Bethel Park took down defending PIAA Class 6A champions Mount Lebanon in a thrilling, 27-24, overtime win on Friday night. Mount Lebanon lost a bunch of Division-I players from last year’s team, but it was still a statement win for Bethel Park, especially given that the Black Hawks went 0-7 in 2020. The Blue Devils shut out Bethel Park last season.
Running back Austin Caye and inside linebacker Gavin Moul were big factors in Bethel Park’s upset win over Mount Lebanon. Caye rushed for 151 yards on 36 carries (4.1 average) and three touchdowns. While Moul was all over the field on defense, making plays sideline to sideline. Moul will play at Delaware next fall, and Caye is getting recruited by Dayton.
“It means a lot,” Moul said on knocking off the defending state champions. “We knew they were a good team, we knew it was going to be a close game. This comes down to a team win. We say it all the time, it’s our way. We (came) together at the end of the game and we just out-physicaled them. Everyone knew it was QB sneak and we just put it in.”
Moul committed to Delaware because of the strong Pittsburgh connections in the program.
“It just felt like home,” Moul said of Delaware. “All the dudes are related to Pittsburgh or are from Pittsburgh on the staff. A lot of Pittsburgh dudes on the team. I just felt a bond there. I just had to go.”
Moul said that he also got offers from Bucknell, Sacred Heart and Lehigh.
Bethel Park has another tough task next Friday night, as they’ll host traditional powerhouse Pittsburgh Central Catholic.
“We’ll treat them like anyone else,” Moul said about the matchup against Pittsburgh Central Catholic. “We’ll treat them like Lebo. We’ll treat them like Penn Hills later in the season. We’ll treat them like USC down the road. They put their pants on just like us in the morning, it doesn’t matter.”
Dayton is Caye’s only Division 1 offer so far, but if he racks up more performances as he did on Friday night, that will most likely change.
“I’ve never seen the school yet, but I was just talking to Lebo’s quarterback (from) last year Joey Daniels, and he told me that it’s a nice school and to hit him up if I ever want to come visit.”
Caye displayed impressive stamina in Friday night’s game, as he absorbed 36 carries and played on defense, as well. At one point in the game, Bethel Park just kept on feeding Caye and the offensive line was blowing Mount Lebanon off the line of scrimmage.
“Friday morning’s during the summer, it’s honestly horrible,” Caye said. “But you got to go as hard as you can. Don’t stop, if you throw up, you get back in. Just keep going, we push each other. We know at the end of the day that it’s just going to make us all better on Friday nights.”
