Make no mistake about it, Shaler coach Neil Gordon said, the best players in the game tonight at Baldwin between Bethel Park and Shaler are Black Hawks running back Bre Ford and Titans wide receiver/running back Jesse Della Valle.

But Gordon also said neither will be most responsible for his team's success.

"The feature names in this game would be Ford and Della Valle," he said, "but the supporting cast will determine which one has the better night."

Bethel Park coach Jeff Metheny agreed, adding that linemen will be the biggest key to victory in this second-round WPIAL Class AAAA playoff game between third-seeded Bethel Park (9-1) and sixth-seeded Shaler (9-1).

The team that creates the most gaps for its running back and plugs the most holes on defense will win, Metheny said.

When Della Valle, listed as a wide receiver, lines up at running back, Metheny said the Black Hawks have to stop him at the line of scrimmage or else it could turn into a huge gain.

"If he gets rumbling through there and nobody touches him for 5 yards, he's going to be hard to stop," Metheny said.

Ford can be equally tricky to contain, Gordon said. He and the Shaler coaching staff have watched several Bethel Park games on video.

At first, Gordon said, it appeared that Ford only gained his yards because he played against a bad-tackling team. Until he did again on the next video. And again on the next.

"Then, it dawns on you," Gordon said. "It's him, not the other team."

Ford leads the Black Hawks with 19 touchdowns and 1,147 yards rushing.

Bethel Park's Matt Bliss has been one of the most precise quarterbacks in the WPIAL, completing 59 of 99 passes (59.5 percent) and throwing one interception.

Shaler's Della Valle has 23 touchdowns, lining up as a wide receiver and a running back.

Shaler's only loss was to Northern Six Conference champion North Allegheny, and Bethel Park's only loss was to Big East Conference champion Woodland Hills.

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