Bethel Park off to 2-0 start after OT victory against Mt. Lebanon

By: Mitch Montani
Friday, September 2, 2022 | 11:59 PM

Bethel Park deployed a relentless ground attack to defeat Mt. Lebanon in overtime, 27-24, on Friday night. The victory over the defending Class 6A state champion has Bethel Park off to a 2-0 start.

“They’re still Mt. Lebanon,” Blackhawks coach Brian DeLallo said. “It’s good for us to see that we can play with teams like that. That’s the kind of team that we’re going to have to beat in any classification if we’re going to go somewhere in the playoffs.”

The Blue Devils got out a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Grayson Dee. A few drives later, Mt. Lebanon went up 14-0 with a 75-yard touchdown scamper by Nate Sala. But the Blue Devils were outscored by the Blackhawks, 27-10, the rest of the way.

“We’re still finding out about each other,” Mt. Lebanon coach Bob Palko said. “We’re finding out about our team. Tip your cap to them.”

The turnaround for Bethel Park was led by senior running back Austin Caye, who scored touchdowns of 5, 4 and 21 yards. The touchdowns went unanswered, and allowed Bethel Park to take a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

“He did an amazing job just like last week,” DeLallo said. “He had great vision and made some great cuts. Even on short runs, his cuts were great.”

At one point late in the fourth quarter, Caye carried the ball on 14 of 17 plays. In addition his performance, DeLallo also gave props to his offensive line.

“The offensive line played tremendous,” DeLallo said. “At halftime, they realized that they could hang with those guys. We were running the ball five or six times each carry.”

Mt. Lebanon sophomore David Shields made the start at quarterback, replacing injured senior Alex Gevauden. Despite throwing a costly interception in the second half, he tossed a 8-yard touchdown to Garrett Pavlik, helping to tie the score with just over a minute to play.

“He’s learning,” Palko said. “He’s just a sophomore. Watch his demeanor. He can be very special.”

In overtime, Mt. Lebanon possessed the ball first. After a net loss over three plays, the Blue Devils settled for a 29-yard Ben McAuley field goal. Afterward, on a fourth-down play from inside the 1-yard line, Tanner Pfeuffer scored the winning touchdown for Bethel Park with a quarterback sneak.

The loss is the second straight for Mt. Lebanon to start the season.

“We’ll keep plugging and grinding,” Palko said. “Hopefully, we’ll find that win column sooner or later.”

The Blackhawks will stay in Class 6A next week to face Central Catholic, last year’s Class 6A runner-up.

“We love it,” DeLallo said. “We say all the time to embrace a challenge. If you don’t embrace it, then you’re just running your mouth. Let’s go see if we can play with them.”

Tags: Bethel Park, Mt. lebanon