High-scoring Bethel Park offense brings balance into Allegheny Six clash with Upper St. Clair

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, October 11, 2024 | 12:41 AM

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The WPIAL’s highest-scoring offense has gone all season without arguably its best player, but that’ll change Friday.

Bethel Park wide receiver Ryan Petras has recovered from shoulder surgery and is expected to make his season debut against rival Upper St. Clair, yet the Black Hawks seem like they’ve hardly missed him.

Well, at least statistically.

Bethel Park is 7-0, has averaged a WPIAL-best 51 points per game and scored no less than 45 points in any week. Black Hawks quarterback Tanner Pfeuffer is the leading passer in the WPIAL with 1,666 yards and running back JaVaughn Moore ranks third among rushers with 1,251 yards.

And all without Petras, a Princeton recruit and the team’s leading scorer last year. There was a sense, at least beyond the team’s locker room, that his absence might be a major setback. His teammates haven’t let that happen.

“I think it made us more balanced in different ways,” Bethel Park coach Phil Peckich said. “We’ve had to have a next-man-up mentality. We understood the situation early enough that we could create a plan in Ryan’s absence.”

Petras returns in time for a first-place matchup Friday night. No. 2 Upper St. Clair (7-0, 3-0) visits No. 3 Bethel Park (7-0, 3-0) with the winner gaining an edge in the Allegheny Six race.

Bethel Park is the third consecutive undefeated opponent that Upper St. Clair has faced. The Panthers handed Peters Township and South Fayette their first losses in back-to-back weeks.

“One thing we’ve kind of grown accustomed to is playing in big-time environments,” Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko said. “Sometimes the big stage can be overwhelming. Our guys have now done this week in and week out.”

This South Hills matchup decided each team’s playoff fate a year ago. Bethel Park won 22-10 and later qualified for the playoffs while Upper St. Clair was ultimately left out.

This year, it could decide the conference champion, but that battle won’t end this week. Peters Township (6-1, 1-1) and South Fayette (6-1, 1-1) remain in the hunt.

Bethel Park’s balanced offense has made it a difficult opponent to stifle this fall. For the season, Pfeuffer has attempted 137 passes and Moore has 135 carries.

Moore, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior, leads Bethel Park with 21 touchdowns. Senior receiver Mitch Paschl is second with 11 touchdowns and a team-best 30 catches. Pfeuffer, a three-year starter, has thrown 23 touchdowns.

“We’ve shown different ways that we can beat teams,” Peckich said. “We play in Western Pa., and inevitably you’re going have to find different ways to win in November and December.”

Bethel Park has flourished offensively but will gladly welcome back Petras, an impact player as a receiver, defensive back and kick returner. He ranked among the WPIAL’s top receivers last season with 52 catches, 735 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“That adds value to your roster no matter who you are,” Peckich said.

Bethel Park is coming off a 56-6 win over Baldwin. Pfeuffer passed for five touchdowns in the win, and Moore and Paschl each scored twice.

In the past two weeks, Upper St. Clair proved that balance maybe isn’t everything. The Panthers completed one downfield pass in a 17-7 victory over South Fayette last week and none in 21-7 win over Peters Township a week earlier.

Instead, they’ve relied on a strong running game and a stout defense to win games.

Against South Fayette, the team rushed for 342 yards on 43 carries. Senior running back/quarterback Julian Dahlem had 174 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore John Banbury added 137 yards, and the USC defense forced three turnovers.

“We feel that we’re a team that can throw the ball,” Junko said. “We want to throw it when we want to throw it. We don’t want to throw it when we have to throw it.”

Junior quarterback Ethan Hellmann has completed 21 of 40 passes for 441 yards and seven touchdowns. The Panthers passed the ball a little more often earlier in the season, but their blockers have proven to be a strength, so they’ve stuck to the ground lately.

“We haven’t really had the need to put the ball in the air a whole lot,” Junko said. “It’s a big emphasis in practice … but we also understand the importance of running the football this time of year.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair