OK, so Bethel Park's extra-point kicking is hardly a thing of beauty. No matter, because when it comes to scoring touchdowns, this Bethel Park offense is close to perfect.

Bethel Park had been unstoppable in recent games, and it was the same story last night as the Black Hawks (10-1) crushed Shaler, 32-14, in a WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinal at Baldwin.

The win moves the defending champions into the semifinals next week against Woodland Hills.

Saying Bethel Park's offense has been close to unstoppable is not an overstatement. The Black Hawks scored on their three first-half possessions against Shaler. That meant Bethel Park's first-team offense had scored on 18 possessions in a row, dating to the eighth game of the season.

"Wow, I didn't know that," Bethel Park coach Jeff Metheny said. "But our offense, I think, is just about as potent as last year -- and we're really executing right now."

This win ruined Shaler's hopes of making it to the semifinals for the first time. The Titans finished 9-2. When Bethel Park punted on its first possession of the second half, it was the first time the Black Hawks' first-team offense had been stopped without a touchdown since the Canon-McMillan game in Week 8.

"Our offensive line is playing really well," Metheny said.

But who isn't playing well on offense for Bethel Park? OK, the kicking game. Bethel Park had three missed extra points.

"We have two good running backs [Bre Ford and Nick Kwiatkoski] and [quarterback] Matt Bliss came out very determined and is throwing well," Metheny said.

Bethel Park used a Ford-tough offense and a strong passing game against Shaler. Ford rushed for 75 yards on 22 carries and caught five passes for 61 yards. Bliss completed 13 of 16 passes for 177 yards.

Bethel Park had 216 rushing yards to 86 for Shaler. Kwiatkoski added 43 yards on nine attempts for Bethel Park, and fullback Jared Pratt 65 on five attempts.

Bethel Park trailed, 7-0, after Shaler scored on the first possession with Jesse Della Valle supplying a 6-yard touchdown run. The score was set up by a 44-yard pass from Tyler Bills to Della Valle.

"You can't put your head down in the first quarter," Metheny said. "I was really proud of the way Bliss fought back because that was his coverage on that [Della Valle] pass play."

Bethel Park answered with a 69-yard drive to tie the score and Drew Volbers scored a touchdown on a 4-yard pass from Bliss.

The game tipped in Bethel Park's favor after a fake-punt attempt failed by Shaler on its next possession. Facing a fourth-and-24, Shaler tried a fake punt, something coach Neil Gordon has done a number of times the past two seasons. But the pass from punter J.P. Holtz to Della Valle was incomplete, and Bethel Park took over at Shaler's 42. Three plays later, Pratt scored on a 32-yard run.

"I don't know if that was a called fake punt or not," Metheny said. "But that turned the tide right there."

Before the half was over, Bethel Park got a 60-yard touchdown pass from Bliss to Kwiatkoski. That came on the first play after Shaler failed on a fourth-and-7 pass.

Late in the half, Pratt scored on a 17-yard run to make it 26-7 at halftime. Della Valle caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Bliss on Shaler's first possession of the second half, but Shaler never threatened again. Ford scored on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.

Should people start believing this Bethel Park team is as good as a year ago?

"They better believe," Metheny said.

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