Nov 18, 2022 3 min read

MONROEVILLE – Belle Vernon is going back to the WPIAL football championship game.

The Leopards used a 14-point first quarter and some stellar defense throughout to defeat Freeport 42-0 Friday night in the Class 3A semifinals at Gateway High School’s Antimarino Stadium.

The win sends Belle Vernon (9-2), the top seed, to Acrisure Stadium on Friday to play Avonworth (11-1) for the WPIAL championship. Avonworth advanced to the final with a 35-0 thumping of Shady Side Academy. Kickoff for the title game is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Belle Vernon was in the Class 4A championship last year but lost to Aliquippa. After dropping one classification in the realignment, Belle Vernon will try to win the school’s first district title since 1995.

Belle Vernon quarterback Braden Laux ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, sparking the Leopards to their eighth consecutive victory. Quinton Martin scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Jake Gedekoh had a pair of fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns.

Laux opened the scoring on Belle Vernon’s initial possession when he kept the football on a zone read and rambled 16 yards off left end and into the end zone less than five minutes into the game. The first of six extra-point kicks by Willie Schwerha made the score 7-0.

On Belle Vernon’s next possession, with Martin flanked out to the left, Laux passed to him on a wide receiver screen. The talented junior juked a defender and raced 45 yards for a touchdown that increased the Leopards’ lead to 14-0.

Laux completed 10 of 16 passes for 139 yards.

The Belle Vernon defense intercepted four Freeport passes, including one by Adam LaCarte that set up the Leopards’ third score. Martin reached the end zone with a 26-yard jaunt that made it 21-0 early in the second quarter. Martin finished with 78 rushing yards on 16 carries.

The score held until Belle Vernon erupted for three fourth-quarter touchdowns that kicked in the running-clock Mercy Rule.

Freeport did get the best of the play in the third quarter. The Yellowjackets blocked a Belle Vernon punt and moved to the Leopards’ 18-yard line before getting called for a false start penalty that was followed by a sack by Belle Vernon’s Steve Macheska. Freeport had to settle for a 48-yard field-goal attempt by Isaac Wetzel, who had not missed a kick all season. This time, on the cold and windy night, his attempt fell short.

On Belle Vernon’s next possession, the Leopards turned the ball over on downs at their own 28-yard line. The Leopards’ defense, however, stiffened as Martin intercepted a pass.

The turnover led to a 12-yard TD run by Gedekoh 10 seconds into the fourth quarter that made the score 28-0.

Following the first of two interceptions by the Leopards’ Alonzo Wade, Belle Vernon reached the end zone again when Laux plowed his way in on a one-yard quarterback sneak.

Gedekoh tacked on a 20-yard TD run that capped the scoring. Gedekoh led the Leopards’ ground game with 123 yards on 13 carries.

Parker Jewel led the Belle Vernon defense with eight tackles.

Though the final score might not indicate it, Freeport (10-2) gave Belle Vernon its toughest game in weeks. The Leopards entered the contest averaging more than 51 points per game against Class 3A opponents. Freeport had been undefeated against Class 3A foes.