need to win three games to make it to the championship. We have a new mission this week.
“Then I told them, ‘Look out. The Bulldogs are back,’ and they all roared,” Trump added.
Trump was impressed with how his players handled the playoff game after a gut-wrenching 22-20 loss to visiting California in the regular-season finale.
“These guys respond so well, they’re so coachable,” Trump said. “To me, this is a special group of kids, and I’ve told them that. They’re the most unselfish kids I’ve ever been around.”
The winner between the Bulldogs and Prexies will face either No. 4 Fort Cherry or No. 5 Laurel in the semifinals.
Coach Ed Woods’ sixth-seeded Trojans (9-2) pulled together in the second half to defeat visiting No. 11 Northgate, 16-7.
The task now for California is to face seemingly under-seeded Clairton, which was slotted third despite handing No. 1 Washington its lone loss of the season, in the quarterfinals at Southmoreland High School’s Russ Grimm Field. The Bears have a 9-2 record but only eight of their games have been decided on the field as they’ve been involved in three forfeits (one loss and two wins).
“I’m not sure you’re ever going to see a better three seed,” Woods said. “It’s a great challenge for us.”
The Bears shut out Union in the first round, 34-0.
The Trojans have now won two playoff games in the past three years out of the much-maligned TCS and gave the conference, along with B-C, two first-round winners this year.
Alan Dennis and Chase Shemansky scored California’s touchdowns in the win over the Flames with Brandon Meier throwing a TD pass to the latter while also completing a pair of two-point conversion throws.
The winner between the Trojans and Bears will go up against either No. 2 Shenango or No. 10 Monessen in the semifinals.