Notice: Undefined offset: 0 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/includes/single/single_post_meta_query.php on line 43
Notice: Trying to get property 'paywall' of non-object in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/includes/single/single_post_meta_query.php on line 43
Beaver Falls tops Wash High in mistake-filled game
Notice: Undefined variable: article_ad_placement3 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/single.php on line 128
DORMONT – Washington had a six-point lead and forced Beaver Falls to punt, but a fumble on the return gave the Tigers the ball at the Prexies’ four-yard line.
Beaver Falls’ Da’Talian Beauford scored from four yards out and added the two-point conversion run for a two-point lead with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Tigers (8-5) hung on for a 28-26 victory in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class 2A football playoffs on Friday night at Dormont Memorial Stadium.
Beaver Falls advances to the WPIAL championship game next Friday at Acrisure Stadium. The kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Tigers play Steel Valley.
“Our defense has come up big all year long, and they did that again tonight,” Beaver Falls coach Nick Nardone said. “We will get back to work tomorrow and be ready for next Friday.”
The Prexies (11-2) advanced to the Beaver Falls’ 49-yard line with three minutes remaining, but the Tigers forced a turnover on downs and were able to run out the clock. Beauford ran for 109 yards on 16 carries.
“The kids played hard and to the very end, and we had a great season,” Washington coach Mike Bosnic said. “Not a lot of people thought we would be here (in the WPIAL semifinals). We fought back but just made too many mistakes.”
Beaver Falls took the opening kickoff and scored on Rawl’s 1-yard run with 8:35 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers forced the Prexies to punt and Da’Sean Anderson scored on a 14-yard run with 4:34 left in the first period. Di’Nari Harris’ two-point conversion pushed Beaver Falls’ advantage to 14-0.
Washington’s Elijah Thomas stepped in front of a Kadin Brickner pass and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to get the Prexies going and swing the momentum.
“I made a bad call on that play,” Nardone said. “That was not Kadin’s fault.”
Thomas’ score cut the deficit to 14-6 with 7:26 remaining in the second quarter.
“There were definitely some bright spots, but we had too many breakdowns, and you can’t turn the ball over like that,” Bosnic said. “We knew if we played and took care of the ball, we could be right there with them, but unfortunately, we didn’t do well enough with that tonight.”
The Prexies tied the game at 14-14 with 5:06 remaining in the second quarter when Zxavian Willis took a wide receiver screen pass from quarterback Tristan Reed 50 yards into the end zone and Eddie Lewis ran in the two-point conversion.
Willis stopped the Tigers’ Brixx Rawl and forced a fumble that he recovered with 1:40 left in the second quarter as Rawl was nearing the end zone on a 27-yard run. Wash High took over at its own two-yard line.
Beaver Falls took a 20-14 lead in the third quarter before the Prexies’ Jayden Nemeth return an interception 66 yards for a touchdown with 7:54 left in the third quarter. It was Wash High’s second pick-six of the game.
Willis recovered a bad snap in the end zone for a touchdown and a 26-20 Wash High advantage with 2:08 left in the third quarter.