4 players named all-state; Humbert is 3A Coach of Year
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Three players from WPIAL and PIAA champion Belle Vernon, and the district’s leading rusher and scorer, were named to the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ All-State football teams.
The group released its all-state teams for Class A, 2A and 3A Thursday.
Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert, who guided the Leopards to the WPIAL championship and the school’s first state title, was named the Class 3A Coach of the Year.
Three of Humbert’s players, running back Quinton Martin, defensive lineman Steve Macheska and defensive back Adam LaCarte, were voted to the Class 3A team.
Martin, a talented junior running back, scored all of Belle Vernon’s touchdowns in its WPIAL title win over Avonworth and caught a fourth-quarter TD that gave the Leopards a 9-8 victory over Neumann-Goretti in the state final. Martin rushed for 1,274 yards, caught 29 passes and scored 30 total touchdowns.
Macheska was the anchor of the Leopards’ offensive and defensive lines. He was voted to the all-state team as a defensive lineman, where he produced seven sacks, including two in the PIAA final. He was named the Player of the Game in the PIAA final and was a finalist for the Fralic Award, which is given to the top lineman in the WPIAL.
LaCarte had a breakout season for the state champions. As part of a defense that went 11 consecutive games without allowing a point in the second half of a contest, LaCarte was a ballhawk from his safety position, grabbing six interceptions, including one in the PIAA title game.
In Class A, Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson was one of five running backs selected. Stevenson led the WPIAL in both scoring (317 points) and rushing yards (2,342 yards). He set the WPIAL’s single-season, regular-season record by scoring 285 points and led the Maples to the Tri-County South Conference championship, its first undefeated regular season since 1968 and the first playoff victory in school history. Stevenson capped an outstanding career with 5,993 rushing yards, which ranks ninth all-time in the WPIAL. His 102 career touchdowns ranks fifth.
Martin, Macheska, Lacarte and Stevenson all were selected to the Observer-Reporter’s Terrific 22 with Martin the Player of the Year.