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Beaver's 2nd-half scoring burst bounces Mt. Pleasant from WPIAL football playoffs

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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant quarterback Johnny Yester (12) looks for running room on a keeper during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game with Beaver on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant running back Kyle Halterman (33) dives for a second quarter touchdown against Beaver during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant's Joe Loughner (20) fumbles the ball after a hit by a Beaver defender Kyle Kanell (62) during the fourth quarter of a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa. Beaver won 45-24.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Beaver's Landon Pontoli (11) catches a 32-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Mt. Pleasant during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa. Beaver won 45-24.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant quarterback Johnny Yester (12) is stopped by Beaver's Kyle Kanell (62) late in the fourth quarter during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa. Beaver won 45-24.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant wide receiver Andrew Gamrat (42) can't come up with the catch for first down yardage late in the fourth quarter as he is defended by Beaver's Tyler Wallace (20) during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant running back Jake Newill (22) looks to avoid Beaver defender Tyler Wallace (20) during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Beaver running back Te'Vierre Williams (12) gains short yardage against the Mt. Pleasant defense in the second quarter during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant running back Joe Loughner (20) is flipped into the air short of the goal line during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game versus Beaver on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant free safety Keith Kalp (16) jumps to intercept a pass from Beaver quarterback Darius Wise in the first quarter during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Beaver quarterback Darius Wise (2) stretches for a touchdown in the second quarter against Mt. Pleasant during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Beaver's Darius Wise (2) avoids Mt. Pleasant's Cameron Prinkey (44) and returns a kickoff for a touchdown in the first quarter during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
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Ken Reabe Jr. | For Trib Total Media
Mt. Pleasant running back Chris Wagner (25) breaks free of Beaver's Oliver Neish (26) for a long run in the second quarter during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.

Like many teams playing Beaver this season, the Mt. Pleasant football team came into Friday's WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game with the intention of slowing down star quarterback Darius Wise.

Like so many other teams, the Vikings came up short.

Wise rushed for four touchdowns, returned a kickoff for a score and threw a touchdown pass as the No. 9 Bobcats (8-2) erased a 24-21 halftime deficit by scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half in a 45-24 victory over the No. 8 Vikings (7-3).

Beaver will play top-seeded South Fayette in the quarterfinals next week.

“I think a lot of (credit) goes to my line,” Wise said after rushing for 130 yards and passing for 115. “They gave me time to throw the ball and that helped me when I needed to run. We just grinded it out, and God has blessed me with this opportunity.”

Beaver's defense was also impressive, particularly in the second half. The Bobcats shut down Mt. Pleasant's offense thanks to two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in the final two quarters.

“We knew they had a good offense, and we figured there would be points on the board,” Beaver coach Jeff Beltz said. “But we made some defensive plays, and that snowballed.”

Mt. Pleasant coach Bo Ruffner broke the game down to its most basic terms.

“They played a better second half than we did,” Ruffner said. “That was the difference in the game. We turned the ball over too many times, and you just can't do that and win. They made more plays than we did. We didn't punt the ball once, and we still lost by 21 points. That's tough to explain.”

The first half featured plenty of offense with big plays on special teams and defense sprinkled in.

The Vikings took a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard run Chris Wagner, who had 14 carries for 134 yards. Wagner's score was made possible by an interception by Keith Kalp.

The Bobcats tied it on the next play. Wise began his big night with an 85-yard kickoff return for a score.

Mt. Pleasant regained the lead on Bradley Tait's 28-yard field, then went up by 10 when Kyle Halterman scored on a 5-yard run.

Wise countered with a 14-yard scoring burst, but Halterman took the ensuing kickoff 87 yards down the left sideline to give the Vikings a 24-14 lead.

On their final first-half possession, the Bobcats clawed to within 24-21. Wise scored on a 13-yard run. From there, Beaver dominated. The Bobcats took control with a decisive third quarter in which they outscored Mt. Pleasant, 17-0.

Wise finished a drive with a 1-yard scoring run, Will Connelly made a 28-yard field goal, and Wise finished third-quarter scoring with a 35-yard run for a 38-24 lead.

In the fourth, Wise delivered a 32-yard scoring strike to Landon Pontol to seal the victory.

“We just didn't make any plays in the second half,” Ruffner said. “You have to give them credit. They made the plays. They forced turnovers and scored points.”

This is the second time in three seasons in which Beaver has beaten Mt. Pleasant in the playoffs. The Bobcats also knocked out the Vikings in the 2013 quarterfinals.

Jason Black is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jblack@tribweb.com.