Trump trying to turn back clock at Beth-Center
Mark Marietta
Tim Trump remembers what it used to be like to play football for Beth-Center.
“It all started with Billy Connors, then Bart (Don Bartolomucci) and Eddie (Woods),” said the Bulldogs’ second-year head coach. “We want to reestablish that culture.”
Trump, a B-C graduate who was a two-way lineman for the Bulldogs and a longtime assistant coach, believes he has the team headed in that direction.
“Things are a lot different this year,” Trump said. “The kids are more understanding of what we expect and what we want out of them. Getting back to that old Beth-Center culture was really important to us, expectations of doing things the Beth-Center way, we like to say.”
The Beth-Center way to Trump is hard-nosed, hard-hitting, fundamentally sound football. It wasn’t an easy task when he stepped in as coach last year.
“It was a hard thing for those kids to understand how we want things done,” Trump said. “But I think they’re taking to it now, because most of their fathers or brothers all played for us and they get it.”
Beth-Center finished in a three-way tie with Avella and Carmichaels for third place in the Tri-County South a year ago at 3-4 and was 3-7 overall. The Eagles got the nod for the WPIAL playoff spot among the trio.
Trump is confident the Bulldogs, who return most of their team, can not only break through and reach the postseason but also push for the TCS title.
“I think we’re going to be fighting for one of the top spots for sure,” Trump said. “Coach (Ed) Woods has the team to beat in California. I think Frazier is going to be really tough. J-M and West Greene will be tough. I think those teams will all be fighting for the playoffs.
“We only lost two players, Cyncere Cruse and Teagan Veatch. They were good kids and good athletes. But we’ve got a lot coming back.”
The big gun returning for B-C is junior running back Enzo Brown who rushed for 867 yards in 2025.
“Enzo was my leading rusher last year who had a very good season,” Trump said. “Another guy we got back was DeSean Whipkey, who missed all last year with an injury. I’m pretty excited to have them in the backfield together. They’re both juniors.
“Homer Headlee is a senior who will be the fullback in front of them. Another guy who will spell in there at fullback and H-back is Cyler Myers. He’s a senior, too.”
Senior Chase Bebout returns at quarterback and, with a trio of tall, fleet receivers, Trump feels B-C can burn defenses that focus too much on the Bulldogs’ ground game.
“Chase can throw the ball and he’s got a good receiver in Danny Duncan,” Trump said. “He’s a senior. Also Hunter Bobbs and Nick Miller can catch the ball. They’re all 6-foot and above. Nick is 6-6. He’s also our backup quarterback. Bobbs is a 6-2 junior and Danny is 6-foot, and all three of them are fast. So I won’t be afraid to put the ball in the air.
“Bobbs is also our kicker and a really good one with a strong leg. It means a lot to a team when you have a weapon like that. On kickoffs, too, if he can kick the ball in the end zone, that’s even better for us to deny a kickoff return.”
Trump has high hopes for his offensive line, which was ravaged by injuries a year ago.
“I have two starters, my two guards, that are coming back from major surgery,” Trump said. “One, Brody Bebout, Chase’s twin brother, had a total ankle reconstruction. He’s a senior, just a really tough kid. The other one, Bradley Detrick, tore his PCL. He’s a junior now.
“Another returner, Blake Stopko (6-4, 300) was all-conference for us last year. He’s only a junior. We’re expecting big things out of him again.”
The injury bug has already hit Beth-Center again this season.
“I lost my starting right tackle in the offseason to an ACL injury, Dominic Minucci,” Trump pointed out. “He is 6-3, 275 pounds.”
The Bulldogs, who have 28 on their roster, will be forced to play most of their players two ways.
“On the other side of the ball, Brody will be a defensive end, Blake is going to be a defensive tackle and Bradley was a linebacker last year but we’re moving him back to defensive tackle,” Trump said. “He’s put on some weight and he’s played tackle before. Headley is my other defensive end.
“Enzo and Cyler will be my two inside linebackers, Whipkey will be an outside linebacker. Then I’ll have Evan Miller and Antonio Davis as the other outside linebacker. They’re both juniors.”
Trump is hoping to develop depth as the season goes along.
“Numbers aren’t where they need to be again,” he said. “It’s frustrating, trying to get the numbers up. So we’re going to have a majority of the kids playing both ways. If we can give them a break and put somebody else in there once in a while, that’s what we’ll try to do.
“Realistically, my view on freshmen is it’s really hard for them to get on the field. It takes a lot of work. But usually around the midway point, they can start contributing, once they understand what you want. If we can use them for a series to give a starter a break, that helps out.”
Trump has named five captains. They are Stopko, Brown, Duncan and both Chase and Brody Bebout.
“I have a lot of kids who’ve played together and stuck together, and that’s a good thing,” Trump said. “They’re pretty tight with each other.”
Trump sees his team taking a big step up in 2026.
“I’m excited for this year,” he said. “I want to roll with these kids and bring back the Beth-Center tradition to where we need to be.”