Belle Vernon tops Northwestern Lehigh for second straight PIAA title

By JOSE NEGRON
jnegron@yourmvi.com

With another state championship trophy up for grabs, Belle Vernon’s offensive threats and their big-play ability were on full display Saturday afternoon.

The Leopards ran for 334 yards behind their talented offensive line and scored three times on plays of 60-plus yards en route to capturing their second straight state title with a 38-7 victory over Northwestern Lehigh in the PIAA Class 3A championship game at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field.

Anthony Crews scored two touchdowns, including one on the game’s opening kickoff, while Braden Laux, Quinton Martin and Jake Gedekoh contributed with scoring runs to help lead BVA to the championship triumph.

“It’s an unexplainable feeling because not many teams, not just in Pennsylvania but around the country, can go back to back in the state championship,” said Martin, a Penn State commit who finished with eight carries for 133 yards and a 92-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

“I feel very accomplished and relieved that we came out here and did our job.”

Gedekoh followed Martin with 71 yards on a team-high nine carries, while Crews made the most of his two carries by totaling 69 yards on the ground.

“What feels good is the way we were able to dominate with it,” BVA head coach Matt Humbert said. “That team made us nervous all week.”

While the Leopards (13-1) thrived behind the performances of their talented playmakers, the offensive line led the charge in the impressive effort.

Humbert said the unit up front — which consists of Dane Levi, Perry Riggle, Luke Bryer, Jake Heckel and Dylan DeWitt — has continuously served as the linchpin and the catalyst to the team’s success all season.

It wasn’t any different against the Tigers.

“They’ve been the group that everything is hinged upon,” Humbert added. “It wasn’t that they were bad, but early on we just weren’t crisp and clean weeks one through five. They knew that every day in practice because we were tough on that group. Think about how they were able to bend and not break, and keep going. Over the last three games, they’ve played probably the best football from a line standpoint that we’ve seen in a while. A lot of credit needs to go to them.”

BVA set the tone from the get-go, as Crews took the opening kick and returned it 71 yards for the game’s first score.

Crews was back at it on the Leopards’ first offensive possession after a Northwestern Lehigh punt.

On the fourth play of the drive, Crews juggled the ball on a jet sweep before reversing field and turning a broken play into another trip to the end zone. He raced down the BVA sideline and scored on a 62-yard run to give the Leopards a 14-0 edge four minutes in.

“There was a little bit of miscommunication between me and Braden, but once I got control of it and I saw the cut back, I knew I’d be able to take it,” Crews said. “Braden made a huge block, which is 100% the reason that I scored.” 

After one quarter, Northwestern Lehigh faced a two-score deficit before forcing its first turnover of the day.

BVA’s Adam LaCarte fielded a punt and was limited to a short return before he had the ball knocked away by Daniel Jenkins. Landen Matson came up with the recovery, allowing the Tigers to take over at BVA’s 37.

The Tigers used nine plays to get down to the BVA 1-yard line before the Leps came up with one of their signature goal-line stands, stuffing Tigers running back Dalton Clymer for a one-yard loss on fourth down. 

Over the last two years, Belle Vernon has become accustomed to those clutch goal-line stops. In addition to getting one late in last year’s state championship game, the Leopards also came up with big defensive plays near the goal line in games against McKeesport and Avonworth this season.

“We love them, we can’t get enough of them,” Humbert said with a smile. “They’re prepped for it and they’re used to it. It’s not about the toughness and what not, it’s about the composure. I think our mental confidence helps with those stands.”

The Leopards’ goal-line stand was followed by yet another successful drive by the BVA offense. They drove 98 yards on nine plays and capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Laux that made it 21-0 with 1:48 left in the half.

Gedekoh rumbled his way for a 49-yard gain to help set up the score.

Northwestern Lehigh broke through on the scoreboard with 35 seconds left before halftime.

Tigers quarterback Shane Leh completed 4 of 6 pass attempts on the drive, including a 32-yard connection to Devon Hildebrand. Leh, who completed 15 of 22 passes for 112 yards in the loss, finished off the drive with a 17-yard touchdown strike to Matson, cutting the deficit to 21-7 heading into the break.

In addition to having newfound momentum on their side, the Tigers (15-1) possessed the ball to begin the second half.

The Leopards, however, locked down on defense and didn’t allow their opponents to come back any further, forcing two punts and a pair of turnovers in the final 24 minutes.

A main catalyst for the second-half defensive performance was LaCarte, who intercepted a third-quarter pass from Leh and forced a fumble that was recovered by Laux in the fourth. LaCarte finished with a team-high 12 tackles, while Colton Lee added an 11-stop performance.

“A lot of it had to do with staying on the same page with one another,” LaCarte said of the second-half shutout. “When I fumbled that punt (in the first half), that sent it over the edge for me where I felt like I had to batten down, leave everything out on the field and play the football I know how to play.”

While the Tigers were held off the board in the second half, the Leopards continued to add to their advantage.

Martin went untouched down the BVA sideline for his long score that made it 28-7 midway through the third quarter.

In the fourth, Preston Rathway connected on a 44-yard field goal and Gedekoh ended a brief six-play drive with a 1-yard score with 6:36 remaining in the game.

“We always have each other backs, and no one can do anything without others doing their jobs, too,” Martin said. “On my 92-yard run, I couldn’t do that without my line and I couldn’t do that without our other receivers. I’m pretty sure Colton Lee had an insane block there on the perimeter. We’re very good at leaning on each other and trusting each other to get the job done.”

With Saturday’s win, Belle Vernon became just the seventh school in WPIAL history to win back-to-back state championships. The Leopards are the third 3A team to accomplish the feat, joining squads from Central Valley (2020-21) and Thomas Jefferson (2007-08).

“When you have a group of kids that just allow you to do your job, buy in and go with it, that’s when you get special,” Humbert said, “and that group right there is special.”