Nov 6, 2015 3 min read

FREDRICKTOWN – To say the football teams meeting on a damp, East Bethlehem ballfield in a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game were different would be an understatement. The only comparison one could draw from the eighth-seeded Beth-Center and ninth-seeded Avonworth was their 7-2 overall record coming into Friday night.

The pass-enthused Antelopes, behind WPIAL passing leader Zach Chandler and a variety of talented wide receivers, were looking to build upon their playoff success from years past while Beth-Center, along with the rest of the Tri-County South Conference, was looking to gain something that has eluded them for many years – respect.

However, the Bulldogs (7-1, 7-3) were unable to pick up that elusive playoff victory, falling 28-12 to Avonworth.

The loss not only extends the five-year first-round disappointment, but in each of those five seasons Beth-Center lost to a lower seed.

However, it did not take long for the Bulldogs to have success as running back Tony Welsh took a pitch on the third play from scrimmage 63 yards to give them a 6-0 lead early in the first quarter.

The Antelopes (8-2), whose offense stalled for a majority of the first half, completed a 76-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run by Ryan Hunt with 1:04 left in the first quarter.

Beth-Center forced a fumble at Avonworth’s 22-yard line and immediately took advantage, scoring on its first play on a dive from Welsh.

“We came out flat,” said Avonworth head coach Derek Johncour. “We were just not mentally ready to play and we made sure we addressed that at halftime.”

Whatever talk used after the first two quarters helped as the Antelopes prevented Beth-Center from taking its first offensive snap in the second half until only 5:08 remained in the third quarter, following a pooched onside kick that was recovered by Avonworth.

“Nothing much changed with the exception of the possession,” said Beth-Center head coach Ed Woods. Chandler completed 16 of 27 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns, a 12-yard run and a 25-yard pass to Garrett Day, both coming in the third quarter.

Day, who became the No. 1 man at receiver after star wide receiver Jamal Hughley broke his foot in Week 6 against Bishop Canevin, caught his first pass of the night at the 10:36 mark in the third quarter.

“I’m really proud of the way our defense played,” said Woods. “We had some young kids in there that have really gotten better as the year has gone on. The coaches did a great job getting them ready for tonight. We just came up short.”

Welsh became the 16th player in WPIAL history to accomplish 5,000 yards rushing after carrying the ball 28 times for 192 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s a horrible feeling walking out of this locker room knowing it’s my last game,” said Welsh. “This program means everything to me and this team is a second family. I try to do as much as I can for this program when I’m on the field.”

The Bulldogs, who made their 13th consecutive playoff appearance, lost each of their first-round home games to lower-seeded opponents the past four years, with their last playoff victory coming in 2010, a 34-12 victory over Cornell.

Woods knows that streak will eventually end.

“I wish I knew the answer (to why we can’t make it out of the first round),” he said. “If I knew how to get over that hump I would bottle it up and sell it for a lot of money. But sooner or later it’s going to happen.”