MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as last year’s heart-pounding victory against Neumann-Goretti on a last-minute goal-line stand to capture its first state title, but you won’t hear any complaints from Belle Vernon fans.
The Leopards (13-1) were nearly flawless in a 38-7 blowout win against previously unbeaten Northwestern Lehigh (15-1) on Saturday, dominating the District 11 champion from bell-to-bell en route to their second consecutive state title. It’s the second year in a row Belle Vernon’s suffocating defense has allowed eight points or fewer in the state final, following last year’s razor-close 9-8 victory against Neumann-Goretti.
This time around, Leopards coach Matt Humbert could breathe easy for most of the second half, as Belle Vernon racked up 333 yards rushing on the afternoon while winning the battle in the trenches against the Tigers’ stout offensive and defensive lines.
“First off, you’ve got to thank the offensive line. They’ve been the group that everything hinges on,” Humbert said. “They’ve been the linchpin and catalyst to our success this year. … A lot of credit needs to go to them.”
Star senior Quinton Martin delivered one last signature moment before moving on to play at Penn State, electrifying the crowd with a 92-yard touchdown run and finishing with a game-high 138 yards and a TD on 10 carries. He also caught four passes for 25 yards.
“We came into this game knowing how it was going to be,” Martin said. “We knew we couldn’t take this team lightly. We knew they made it here for a reason. To completely dominate that team how we did — not many teams around the country can do that.
“It means a lot to end it like this. … We’re just a brotherhood, and I’m going to miss that the most.”
Although Martin was spectacular as always, it was Leopards junior Anthony Crews who stole the show. Crews opened the game with a 71-yard kick return TD to ignite the Belle Vernon sideline with an instant spark, and he also scored on a highlight-reel 62-yard run just a few minutes later to give the Leopards more than enough cushion to cruise to victory.
“I caught the ball, I saw the lane, I just used my speed, and I was gone,” Crews said about his game-opening score. “The feeling is amazing.”
After taking a 14-0 lead into the second quarter on the pair of long touchdowns by Crews, Belle Vernon’s defense came up with one of its trademark goal-line stands to thwart a promising drive by Northwestern Lehigh. Later in the quarter, senior Jake Gedekoh rumbled for a 49-yard gain while breaking several tackles on the way, then quarterback Braden Laux punched in a 2-yard TD run to make it 21-0 late in the first half.
With the game quickly snowballing out of control, the Tigers responded with a 17-yard TD pass from Shane Leh to Landen Matson to get Northwestern Lehigh on the board just before the break. The Tigers then got the ball to start the second half with momentum seemingly in their favor, but it wouldn’t last long.
After the Leopards defense forced a punt, Martin broke free down the sideline for a 92-yard TD run on Belle Vernon’s first play from scrimmage of the second half. That made it 28-7 midway through the third quarter, and the rout was on from there.
Preston Rathway drilled a 44-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it a 31-7 game, then Gedekoh scored on a 2-yard run to polish off the Leopards’ 38-7 victory. Gedekoh finished with 10 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown while making several big stops on defense in his final high school game.
“Speed is killer, but it’s the toughness of the kids, too,” Gedekoh said about Belle Vernon’s formula for success. “Scoring at [Acrisure Stadium] was always a dream. Scoring here is even better.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
