Beth-Center’s Welsh turns tide in win over Mapletown
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Beth-Center's #9 Anthony Welsh get the first down during a game with Mapletownat Beth-Center Stadium on Friday, September 4, 2015
FREDERICKTOWN – There is a new strategy to Beth-Center High School’s football team.
It’s called the “We have Tony Welsh and you don’t” strategy.
The Bulldogs’ outstanding tailback quieted any talk about which team is best in the WPIAL Class A Tri-County South Conference by rushing for 266 yards on 18 carries and scoring four touchdowns in a 48-12 rout of Mapletown in Friday night’s season opener.
“I just try to get as many yards as I can,” said Welsh. “I never look at the amount of carries, just if we win.”
Welsh, who rushed for 1,582 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, turned an expected dogfight into a rout by halftime after running for 194 yards and scoring three times. He had double-digit runs of 15, 28, 49, 32, 28, 25, 30 and 19.
“Welsh is the best running back I’ve seen in my 33 years coaching,” said Mapletown head coach George Messich. “He broke some tackles and ran some of our guys over. I’m very impressed with that young man.”
The impressive part is that most of the yards came in the second quarter.
That’s because Mapletown controlled the first quarter, running 21 plays to the Bulldogs’ four. But the Maples self-destructed on two excellent scoring opportunities, missing a 22-yard field goal after making it to the B-C three-yard line and fumbling the football away at the 13.
“We had the opportunity to score and gain some momentum, but give Beth-Center’s defense credit,” said Messich.
Welsh swung the momentum near the end of the first quarter, when he rolled up 80 yards on three carries, the final one coming from 49 yards to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
He would score on runs of 29 and 3 yards in the second quarter as Beth-Center forged a 21-0 lead. Frank Dreucci benefitted from Welsh being a target for Mapletown’s defense when he cut back on a middle handoff while the majority of the defense followed Welsh on a fake pitchout. That made it 28-0.
Mapletown finally scored when Matt Hein bounced a play outside and rolled 70 yards down the sideline. The Maples trailed 28-6 at halftime.
Hein would score again in the second half, this time on a five-yard run that cut the Bulldogs’ lead to an uncomfortable 28-12.
But Welsh would score from nine yards out and Dreucci would get his second touchdown of the game on a 20-yard run to make it 42-12.
“The game was so sloppy,” said Beth-Center head coach Ed woods. “We have a lot we want to do with this team. We are not anywhere near where we need to be. We need to be more consistent.”
Dreucci finished with 100 yards on six carries for Beth-Center. Hein had 93 on seven for the Maples.
Lightning delayed the kickoff by about 25 minutes. … The Maples were without arguably their best lineman, Harley Gee, who was injured this week.