Beth‑Center, Pa. – The Bulldogs’ dream of capping an undefeated regular season with a Tri‑County Conference title was halted Friday night when California edged them 22‑20 at home. The loss dropped Beth‑Center to an 8‑2 record, but the team still secured the No. 8 seed in the WPIAL Class A playoffs and will host No. 9 seed Burgettstown (8‑2) on Friday.
Coach Trump’s Outlook
“We had our opportunities and we didn’t take advantage of them,” head coach Tim Trump said after the game. “We’ve got to forget about what happened and move forward. Now we’re in the playoffs. We have a home playoff game and we have to take advantage of that.” He added, “I told our guys after the game, we’re still a good team and I still believe in them.”
Key Players and Rankings
Running back Enzo Brown tallied two touchdowns in the loss and will carry a 24‑point lead in the Herald‑Standard Touchdown Club standings into the postseason. Brown finished the regular season with 23 touchdowns, two two‑point conversions and a safety for a total of 144 points, placing him atop the list.
Following Brown are Belle Vernon’s Chace Petrosky (120 points), Waynesburg Central’s Teagan Crouse (108) and Ky‑mani Sumpter (106). California’s Alan Dennis rounds out the top five with 94 points. All five remain active in the playoffs.
Playoff Landscape
Joining the Bulldogs, Trojans, Leopards and Raiders in the first round are Frazier and Mount Pleasant, with six teams playing Friday night at 7 p.m. kickoffs.
Belle Vernon (9‑1) rides a stunning 29‑28 comeback win over Elizabeth Forward that secured the Interstate Conference title. Coach Scott Bryer’s Leopards are the No. 4 seed in Class 3A and will host No. 13 Shady Side Academy (5‑5) at James Weir Stadium.
California (8‑2) earned the sixth seed in Class A after capturing the TCS title and will meet No. 11 Northgate (7‑3) at Trojans Stadium.
Waynesburg, Mount Pleasant and Frazier will open their postseason on the road. In Class 3A, Coach Joe Kuhns’ Raiders (8‑2) were seeded 10th and travel to perennial power Aliquippa (6‑3). Coach Jason Fazekas’ Vikings (5‑5) were slotted at No. 14 and will visit No. 3 Hopewell.
In Class A, Coach Tony Battaglini’s Commodores (5‑5) travel to top‑seeded Washington (9‑1).
Historical Context
The Bulldogs are seeking their first playoff victory since a 34‑12 win over Cornell in 2010, when the team was coached by Ed Woods, who now leads California.
“It would mean a lot for this team to get a playoff win,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be good for these kids to go out and play and forget about the last game and concentrate on this week and this game.” He added, “I think everyone’s sort of forgot about us because we lost one game. This is a chance for these kids to prove themselves again.”
Defensive Highlights
Defensively, Beth‑Center has returned six interceptions for touchdowns this season—three by Hunter Bobbs, two by Enzo Brown and one by Brody Bebout. “We had another two or three called back,” Trump noted, praising his players’ ball‑hawk instincts.
Touchdown Club Standings Update
The rest of the Touchdown Club top ten includes four players whose seasons have ended: Linkon Keller (Connellsville, 92 points), Joel Rizor (West Greene, 82), and a three‑way tie at eighth place (78 points) among Bobbs, Liam Rogers (Jefferson‑Morgan) and Marcus Evans (Uniontown). Only Bobbs and his Bulldogs remain playoff‑bound from that group.
Waynesburg’s Teagan Crouse contributed to seven touchdowns in a 55‑8 non‑conference win at Valley, throwing four passes and adding three rushing scores. The highest scorer of Week 10 was Liam Rogers, who caught three touchdown passes and rushed for two more in Uniontown’s 62‑38 victory over West Greene.
Looking Ahead
With the first round set for Friday night, Beth‑Center hopes to translate its strong regular‑season performance into a postseason win. The community will be watching closely as the Bulldogs aim to break a 13‑year playoff drought and bring a championship‑caliber effort to the field.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
