Western Beaver ends playoff drought with win against Serra Catholic

Finally.

After 15 years, the Western Beaver Golden Beavers (7-4) have won a playoff game. Fitting then, that the star at the center of the victory was a 15-year-old.

Jaivin Peel is a “freshman phenom,” coach Ron Busby said. “That’s a kid that has a skillset, makes plays for us. Just a smart player, heady player. Doesn’t turn the ball over. He protects it. Knows when to stay inbounds. Knows when to eat it and run. He had a big run tonight to move the sticks for us. He’s only a freshman, but he’s a leader on our football team, no doubt about it.”

Peel completed 7-of-18 passes for 210 yards and two pivotal touchdowns in his first high school playoff game, leading Western Beaver to a Class 2A first-round win against Serra Catholic (4-6), 38-21.

With his team down seven and needing a score, Peel took the red zone snap and worked through his progressions. Pressure quickly got to Peel, but he made a sensational move to make the first man miss. While rolling to evade the second defender, Peel spotted a target, 6-foot-1, 200-pound Dorian McGhee. Peel got the pass off to McGhee just before he was tackled and McGhee did the rest, plowing through the defense and into the end zone to tie the score at 14.

“I had a slant, and I beat him there,” McGhee said. “Then I came back outside and beat him again. At first I really didn’t see the ball, but then at the last second I saw it and got it with my fingertips. Then I just had to get to the end zone.”

The senior catching the score from the freshman was a theme throughout the night.

“I saw the blitz, and I knew I had to get out of it,” Peel said. “I ducked, threw the dude off me, and I heard Dorian yell from the right. He said ‘Jai!’ And I turned and I only saw a lineman. Then I saw him pop out and I just threw it to him, and he did what he does and took it to the house.”

During the regular season, Peel put up 2,433 passing yards, good for third in the WPIAL and 27 touchdown passes. His yards are the most by a freshman in WPIAL history.

“From the first game to this game he has grown tremendously,” McGhee said of his quarterback. “Mentally, he’s been growing. Physically, he’s been growing. We have been at practice making plays and getting our timing down. I just love the way he plays and the passion that he has for the game of football. Even though he is a freshman and he’s with all these seniors throwing the ball to us, he’s been really good. He stepped up big this game.”

McGhee finished with two catches, both for scores, and 106 receiving yards. Senior receiver Mickie Crawford had four catches for 60 yards.

One thing that has helped Peel is attending another school, Lincoln Park. Peel, along with most of the offense, attend the other school but are able to play for Western Beaver because Lincoln Park does not have a football team.

“We’re in about the fifth year of this thing, and it’s worked well,” Busby says. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there were some things along the way that we kind of had to figure out. But I will say this, this is the closest group. We are truly a team. These seniors have been together for four years. They’re teammates, they care about each other, they love each other.”

But it wasn’t just the passing game that carried Western Beaver to the historic win. In fact, Serra Catholic was up, 21-17, early in the third quarter. Then came the initiative from Western Beaver “Feed Five” — Five being senior running back Tyson Florence, who totaled 225 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. 

“I was ready for it, I knew it was coming,” Florence said. “Once the rough gets going, you have to put it on someone’s back. We were able to just drive the ball down the field.”

Florence had a powerful 6-yard run carrying would-be tacklers into the end zone to put Western Beaver back up, 24-21, and the Golden Beavers never looked back.

McGhee caught a beautiful ball from Peel with Western Beaver backed up to their own 15.  

“The play was drawn up for me,” McGhee said. “But at that moment I just knew I had to score, so we could pull away. Had to put us in a position to win.”

Added Peel: “I had three people blitzing me, and I just threw it up, it just fell right into his hands and then he just took it.”

After 15 years, Western Beaver finally knows what playoff victory feels like again. Busby got the Gatorade bath to mark the occasion, describing it as “cold.”

Peel is just beginning to write his legacy. Good way to start. Next up is No. 1-seed Steel Valley (8-1).

“That is crazy that they haven’t won in 15 years and I just turned 15,” he said. “It’s my first playoff game, so I haven’t lost one yet, and I want to keep it that way.”