Beaver football team dominates undefeated Deer Lakes

By: Josh Rizzo
Friday, October 4, 2024 | 9:51 PM

The Beaver football team has been hardened by the challenges that come from playing a difficult schedule. The Bobcats, ranked fifth in the WPIAL Class 3A Trib HSSN rankings, showed the benefits of that type of experience Friday night at Deer Lakes High School.

Beaver bullied No. 2 Deer Lakes from the outset of a dominant 42-0 victory. The Bobcats scored on their first four possessions to keep the pressure on the previously undefeated Lancers (6-1).

Beaver played defending Class 2A state-runner up Westinghouse to open the season and also locked horns with Imani Christian and Central Valley.

“You build that callus playing good teams,” Beaver coach Cort Rowse said. “Coming out against Westinghouse, Central Valley and Imani gets you ready for November football. It matters where you finish, not where you start. You have to go through that adversity to get the mentality to grind through it.”

How the Bobcats (5-2) started against Deer Lakes made it difficult for the Lancers to regain their bearings. Beaver didn’t let off the gas.

The Bobcats took the ball to start the game and took the lead on their seventh play. Drey Hall scored on a 12-yard run to give Beaver the lead for good with 9 minutes, 8 seconds left in the first quarter.

Beaver’s first four drives ended in touchdowns. Qualan Cain scored on runs of 9 and 65 yards, and Amari Jackson also scored on a 9-yard run.

“We asked kids to step into different roles this week,” Rowse said. “That’s what I was talking to these guys about. When you play the game for the guy next to you, this is what happens.”

Losing this game was a difficult blow for the Deer Lakes. It ended the best start in program history. This was also a wake-up call for the Lancers, who will play Imani Christian for first place in the Allegheny 7 Conference on the road next week.

The Saints beat the Bobcats, 42-28, on Sept. 6 in Wilkinsburg.

“We hope so,” Deer Lakes coach Tim Burk said.

“We’ll find out tomorrow. Imani is just as good as these guys. If we want to be considered a part of that, we need to play better. That falls on me. It truly, 100 percent, falls on me.”

Deer Lakes’ first two possessions went into Beaver territory, but the Lancers were turned away both times. Lancers running back Zier Williams, who had more than 800 yards entering the game, was limited to 59 yards on 15 carries.

Deer Lakes finished with 181 yards of total offense.

Cain carried the load for Beaver. He finished with a game-high 152 yards on eight carries and scored three times. The Bobcats finished with 365 yards of total offense, including 265 yards on the ground.

Burk said Deer Lakes was prepared for what Beaver would do on offense, but the Lancers didn’t play with the energy to slow the Bobcats down.

Deer Lakes feels it has a lot to prove.

“I hate this nonsection game in the middle of my section,” Burk said. “It’s a terrible setup. It’s a terrible way to have it. But at the end of the day, it falls on me. We didn’t come out how we should have. We didn’t come out with energy.”

Tags: Beaver, Deer Lakes