Lack of returning starters doesn’t faze Bethel Park
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Thursday, August 27, 2020 | 11:31 PM
Bethel Park quarterback Jason Nuttridge goes through drills during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park lineman go through drills during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park’s Troy Volpatti goes through drills during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park quarterback Max Blanc goes through drills during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park head coach Brian DeLalla during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park’s Troy Volpatti goes through drills during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park’s Zach Haddox goes through drills during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park head coach Brian DeLalla during workouts Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 at Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park graduated all 11 starters on offense and 10 on defense, but coach Brian DeLallo won’t call this a “rebuilding” year.
“I don’t like using the R-word,” he said. “We’re not building in excuses and saying we’re rebuilding. We’re going to try to reload and get after guys. If you sit around feeling sorry for yourself in our conference, you’re going to get drilled. There’s no time for that.”
The only returning starter is sophomore linebacker/fullback Gavin Moul, who’s a team leader and makes the Black Hawks’ defense go, DeLallo said. Senior lineman Zachary Haddox, who rotated in at guard last season, also has some experience.
But beside them, there are first-year starters covering the field.
“We’re young, but we’ve got a really enthusiastic group,” DeLallo said. “They don’t care that they’re young. I love the way they play. But in terms of guys who’ve played, we don’t have too many.”
That’s led to competition for starting jobs this summer. The hottest could be behind center, where the team has two good options in Max Blanc and Jason Nuttridge.
“It’s probably the most excited I’ve been to watch a position battle between two kids,” DeLallo said.
Blanc is a 6-foot-5 junior with a big arm. Nuttridge is a 5-11 sophomore who runs well. They’re competing to replace Anthony Chiccitt, who passed for 1,000 yards last season.
“They both have a little different skill set,” DeLallo said. “They’re both playing well, so they’re making the decision tough. We’ve got these next couple of weeks to get it sorted out.”
DeLallo isn’t a two-quarterbacks coach and never used a platoon system at the position, but said that’s a possibility this year.
“They’re neck and neck,” he said. “If nobody separates themselves, we’re going to have to give them both some reps. We’re hoping that somebody just takes the job, but right now they’re both doing a really nice job. They both bring something a little different to the table, which can be an advantage, giving defenses two different things to prepare for.”
Some of the other skill positions on offense are set. The top running back is junior Troy Volpatti, with senior Jason Muench and junior Jack Kirchner the top wide receivers.
The defense is wide open. The team has depth at linebacker and in the secondary but needs to solidify its line, DeLallo said.
“We have a lot of depth and a lot of young guys,” he said. “We play two strong safeties in a lot of our defense. We were rotating three pairs through and each pair I liked better than the last.”
Bethel Park went 7-4 overall last season, 5-2 in the conference and reached the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. DeLallo said that teams returning an abundance of starters could have an advantage this fall since the pandemic disrupted offseason workouts.
But they won’t use that as an excuse either.
“They have a great attitude,” DeLallo said. “They play with an edge and most of them are very coachable. Let’s go have a great year this year and set ourselves up for the future.”
Schedule
Coach: Brian DeLallo
2019 record: 7-4, 5-2 in Class 5A Allegheny Eight Conference
All-time record: 463-379-31
Date, Opponent, Time
9.11, at Upper St. Clair*, 7
9.18, at Gateway, 7
9.25, Franklin Regional, 7
10.2, at West Allegheny*, 7
10.9, South Fayette*, 7
10.16, at Peters Township*, 7
10.23, Moon*, 7
*Allegheny Six Conference game
Statistical leaders
Passing: Anthony Chiccitt*
96-135, 1,082 yards, 8 TDs
Rushing: Seam McGowan*
186-956 yards, 9 TDs
Receiving: McGowan*
28-336 yards, 2 TDs
*Graduated
Fast facts
• Brian DeLallo’s coaching career started as an assistant at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz.. There he coach future NFL All-Pro Terrell Suggs.
• In the WPIAL, DeLallo coached with Jeff Metheny, Jim Render and Lou Cerro.
• Bethel Park’s first-round playoff victory (45-16 over Kiski Area) last season was the team’s first since 2015.
• The Black Hawks have reached the WPIAL finals three times. They were champions in 2008 and runners-up in 1980 and 1946.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Bethel Park
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