Surprising Blue Devils in contention
Burgettstown quarterback Brad McLaughlin has thrown 10 touchdowns and no interceptions this season.
Burgettstown needs victories in two of its final three games to secure its first winning record since 2007.
When Burgettstown’s football team ran onto the field at Hill Memorial Stadium last Saturday, junior quarterback Brad McLaughlin glanced at the stands and could not believe what he saw. It was the first time he could remember a large crowd on hand to watch the Blue Devils.
Large crowds weren few and far between the past decade at Burgettstown. The Blue Devils had a 24-game losing streak that ended last fall, and the program has just one winning season since 2003.
There is now a sense of hope the dark days have passed. The support didn’t go unnoticed. Most of the Blue Devils’ saw the small crowds of previous seasons when winning was a distant memory.
They responded to the full house with a 30-10 win over Southmoreland, which elevated them into a tie for third place in the Interstate Conference.
“That crowd showed how positive everyone is,’ McLaughlin said. “Going 0-9 two seasons in a row, people could have said I’m not even going to root for this team anymore or go watch them get crushed, but everyone stayed behind us and we wanted to pay them back.”
The Blue Devils (3-2, 3-3) need victories in two of their final three games to secure their first winning record since 2007 and their first playoff appearance since 2009, when they lost to Laurel in the first round of the Class A playoffs.
The task won’t be simple. It begins this week, when Burgettstown travels to McGuffey (3-2, 4-2), which lost to Derry last Friday. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
The Highlanders have a balanced offense that averages 31.8 points per game.
The challenge of facing a physical opponent might have been insurmountable two seasons ago when Burgettstown had its second consecutive winless season, but much has changed. It scored at least 30 points three times this season – the first time since 2007 it accomplished that feat.
Yet, it isn’t a complete surprise. When first-year head coach Mark Druga, former head coach Terry Havelka and other coaches sat down for a meeting last December, they spoke of finally competing in the conference. That vision has become a reality.
“It’s been one heck of a ride so far, but it’s not over,” Druga said. “We definitely had concerns whether we could move the ball at all, and we’re still ironing some things out. To an extent, I am surprised. We thought we would be competitive, but would that equate to wins?”
McLaughlin has had much to do with the success. The second-year starting quarterback, who broke his collarbone last year against McGuffey, has completed 66 of 134 passes for 1,053 yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
After the season-ending injury in Week 7 last fall, McLaughlin re-watched game footage from his first six games. He saw plenty mistakes and missed opportunities and vowed to improve.
The result is an offense that is averaging more than 42 points per game in its three victories.
“Our offense is probably the best we’ve had for a while,” McLaughlin said. “I noticed, at times, my eyes would wander to see if the pressure is coming, but now, I have all the confidence in the world and I keep my eyes downfield.”
He’ll have to do that against a McGuffey defense that is fast, physical and possesses a veteran secondary that shuts down opposing passing games. The Highlanders are allowing just 17.8 points per game.
The Blue Devils are likely considered underdogs at Highlander Stadium, but that’s nothing new.
“It was tough because that’s all a lot of people talked about was we were just going to go out and get spanked tonight, but all the guys in the locker room stuck together and we knew we’d get through it,” McLaughlin said. “We haven’t had an opportunity like this in a long time here at Burgettstown.
“We’re really focused for these next three weeks.”
The Blue Devils aren’t getting caught up in the excitement. They know overlooking an opponent won’t help the program return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
“We never look ahead. We’re not too far removed from struggling,” Druga said. “We remember those games. That’s one of the lessons we learned, especially once we got going last year – never take anybody or anything for granted.”