Bethel Park football stacking wins despite demanding schedule

By: Ray Fisher
Saturday, October 26, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The end of Bethel Park’s regular- season football schedule was taxing, to say the least.

With three games to go, the Black Hawks were undefeated at 7-0 and 2-0 in the Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference.

And not only were the Bethel Park gridders unbeaten, they also outscored their first seven opponents by a 357-97 margin. The Black Hawks averaged 51 points per game and were the top offensive team in the entire WPIAL.

But on the immediate horizon were games with conference powers Upper St. Clair, South Fayette and Peters Township, the defending WPIAL and conference champion.

On Oct. 11, USC spoiled the Black Hawks’ quest for an undefeated record, winning by a 14-10 score.

Bethel Park led for the first time in the game, 10-7, with 4:09 left after a 35-yard field goal by Jackson Friday, a senior midfielder on the boys soccer team. USC drove 64 yards in eight plays and produced the winning touchdown on a 24-yard pass.

“We can be critical on ourselves and be disappointed about certain things, but the kid made a really good play,” Bethel Park coach Phil Peckich said following the game. “We had pretty tight coverage there. We just didn’t finish when we needed to.”

Senior RB/LB Ja Vaughn Moore rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries against the Panthers.

Bethel Park rebounded with a 35-14 mercy-rule win Oct. 18 against South Fayette to go to 7-1 in the conference and 8-1 overall.

The Black Hawks’ third matchup in the three-game finish was against 2023 PIAA runner-up Peters Township. It took place after this edition’s deadline.

Tanner Pfeuffer, a senior quarterback and third-year starter, put on a passing show on his home turf against South Fayette. He completed his first 12 passes on his way to connecting on 16 of 28 attempts for 261 yards, four touchdowns and a rushing score in the first two quarters.

“We thought there was some opportunity coming in for our passing game to be successful,” Peckich said. “We are very proud of how (Pfeuffer) played and stepped up for us.”

Pfeuffer’s big night against the Lions propelled him past the 2,000-yard mark in passing for the season with 2,059 yards. Through eight games, he hit on 116 of 191 aerials with 27 TDs and just three interceptions.

For his career, Pfeuffer has thrown for more than 5,000 yards and 62 total touchdowns.

“We’ve had ups and downs this season,” Pfeuffer said. “No matter what happened throughout it, we stayed connected as a whole and that’s a big part of our success.”

The 6-foot-6, 195-pound signal caller had eclipsed the century mark in every game this year. Pfeuffer’s game-by-game passing yardage — 245, 120, 326, 250, 180, 330, 216, 131, 261 — was remarkable, as was his passing yards-per-game average of 257.4.

Senior receiver Ryan Petras returned to the lineup after missing the first seven games following shoulder surgery and finished with nine catches for 161 yards.

“(Petras) is an all-state type of player for us,” Peckich said.

Two other favorite targets for Pfeuffer this season have been senior WR/DB Mitch Paschl (33-590) and senior WR/DB Jack Bruckner (22-432), who combined for 1,022 yards and 14 scores on 55 receptions in eight games.

Senior Clancy Orie is another receiving threat from his tight end position in what has proved to be a deep receiving corps for the Black Hawks.

Other players who’ve caught passes in 2025 include sophomore WR/DB Santino Nowozeniuk, senior FB/DE Randy Bergia, Moore, junior RB/DB David Dennison and sophomore QB/WR/DB Brady Bruckner.

Petras had 13 receptions for 246 yards and scored twice in two games.

Moore, like Pfeuffer, has had a terrific season with close to 1,500 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. The 5-11, 185-pound Moore was averaging 185 rushing yards per game. His best individual effort perhaps came against Trinity when he ran for 201 yards and five scores on 25 carries.

Dennison also had accounted for 344 yards and three touchdowns on 46 carries on the season.

Defensively, the Black Hawks were allowing 13.8 ppg and were led by a group of players.

The defensive front is anchored by Orie, juniors Bryan McGuire and Jovian Smith and senior Denzel Meyers and sophomore Ryan Bergia and bolstered by a strong linebacking corps spearheaded by juniors Kahanu’ola Kuewa, Tim Ondo and Charlie Simmons, seniors Christian Davis and Randy Bergia and Brady Bruckner.

The secondary, another team strength, includes the likes of Jack Bruckner, sophomore Will Sabatos, Paschl, Dennison and Nowozeniuk.

One of Bethel Park’s season highlights was a 45-36 conference win Sept. 27 against Moon.

Moore rushed for 202 yards and two scores on 31 carries and also had a receiving touchdown. Pfeuffer scored what proved to be the winning touchdown with just four seconds remaining in the game.

“They way that (Moore) runs is very unique,” Pekich said. “I think our line did a great job along with our tight ends and fullbacks too. That’s the special thing about this group: There are no selfish players.”

The Black Hawks added their third defensive touchdown after Pfeuffer’s go-ahead score as Bergia ran into the end zone on a 5-yard interception return.

“Every game in our conference is tough,” Peckich said. “We found a way to execute at the end, and that is a testament to our kids. They really responded in the second half, and I am proud of all of them.

“We are a balanced team, and we can find different ways to win football games. We knew once we got in conference play that we would need to have a 1-0 mentality each week.”

Pfeuffer ended up completing 20 of 29 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns. Paschl had six receptions for 115 yards and a score.

Overall, Bethel Park accumulated 568 total offensive yards against the Tigers — thanks mainly to the efforts of junior tackle Santino LaMolinare, sophomore guard Ryan Bergia, senior center Hunter Goelz, sophomore guard Nate Purcell, senior tackle Frank O’Mara and Orie at tight end.

LaMolinare, Goelz and O’Mara also were starters on the offensive line last year.

Tags: Bethel Park