Bethel Park senior Xavier Jackson fulfilled another goal.
A four-year starter for the Black Hawks, Jackson ended high school career on the pitch with an appearance in the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association all-star games Dec. 6 at Pine-Richland.
“I’m very thankful to have been chosen,” Jackson said. “I’ve always wanted to play in the all-star game since hearing about it and I got the opportunity. It means a lot because it tells me that my hard work has paid off, and other coaches think that as well.”
Hard work and athletic prowess propelled the 6-foot, 175-pound Jackson to a high-profile career at Bethel Park.
He was twice named a WPIAL Class 3A all-star and this year was an all-state selection. He led the Black Hawks to three consecutive section championships and into the WPIAL semifinals twice.
“Xavier had a brilliant soccer career at Bethel Park,” said Doug Fink, who has coached the Black Hawks for eight seasons. “When I saw him training as an incoming ninth grader, I had a feeling that this kid was going to be special. He was very athletic at an early age and could score goals as well as set up plays with his passing ability.
“His older brother Miles had been playing on our varsity team and Miles was also an excellent player. I was certainly happy to have two Jackson brothers on the same team.”
A two-time all-section selection, Jackson and his Bethel Park teammate, senior Youssef Benrabia, were named to play for Class 3A at the WPSCA all-star event. Both play at the forward, or striker, position.
The 3A all-stars earned a 5-3 victory over the 4A squad as Jackson netted two goals for the winning side.
“They kind of had me everywhere,” Jackson said. “I started out in the attacking mid-spot and eventually bumped up to striker, then dropped to center back.”
The 17-year-old Jackson finished with 64 career goals at Bethel Park. He scored 22 goals as both a junior and senior, 11 goals in his sophomore season and nine goals as a freshman.
“We have had many great players at Bethel Park over my coaching career,” Fink said. “I do feel that Xavier is right up there as one of the best that I have seen. We had another striker, Anthony Caruso, who was part of our 2006 and 2007 WPIAL championship teams that will be inducted into our Athletic Hall of Fame in January. I feel that Anthony and Xavier are two of the best pure goal scorers that I have had the privilege to coach.
“Xavier’s greatest attribute is his ability to score goals. It’s tough to find consistent goal scorers but Xavier not only strikes the ball well with both feet, he reads the game intelligently and always seems to be a step ahead of most defenders. I also feel that Xavier passes the ball extremely well. He set up numerous chances for other players to score goals throughout his career.”
One shot into the net, in particular, stands out for Jackson, aka the X-Man.
“I’d say my all-around favorite memory was our game versus Latrobe my junior year,” he said. “We had just gotten off a scrappy win against Montour during the first round of playoffs and had to make the trip out to Latrobe. We took them to double overtime where I ended up getting the golden goal, but that wasn’t what made the memory so great.
“What made it my favorite was watching the team’s reaction to winning. You could see the pure emotion expressed by all of us and it was amazing. Not a single person without a smile on their face and we celebrated like we had won the World Cup.”
Fink said that was one of several important playoff goals scored by Jackson.
“Several big postseason goals of Xavier’s come to my mind,” Fink said. “During his junior year, Xavier scored the winning goal in overtime against Greater Latrobe to put us in the WPIAL semifinals. Then, in the WPIAL semifinals against Moon that year, Xavier scored an incredible bicycle kick goal during regulation.
“This year, Xavier scored an important penalty kick goal against Mars to put us in the semifinals again. Unfortunately, we lost in the WPIAL semifinals the past two seasons, but Xavier Jackson is a massive reason why we were even there.”
Bethel Park lost its first and last games of the 2025 regular season. In between, the Black Hawks were unbeatable.
Bethel Park won the Section 2-3A title with a 12-0-2 record and finished 14-4-3 overall. The Black Hawks nudged by Thomas Jefferson (11-2-1) and Trinity (10-3-1) in the section while Laurel Highlands (7-7) and Ringgold (7-7) tied for fourth place.
The Black Hawks received the No. 2 seed for the district tournament and eventually fell to section rival TJ, 3-2, in a double-overtime decision in the third-place game.
“I thought as a team we did very well,” Jackson said. “Although we didn’t make it as far as we wanted, there were still many successes along the way. Being able to stay undefeated all through section play shows a lot and competing with solid 4A teams does as well. Those three section titles showcased how strong we are as a whole.
“Having great team chemistry, we were able to stay pretty organized throughout most games (this season). Our passion as a team is a main reason we kept the train rolling. We all had our individual talents, but we come together as a team and play for each other at the end of the day. We were willing to sacrifice for each other.”
Bethel Park allowed just 10 goals in 14 section games and 21 goals in 21 games overall. The Black Hawks held 16 opponents to a goal or less, which included eight shutouts.
Four seniors were named all-section — Jackson, Benrabia, goalkeeper Luke Rubican and defender Gavin DeClair, who was an honorable mention selection. Benrabia also was voted All-WPIAL.
Bethel Park racked up a 76-21 scoring advantage this fall as Benrabia and Jackson led the way offensively with 47 goals between them. Benrabia netted a team-high 25 goals, followed by Jackson with his 22-goal total.
“Xavier was a four-year starter and we will undoubtedly miss him next season,” Fink said. “He typically played in a striker position for most of his career, but there were also times where we used him in the midfield. He has great passing range like his older brother. Xavier is also very fit and could win aerial duels and set the tone with crunching tackles.
“I feel that Youssef (Benrabia) and Xavier had tremendous chemistry on the field. They had a unique ability to find one another in open space and create scoring opportunities. I believe that they both benefited from each other’s play throughout the season. While Xavier might have drawn two defenders on him, Youssef made the most of his chances and I am extremely proud of Youssef, as well.”
Jackson, who was a team captain in soccer, goes non-stop. He also was a kicking specialist on the football team and is a sprinter in both indoor and outdoor track. And he plays club soccer for BVB International Academy.
“I would describe Xavier as a leader,” Fink said. “He was one of our captains, and other players looked up to him on and off the field. He leads by example, even in the offseason. I would see Xavier in the weight room and on the practice fields, constantly working to get better.”
On the gridiron, Jackson booted four field goals and 44 extra points to rank among the leading scorers for the Black Hawks.
“Football-wise, I only kicked for one year,” Jackson said. “I decided to do it because it was my senior year. I wish I would’ve kicked longer because I loved it.”
Jackson is planning to compete in soccer at the next level and is weighing his college options at this time. He holds a 3.85 GPA and plans to major in hospitality and restaurant management.
“I’m definitely looking to play somewhere that would fit what I want to do academically,” he said. ”As my high school career is now finished, I can’t appreciate the people along the way enough.
“As much as the sport itself makes it amazing, the people make it better. I couldn’t do it without the fans, coaches and my teammates. I love those boys and hope they have a great season next year and keep the train rolling.”
Jackson said the loyal support displayed by Bethel Park fans was one of the highlights of his career.