PT wins rematch with defense, McCullough’s return
Indians best USC without scoring offensive touchdown
By Dave Whipkey
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
BETHEL PARK – It was the rematch that most high school football fans across the South Hills and parts of Washington County awaited with anticipation.
Friday night’s semifinal in Class 5A was a rematch of a 21-7 Upper St. Clair win over Peters Township that ended up being a preview what occurred Friday night at Bethel Park High School.
This time, Peters Township (11-1) got it right and held on for a thrilling 7-3 rock fight of a win over the Panthers, sending the Indians to the Class 5A final next Saturday night (8 p.m.) at Acrisure Stadium where they will face Pine-Richland.
The Indians gained 144 yards of total offense and never reached the end zone offensively. What they did have was a stellar defense that held Julian Dahlem to 26 yards on 17 carries and the Panthers to a total of 167 yards.
They also had Nick McCullough, who was by far the best player on the field. The senior scored on a 97-yard kickoff return in the closing seconds of the first half, forced a huge intentional grounding penalty on the Panthers last drive and was a force all over the field.
“He was unreal tonight,” Indians coach TJ Plack added. “Just unreal.”
Peters Township overcame two turnovers in the first half. The Panthers did turn one of those turnovers, a pass off McCullough’s hands that Dahlem returned to the Indians 35-yard line late in the second quarter.
The Panthers turned the gift into a Jacobo Echeverria 27-yard field goal that gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead with 22 seconds left in the half.
Enter McCullough, who gathered in the ensuing kickoff and raced 97 yards to a score with nine seconds left before the half.
“I had to make up for my mistake,” McCullough added. “The blocking was great and I just took off.”
Plack added he chides McCullough every so often when it comes to returning kicks.
“He tries to take it around end all the time, this one he hit the crease and was gone,” Plack said. “Once he hit the 50 that was it.”
Peters Township was able to grind some clock and some yards on the ground via Nick Courie’s 63 yards on 20 carries. Their last drive spanned 41 yards on 11 plays that took them from their own nine with 9:19 to go to midfield with 3:29 left.
Upper St. Clair eventually reached the Peters Township 30, but McCullough forced an intentional grounding call on first down. An incompletion and a Mickey Vaccarello sack set up a 4th-and-26 on which Darius McMillion helped force an incomplete pass. Ethan Hellman’s last heave was nearly caught by Nico D’Orazio inside the Peters Township 5, but McMillon jarred it loose with 1:46 to go, sending the Indians to the title game.
“That’s South Hills football,” Plack said.