No stopping PT offense en route to top
Carter Shanafelt (5) is off to the races after hauling in a pass from Nolan DiLucia. On this play, Shanafelt scored on a 75-yard reception against Bethel Park
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Carter Shanafelt shakes off a Bethel Park tackler on his way to a big gain after making a reception for Peters Township.
Carter Shanafelt
Peters Township defensive back Nathan Wertman (4) breaks up a pass intended for Bethel Park receiver Ryan Petras (1).
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Franco Muscatello (60) and Reston Lehman (14) combine to tackle Bethel Park running back Ja Vaughn Moore (6) during Peters Township’s conference championship victory.
Franco Muscatello
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township linebackers Reston Lehman (14) and Mickey Vaccarello (10) team up to sack Bethel Park quarterback Tanner Pfeuffer.
Bethel Park defender Michael Brucker (10) attempts to contain Preston Blair but the Peters Township tailback picks up big yardage.
McMURRAY – It was all there for the Peters Township Indians Friday night in the cozy confines of Confluence Financial Partners Stadium.
Beat rival Bethel Park and not only take the Allegheny Six Conference title, a potential top seed in the Class 5A playoffs was also there for the taking.
The hosts did not disappoint as they took care of business beating Bethel Park 68-28, clinching the conference title and staking a claim to the catbird seat once the postseason begins next week.
Peters Township finishes the conference part of the campaign 5-0 and 9-0 overall. While Bethel Park falls to 3-2 in conference and 4-6 overall.
“Our kids were locked in one all three phases of the game,” Peters Township coach TJ Plack noted. “We were able to run the ball tonight and hit some deep passes. Guys on the outside made some big plays as well.”
Vinny Sarcone finished with 110 yards on 23 carries, four of which went for scores. Preston Blair chipped in 85 yards on nine carries and two scores.
What impressed Plack the most however, was Sarcone’s ability to block.
“He’s as tough as they come,” Plack said referring to Sarcone. “He’s a great pass protector and becoming a really good tailback.
But it was Bethel Park that made their presence known with authority early when Tanner Pfeuffer hit Ryan Petras for a 68-yard touchdown pass and an early 7-0 lead.
But the Indians simply smiled and shrugged off the punch and proceeded to go to work as they scored the next 28 unanswered points.
Nolan DiLucia drew the Indians even when he found Ethan Wertman for a 27 yard scoring connection with 8:53 left in the first.
After a Bethel Park punt, DiLucia struck again when he completed a 75-yard pass for a touchdown to Carter Shanafelt with 7:40 remaining in the opening quarter, giving Peters Township a lead they would not relinquish.
Eliot Schratz then snagged the first of his two first half interceptions on the Black Hawks ensuing possession, giving the Indians the ball on the Bethel Park 38. From there, Peters Township drove to the Bethel Park one-yard line, from where Vinny Sarcone plunged in for a 21-7 lead that the Indians would carry into the second quarter.
Nick McCullough then got into the turnover party on the Black Hawks next drive when he intercepted Pfeuffer on the Peters Township 42. The Indians then extended the lead to 28-7 early in the second quarter when Sarcone dipped and dodged his way into the the end zone from five yards.
Bethel Park made a push to get back into the contest when they drove 75 yards to paydirt. A 10-yard shuffle pass to Randall Bergia with nine minutes left in the half added some drama to the proceedings as the visitors trimmed the Peters Township lead to 28-14.
The Black Hawks appeared poised to make it even more interesting when Jack Bruckner recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff on the Indians 30. But the Indians defense rose up and forced a fourth down incompletion and gave the ball back to the red hot Peters Township offense.
After an exchange of punts, the Indians made it 35-14 when they drove 58 yards for another score. This time Preston Blair got into the act when he powered in from the five yard line with 3:36 left in the half.
It seemed the hosts ended the competitive phase of the contest on their next possession when they rolled 78 yards in just a handful of plays. One of those plays included a 46 yard DiLucia to Wertman connection to the Black Hawk 1. From there, Blair finished off the drive with a short touchdown run giving the Indians a 42-14 halftime lead.
DiLucia finished with 16 completions in 25 attempts for 318 yards passing and three touchdowns through the air, one on the ground. Shanafelt snagged five passes for 131 yards.
But credit the Black Hawks for continuing to fight as they kept swinging in the second half. Ja Vaughn Moore scored on an 18 yard swing pass from Pfeuffer to slice the Indians lead to 42-21 coming out of the halftime locker room.
Both squads exchanged punts before Schratz struck on offense, this on a 66 yard catch and carry for a score that extended the Indians lead to 48-21 with 4:22 left in the third.
Bethel Park remained an annoyance to the Indians as Pfeuffer lofted a deep ball to Petras that was batted in the air and eventually caught for a 70 yard scoring play, again cutting into the lead at 48-28 with 4:05 remaining in the third quarter.
Pfeuffer finished with nine completions in 23 attempts for 214 yards. Petras had three receptions for 148 yards. Moore finished with 108 yards on 21 carries for the Black Hawks.
Peters Township took a firm grip when they scored 20 unanswered points thanks to Sarcone TD runs of two and five yards sandwiched around a 4 yard DiLucia scoring run to push the Peters Township lead to 68-28 in the fourth quarter.
Although Sarcone had a big game, he gave credit to the offensive line that paved the way all night.
“They always do their job, they always block real well for us,” he added.