Beaver has pieces in place to add to program’s storied history

By: Antonio Rossetti
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 | 6:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The Beaver Bobcats went 9-3 last year, adding to one of the largest win totals in Pennsylvania high school football history. They’re got 675 victories, good for 25th all-time.

Beaver racked up that record last season despite playing a lineup filled with first-year starters after a mass exodus of seniors from the season before. The Bobcats made the playoffs and won their first-round matchup before losing to Avonworth in the second round.

This season, Beaver returns 11 seniors and 15 juniors.

Coach Cort Rowse has great expectations for the senior group. He sees the relentless work they put in over the offseason, and he said that they’ve done a lot of good things for the program the last couple of years.

“They’re a selfless group. They really are,” Rowse said. “It’s a talented senior group. Last year, they were all first-year starters, but this year, they come in with a lot of talent. With talent comes a lot of expectation, but what I love about these guys is that just because they had some success last year, they’re not complacent with it. They drive the process and practice. They show our younger guys the way things need to be done at a high level in order to be successful.”

Two of the seniors are Amari Jackson and Brady Mayo.

“Amari and Brady, they can do a lot of great things on the outside, on offense, and they’re studs on defense,” Rowse said. “I mean, they’re both Division I football players. That’s not by accident. Those are things that they’ve earned.”

Mayo is a Bucknell commit and Jackson has received numerous Division I offers.

Jackson caught 28 passes for 681 yards last season, notching 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 123 yards. Mayo caught 30 passes for 319 yards, tallying seven touchdowns.

Mayo is looking forward to seeing this year’s offense in action.

“Amari, he’s very explosive when he gets the ball in space,” Mayo said. “He’s a very explosive athlete. (Quay Cain and Drey Hall) are just bruisers. They run hard. They run through the hole. They don’t do much dancing. They just go and no one wants to really tackle them. Travis (Clear), he’s great. He’s a great leader. He calls the plays, he calms us down, and he delivers the ball when they need to be thrown.”

Rowse said Clear improved mentally and physically over the offseason and that he is looking forward to seeing his second year as starting quarterback. Clear threw for 1,051 yards with 10 touchdown passes last season.

Rowse is also excited to see the running back tandem of Cain and Hall. They combined for over 2,000 yards as Cain tallied 1,124 yards and 16 touchdowns and Hall ran for 1,012 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“They complement each other, and they’re selfless,” Rowse said. “Sometimes when you get two guys that can run the ball that well, it becomes a little bit contentious, but those guys actually are great teammates and great friends. They feed off each other, and that’s just a testament to who they are.”

Jackson shared that sentiment and said the line has put in a lot of work over the offseason. He also noted that their H-back, Gabe Lutton, helps lead the offense.

“We have two amazing running backs,” Jackson said. “They’re really good, they help push each other, and they both compliment each other. Gabe complements us. He’s our main blocker on offense and our leader on defense. Travis, he’s the focal point of our offense.”

Jackson also added that there is a lot of skill in the lineup. He has high hopes for safety Junior Marino, wide receiver Rudy Young, incoming freshman Avery Scales and linebacker Isaac Sessie.

Rowse is optmistic about Jonah Justice and Sessie at linebacker.

“I’m looking forward to seeing both of these guys on defense,” Rowse said. “We’ve got seven starters back on D, so there’s three or four spots that these guys have to fill in at, and (Jonah is) one of them that’s really making a good push for right now.”

The Bobcats also return Alex Korcinsky, who was an all-conference defensive end.

“He’s just a smart, all-around player,” Rowse said. “I think he has the ability to help us in the pass game. He’s a very, very effective run blocker. I’m looking for more big things out of him this year as a junior as well.”

As for the defense, Mayo and Lutton lead the charge.

“Gabe is a great leader on the defensive side of the ball,” Mayo said. “He tells everyone what to do, calling the plays-wise. I think he’s a great vocal leader, and I’m really excited to work with him again this year.”

While the Bobcats won nine games last season, with 26 upperclassmen, everyone wants more.

“Everyone’s been playing with each other for so long,” Mayo said. “This is our year. We play together very well, and everyone’s very excited to get this ball rolling.”

Jackson shared similar thoughts..

“There’s always more room to improve,” Jackson said. “We didn’t win ‘Whips’ last year or states, so there’s always a goal ahead. We could always push ourselves to achieve something. There’s always something to achieve. That’s how we’ve just got to come back more hungry each day.”

Both Jackson and Mayo feel like they are two-time seniors, knowing they were team leaders last season on a team with a short list of 12th graders.

Mayo said the regular season loss to Avonworth allowed the team to grow closer together. They came back from three touchdowns down and despite not capping it off with a win, it showed them they are in any game.

“Everyone is very close knit,” Mayo said. “Chemistry-wise, we know what we’re going to do. We know how each other plays. We know what each other’s tendencies are. I know what Amar’s going to want to do. I know what Quay is going to want and I think that’s gonna help us win games because we’re together.”

The ultimate goal is a WPIAL and state title, of course, but Rowse wants to take it step by step.

“Our goal day to day, week to week, is just to be a better team every single day,” Rowse said. “We know if you win every rep and win every practice, preparation is the key to success. All the other stuff just kind of falls into place.”

Both Mayo and Jackson said everyone pushes each other and that Rowse makes sure everyone is engaged.

“He’s a great guy,” Jackson said. “He gets everyone going. If we’re having a bad day or our energy is not high, he’s going to make sure energy gets hot. He’s going to make sure we all do anything that we need to do. No cutting corners or anything.”

Rowse said it’s a blessing to coach where he and his family grew up. He played under coach Pat Tarquinio and got into coaching with coach Jeff Beltz. The players understand the tradition at Beaver.

“Our coach preaches it all the time,” Mayo said. “Just continuing the lineage and great teams for Beaver is important to us.”

Beaver

Coach: Cort Rowse

2023 record: 9-3, 4-2 in the Class 3A Western Hills Conference

All-time record: 675-422-55

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24 Westinghouse at Woodland Hills, 7

8.30 Blackhawk, 7:30

9.6 at Imani Christian, 7

9.13 Hopewell*, 7:30 pm

9.20 at Central Valley*, 7

9.27 McGuffey*, 7:30

10.4 at Deer Lakes, 7

10.11 at North Catholic*, 7

10.18 Quaker Valley*, 7:30 pm

10.25 Avonworth*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Travis Clear

61-134 1,051 yards, 10 TDs

Rushing: Quay Cain

159-1,124 yards, 16 TDs

Receiving: Amari Jackson

28-681 yards, 10 TDs

FAST FACTS

• Beaver was the only team to win WPIAL titles in different classifications (3A in 1981 and 2A in 1982) until Thomas Jefferson did so in 2015-2016. Beaver won its first WPIAL title in 1972.

• Beaver is the fourth-oldest program in the WPIAL, with their inaugural season being 1899.

• Beaver holds an all-time record of 675-422-55. Jeff Beltz and Pat Tarquinio account for 403 of those wins.

• Brady Mayo can play piano.

Tags: Beaver