Sep 2, 2022 3 min read

BELLE VERNON — Heading into the 2022 season, Belle Vernon High School football coach Matt Humbert said his team had a meat grinder of a nonconference schedule.

Friday night, his Leopards opened up their season with a win over Class 4A Laurel Highlands.

The game was hyped as a battle between a pair of major Division I recruits in Belle Vernon running back Quinton Martin and LH quarterback Rodney Gallagher, and the pair did their part.

Fighting cramps all night, Martin scored three touchdowns while Gallagher threw for 188 yards and three scores, all to Keondre DeShields.

After three LH incomplete passes to open the game, there was an issue with the snap on the punt and Belle Vernon’s Chase Ruokonen recovered at the Laurel Highlands 23-yard line.

Two plays later, Martin touched the ball for the first time and he went 23 yards to give Belle Vernon the early lead with only 27 seconds gone in the game.

After forcing another LH punt, the Leopards went 45 yards on 11 plays and Martin extended the Belle Vernon lead with an 11-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-eight with 5:30 to go in the first quarter.

The Mustangs finally found their bearings on the subsequent drive, going 77 yards on 17 plays on a drive that ate up 7:35 off the clock.

With first-and-goal at the Belle Vernon one-yard line, Laurel Highlands looked primed to cut into the Leps’ lead. However, the Leopards stuffed the Mustangs on four straight plays to maintain their 14-0 lead.

With 1:22 to go in the half, Ruokonen recorded his second takeaway of the game, this time an interception, and he returned the ball to the LH 16.

Three plays later, Martin scored his third touchdown of the game, this time an eight-yard run, with 30 seconds left in the first half. For Laurel Highlands, it was a crushing turn of momentum.

In the first half, Belle Vernon outgained 179 yards to seven for Laurel Highlands.

After the Leopards extended their lead to 28-0 with a Tanner Moody three-yard scoring run, the Mustangs finally got on the scoreboard when Gallagher hit DeShields on a 13-yard touchdown pass.

Braden Laux added a pair of touchdown runs, from one yard and 44 yards, while leading belle Vernon’s ground game with 74 yards rushing.

Gallagher connected with DeShields with a pair of fourth-quarter scores, from two yards and 38 yards.

Belle Vernon is at McKeesport next Friday while Laurel Highlands hosts Kiski. Both are nonconference contests.