Bethel Park coach Jeff Metheny has been calling on his coaching brethren this week, looking for a cure for a hangover.

Hold on. Don't get the wrong idea. Metheny didn't overindulge himself at a victory party last Saturday. It's the WPIAL championship hangover Metheny is worried about.

Teams that win WPIAL championships sometimes have trouble getting back "up" to play the first PIAA game. You play at Heinz Field and then the following week in a high school stadium, sometimes without much of a crowd. Bethel Park (13-0) meets State College (12-0) in a Class AAAA quarterfinal game at 7 tonight at North Allegheny.

Of the four teams that won WPIAL titles last Saturday, Metheny's Black Hawks are most unfamiliar with how to deal with life after the WPIAL party. Thomas Jefferson has won three straight WPIAL titles . Clairton has won two in the past three years. Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac won his third championship since 2000.

But Bethel Park? This was the first time the Black Hawks were dancing after the WPIAL final. It was the first championship in school history.

"I'm talking with some other coaches," Metheny said. "I have calls in to some of the guys I trust who have been through this before, and I'll talk to them about what they did after winning [the WPIAL]."

The Bethel Park community was absolutely giddy about the championship as the Black Hawks beat a Gateway team that seemingly was everyone's favorite. Bethel Park sold more than 3,000 tickets presale for the WPIAL finals, by far the most of any school.

"You have to let the kids enjoy it some, especially in our community," Metheny said. "There is a lot of excitement. But we want to perform well and get up to our level. We have to get focused because we're playing a good team."

State College had only a handful of starters back from last year's team, but the Little Lions have won with a good defense and an efficient offense. They have allowed only 13 points the past three games.

"Bethel Park seems to find a way to win," said State College coach Al Wolski. "They're kind of similar to us. We just seem to find a way to win, too. We've won by not making big mistakes."

State College allows less than 100 yards a game rushing. One of the Little Lions' top players is fullback-defensive end Rob Stupar, whose brother, Nate, plays at Penn State. Cornerback Reed Vanderlinden is the son of Penn State linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden.

State College is playing a WPIAL champion in the PIAA playoffs for the third time in six years. Two years ago, Upper St. Clair defeated State College, 28-20, in the semifinals. In 2003, Central Catholic shut out State College, 30-0, in the semifinals.

"Our kids have taken a realistic approach to things, no matter whom we're playing," Wolski said. "This is just the next game for us. We know Bethel Park is a good, solid team. What league they came from doesn't affect us much."

The winner plays the West Lawn Wilson-Cumberland Valley winner.

"We're pretty excited about our chances at the state level," Metheny said. "With the schedule we've played, we think we have a good chance to line up against almost any team in the state. We've seen speed teams, fast ones and ones that are big and tough. We've seen passing games and running games. We've pretty much seen it all.

"I think our team will be well prepared to challenge anybody who comes forth in the state playoffs."