South Fayette trying to win 4 straight over Beaver Falls
It just wouldn’t feel like the WPIAL football playoffs without a game between South Fayette and Beaver Falls.
The teams have met in each of the past three seasons and No. 4 is scheduled for tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Montour High School.
This is the second time the teams will meet in the WPIAL semifinals. The last meeting at this point in the season occurred in 2010 and resulted in a 55-28 win by South Fayette, which went on to win the WPIAL title and make it to the PIAA finals before losing to Philadelphia West Catholic, 50-14.
“We’re very familiar with each other’s team,” said South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi. “I think we have a good relation, and it’s always a competitive game.”
And one South Fayette has not lost in this postseason series.
Last year, South Fayette defeated Beaver Falls, 35-21, in the quarterfinals, then lost to Washington, 26-14 in the semifinals. Two years ago, the Lions won 24-14 in the first round, then were knocked out of the quarterfinals with a 21-13 loss to Seton-La Salle.
“This is the fourth time,” said Beaver Falls head coach Ryan Matsook. “We know each other pretty well. This year, we’re a year older. We’re more mature. When you get to this point – the final four – it’s a special time.”
South Fayette, the Century Conference champion, comes into the game with an 11-0 record. Beaver Falls is 9-2, losing a non-conference game to Central Valley and a controversial 34-28 decision to Aliquippa on a disputed touchdown late in the game.
South Fayette and Beaver Falls have different philosophies and schemes. South Fayette runs its devastating passing game, directed by quarterback Brett Brumbaugh, from the spread offense. Beaver Falls is a run-first, pass-second team and relies on the legs of 5-10, 180-pound senior Damian Rawl.
Rawl has 1,130 rushing yards and averages 8.2 per carry. His 14 touchdowns lead the team. Seven other running backs have more than 100 yards, including 636 by Kahlil Caracter, a 5-9, 175-pound senior who transferred from Freedom.
“Rawl and Caracter are opposites in styles,” Matsook said. “We spread the ball around. No one gets it 30 times. That’s just not what we do.”
Dan Stratton, a 6-2 senior, has thrown for 1,357 yards or about 123 a game. That pales in comparison to Brumbaugh, who has completed 29 more passes than Stratton has attempted. Brumbaugh is coming off a WPIAL-record 463 yards passing in last week’s 31-7 win over Seton-La Salle.
“I don’t know how to stop him,” Matsook said. “You would need to pool the coaches in the WPIAL to figure that out. No one has really had that much success.”
This will be Brumbaugh’s third playoff start against Beaver Falls, and he has never known defeat.
“In my freshman year, I was more nervous because it was my first playoff game,” said Brumbaugh. “This year, it’s more like any other game. I think they are a better all-around team. They are a big team up front. They are going to do what they normally do, cover the receivers and get pressure on you.”
Brumbaugh is third in the WPIAL with 2,529 passing yards though he sat a good portion of the season when games got out of hand. Conner Beck is fifth in the WPIAL with 54 receptions and Justin Watson is 12th with 45. They have combined for 33 touchdowns to help make South Fayette the highest scoring team in the WPIAL at 48 points per game.
“This (the semifinals) is where we got last year, and that left us hungry,” Watson said. “We were disappointed to see our season end the way it did (in the loss to Washington). It’s awesome to finally realize we are one game away from reaching our goal. Honestly, in a game like this, it’s easier to prepare. It’s harder in weeks where you think you might blow a team out. It’s easier when you are playing a good team in a big situation. We are focused and are ready to take on a challenging opponent.”