Bethel Park back in title contention
Not many football teams felt the impact of the COVID19 pandemic more than Bethel Park.
With an already young and rebuilding roster depleted by injuries and with little time to prepare or even meet as a team during the offseason, the Black Hawks sputtered to an 0-7 season in 2020. The winless season threatened to derail all the progress and momentum they had built in Brian DeLallo’s first year as coach in 2019, and it was a year many teams would like to forget — but not DeLallo.
“I don’t think so, because it’s part of who we are,” DeLallo said. “Because we started 15 sophomores that season, and those are our seniors now. Those kids never looked to make that an excuse. They competed. They’re a different kind of group.”
Fast forward two years later, and Bethel Park is all of a sudden right back in the mix of championship contenders in Class 5A. The Class 5A No. 2 Black Hawks are 4-1 overall, with their only loss coming in a competitive 31-22 defeat vs. Central Catholic in which they led throughout much of the game.
Bethel Park also owns wins against Class 6A foes Mt. Lebanon (27-24 on Sept. 2) and Canon-McMillan (3628 on Sept. 16), with both wins coming on the road in hostile territory. The Black Hawks also own a non-conference win vs. North Hills (22-10 on Aug. 26), and they picked up their first win in conference play with a 36-7 rout at Baldwin last Friday.
There’s no question DeLallo likes what he sees from his team at the midway point of the regular season, but he knows the road is only going to get tougher from here. Each game on the
schedule carries extra significance, starting with a marquee non-conference showdown vs. Penn Hills on Friday. Non- conference games carry more weight than ever before this year, with only eight teams qualifying for the playoffs in Class 5A — down from 12 in years past.
“[Class] 5A is so competitive. It makes it fun. Every game is a big game,” DeLallo said. “We said that [Friday] night in pregame — we’re going to be halfway through after tonight, and it seems like we just started. With only one conference game down, the meat of the schedule is yet to come. But it’s like, where did the time go?”
Starting next week, Bethel Park will begin its stretch run as it attempts to beat out Class 5A No. 1 Upper St. Clair and No. 4 Peters Township for the Allegheny Six Conference title. The Black Hawks will travel to Upper St. Clair for another huge road contest on Oct. 7, and they will host Peters Township in the regular-season finale on Oct. 28 in a game that will likely hold huge stakes for the winner.
“That last game against Peters, I’m sure, is going to have playoff implications,” DeLallo said. “With only eight teams getting in and not all the third-place teams getting in, you can’t slip up anywhere along the line.”
Sophomore quarterback Tanner Pfeuffer has been learning on the fly in his first taste of varsity action this year, and he’s playing like an experienced veteran. Although he does have six interceptions, Pfeuffer has completed 60 of 92 passes for 706 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for five scores on the ground.
Pfeuffer’s oldest brother, R.J., played at Bethel Park under former coach Jeff Metheny while DeLallo was an assistant on staff. Another Pfeuffer brother, Logan, was a three-year starter at quarterback for Peters Township who led the Indians to back-to-back trips to the WPIAL championship game. And the second youngest of the four brothers, Colton, is a senior receiver for the Black Hawks this year.
At running back, senior
Austin Caye is back to fullstrength after a torn hamstring cost him his entire sophomore season and caused him to play primarily on defense only as a junior. So far this year, Caye has rushed for 463 yards and five TDs while adding 12 catches for 126 yards. He also comes from an athletic family tree, as his older sister, Lauren, helped Bethel Park win a WPIAL Class 6A title in softball in 2021. She is now an outfielder at Seton Hall.
“[Running backs coach Joe Ranalli], he believes in me,” Caye said. “He’s been telling me since February that I was going to have a great season this year, and so far, so good.”
If you’re searching for a true X-factor for the Black Hawks this year, though, look no further than speedy slot receiver Ryan Petras. A 5-9, 170-pound sophomore, Petras leads the team with 25 receptions for 270 yards to go with 30 carries for 171 yards and six total TDs. His reception total is tied for seventh most in the WPIAL, and he also splits time with Caye at free safety on defense.
“For my money, he’s aD -I football player,” DeLallo said. “He’ll start getting looks, because he runs away from athletes on other teams that people should stand up and take notice. He can flat-out fly.”
Now in his fourth year as coach after taking over for Metheny — who roamed Bethel Park’s sidelines for 25 years — DeLallo is finally seeing the fruits of his labor. After laying the foundation in year one and making it back to the postseason in year three, the Black Hawks have their sights set on something greater this season — and they appear to be well on their way there.
“I hope I can come anywhere close to the success Jeff had in terms of the longevity and number of big wins,” DeLallo said. “And it was fun for me to be a part of that. I spent 14 years with Jeff. So if I can just sniff the success he had, then I’ll be pretty successful.
“This is where I want to be, and it’s really nice to see it finally rounding back into the success we expect.”