Spot on: Leopards roar past Antelopes to win 3A title
Ed Thompson / For the Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon head coach Matt Humbert gets a Gatorade shower after his Leopards defeated Avonworth, 24-7, on Friday in the WPIAL Class 3A football championship at Acrisure Stadium.
Ed Thompson / For the Observer- Reporter
Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin hauls in a reception for the Leopards’ first touchdown against Avonworth in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game. Belle Vernon plays in the PIAA semifinals tonight.
Ed Thompson / For the Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon’s Evan Pohlot hits Avonworth’s quarterback Nathan Harper in the first half Friday night, causing a key incomplete pass in the WPIAL Class 3A football championship at Acrisure Stadium.
Ed Thompson / For the Observer-Reporter
The Belle Vernon players hoist the WPIAL Class 3A trophy after defeating Avonworth, 24-7, on Friday at Acrisure Stadium.
BV 5
Ed Thompson / For the Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon Quinton Martin stiff-arms an Avonworth player after breaking a few tackles on his way to the end zone for a Leopards touchdown in the WPIAL Class 3A football championship Friday at Acrisure Stadium.
PITTSBURGH – Big time players make big time plays, and Quinton Martin accounted for three of them Friday night, all for touchdowns, to lead Belle Vernon to the WPIAL Class 3A football championship over Avonworth, 24-7.
The junior All-American caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Braden Laux on 4th down just before halftime, returned a punt 51 yards for a touchdown in the third and rushed 45 yards for a score in the fourth to lead Belle Vernon (10-2) to its second WPIAL football crown, and first in 27 years.
Despite his effort, Martin was more excited to speak about his senior teammates getting to win what had been an elusive WPIAL title. This senior class finished as runner-up twice in the last three seasons.
“This group of seniors, ever since I was a freshman, have always been there for me and helped me with everything,” he said. “This means a lot because we put blood, sweat and tears into this.
“We are competitors and want to win, and that is what we did. I am so happy for the seniors.”
BVA coach Matt Humbert, who just had the proverbial monkey lifted off his back minutes earlier when the clock hit 0:00, knew it would be a tough game and put the team through a tough week of practices, which included long days all week, a Thanksgiving practice and a film study Friday morning.
“The way they conducted the business this year, there wasn’t any selfish attitude or demeanor at all when it came to trying to get this trophy,” he said. “They players did it for themselves, did it for their coaches and did it for all the kids who were so close the last six years.
“It is a program win and I am so happy for them.”
Humbert spoke in more detail about the past week.
“We articulated to these kids that it would be a fourth quarter game and we pounded it into their heads that it was going to be a physical game,” he said. “That’s a good ball club we went up against.
“If we didn’t win, it would have been devastating. We probably put 35 hours into preparation this week.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Avonworth (11-2) intercepted BVA’s Braden Laux at the BVA 45 and opened the scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by Brandon Biagiarelli with 11:36 left in the half.
The touchdown concluded a 12-play, 45-yard drive that at up 6:04 off the clock.
On their next drive, the Leopards trimmed the Avonworth to four points when Willie Schwerha connected on a 31-yard field goal with 5:25 to go in the half after a 13-play drive.
Avonworth punted on its next possession, and like it had done on each previous punt, it punted the ball out of bounds, sacrificing distance to keep the ball out of Martin’s hands.
BVA took over at the Avonworth 36, and on a 4th-and-9 at the 32, Laux hit Martin with a touchdown pass to give BVA its first lead.
“That was a 7-on-7 play that we haven’t run once all season,” Humbert said. “We were able to hit on that corner route.”
The Leopards took the 10-7 lead into halftime and after forcing an Avonworth punt on the Antelopes’ second possession of the half, they made the mistake of punting to Martin.
What happened next was proof of why Martin is considered one of the most electric players in the country as he took the punt, received several key blocks and juked his way into the endzone to give the Leopards a 17-7 lead.
Humbert was impressed.
“That was pretty phenomenal out there,” he said. “I will say this, it was phenomenal blocking and that was a team punt return (touchdown).
“Steve Macheska had a big block on that, and Quinton showed who he was with the complementary aspect of the team.”
Martin spoke about the ball getting kicked to him and the first thing he thought when he realized he would have the chance to return it.
“I thought I was going to take it back,” he said. “I saw the left sideline was clear and got as close to it as I could. I cut back because I saw the one man come towards me.
“You don’t think, you just go.”
After the game, Avonworth coach Duke Johncour spoke about Martin and his big plays.
“He is a special player and made three splash plays that were unbelievable,” Johncour said. “The kid’s really, really talented and if you let him get in open field, he is going to make you pay, and he did today.”
The Leopards erased any doubt of the outcome when Martin raced 45 yards with 8:48 left to eliminate any Avonworth hope.
“Every week, we are trying to find a way to put 25 (Martin) into an advantageous position,” Humbert said. “We wanted to get Quinton the ball in a magnitude of ways.”
Martin (68 yards) and Jake Gedekoh (45) combined to rush for 113 yards.
For the game, Avonworth outgained BVA as the Antelopes had 261 yards on 61 plays while the Leopards had 170 yards on 39 plays.
A lot of Avonworth’s yards came late, and Humbert was impressed by his team’s defense before pointing at the WPIAL championship trophy, which sat on the interview table.
“Our defense has been phenomenal all year,” he said. “We have a special defense, and they did their job. It was a complete team effort.
“The beautiful thing about that trophy right there, that we have been coveting and chasing for so long, it is an extension of more football. (The trophy) is the cherry on top, (but) playing more football is truly the reward.”
Next weekend, the Leopards face District 6 champion Central Martinsburg (12-2).
Before finishing up at the podium, Humbert shared how much pressure the players were under this year.
“All the pressure on these kids, it is a lot of pressure to battle day in and day out, with them hearing all the time they were going to win the WPIAL,” Humbert said. “They did this for themselves and all the kids that have come through here the last six years.”
Martin closed the media session explaining what he was feeling.
“This feels better than I thought it would,” he said humbly with a big smile. “This is a feeling I have never felt before and I hope everyone who gets to this point can experience it.”