BVA defense dominates McKeesport
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
When Belle Vernon Area shuts out an opponent, the players get donuts from the coaching staff.
There may be no better tasting donuts than the next ones they’re going to enjoy.
The Leopards took offense to being an underdog to Class 4A newcomer McKeesport and handed the Tigers a beating on their home field Friday, shutting them out 20-0 to open the 2020 season.
Junior quarterback Devin Whitlock was electric for the Leopards, carrying the ball 17 times for 239 yards. He opened the scoring with a 74-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the game.
“We know what Devin can do with the ball,” BVA coach Matt Humbert said. “I was glad to see him do it early, but I’m kind of disappointed with us offensively.”
“It always feels good when you get one and break away,” Whitlock said. “But I have to give credit to my O-line though. They were opening big holes for me and Dane (Anden) all night long.”
McKeesport head coach Matt Miller was more than disappointed with his team’s performance.
“We came out flat, stayed flat, and they gave us a butt-kicking,” Miller said. “We held them off the board for most of the games, but we were just holding things together with Band-Aids.
“We just weren’t ready to go and they beat us all over the field.”
Whitlock scored the opening touchdown with 8:19 left to go in the first quarter, but the Leopards were held off the scoreboard again until the fourth.
“I expected us to play better procedurely,” Humbert said. “We practice it over and over. God, we moved the ball up and down the field and we didn’t score points. But I’m more frustrated by the way we didn’t play good procedure football.”
One unit that did play well procedurely and every other way was the Leopards’ defense.
The unit didn’t allow much ground for the Tigers’ patented triple-option. McKeesport only gained 121 yards on the ground.
“The thing is, these kids thrive on being disrespected,” Humbert said. “They heard all week about McKeesport dropping down. They know a lot of people didn’t pick them and they thrive on being the underdog.”
The defense’s biggest stand came when it stopped the Tigers at the 20-yard line on a fourth-and-6 with 18 seconds remaining in the first half.
“They definitely wore on their offensive line,” Humbert said of his defensive line. “We knew the one place we were going to be solid on both sides was the line.”
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