Belle Vernon football team celebrates 2nd straight state title, looks ahead to possible 3-peat

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, December 10, 2023 | 6:00 PM

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Belle Vernon returned home from Mechanicsburg on Saturday night after winning its second PIAA Class 3A title and partied one last time this year at “The Beach” (James Weir Stadium).

The team received a fire truck parade to the stadium, where it rang the victory bell one last time before the players were presented their PIAA gold medals.

It was a time to celebrate.

Belle Vernon won its second consecutive title with a convincing 38-7 victory against District 11 champion Northwestern Lehigh at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field.

But if the Leopards want to make it a three-peat, they will have to do it in Class 4A. Because of enrollment, the Leopards will return to Class 4A after spending the past two seasons in Class 3A.

And while they are losing 14 seniors, they have talent returning headlined by junior wide receiver Anthony Crews, junior running back Kole Doppelheuer, junior defensive end Aiden Johnson and junior linebacker Alonzo Wade.

“They’ll be all right,” senior captain Quinton Martin said. “Anthony has made his mark all season and again Saturday with the two scores to begin the game. He’s going to be amazing.”

Crews returned the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown and, minutes later, raced 62 yards on a reverse — despite he and senior quarterback Braden Laux botching the handoff — to make it 14-0.

“Winning this title was a little better this year than last year because we knew we couldn’t take this team lightly,” Martin said. “To completely dominate a team like we did, not many teams can do that. It means a lot to end it like this.

“What I’ll remember most about my career is the work. We worked constantly every day. We were grinding on the field and the late night and the family atmosphere we developed. Everyone worked as a brotherhood, and I’ll miss that the most.”

After winning the title in 2022 and graduating only four seniors, expectations for a repeat were sky high.

The team was tested early with nonconference games against Laurel Highlands, McKeesport, Penn-Trafford and Thomas Jefferson.

“Even though we stumbled against Thomas Jefferson, the lost benefited us,” senior safety Adam LaCarte said. “It made us work harder.”

Coach Matt Humbert said though the team was loaded with talent, the offensive line needed to develop.

“We were tough on them all season,” he said. “A lot of this win is because how this offensive line performed the final three weeks and in this game. They were amazing.”

Humbert said the program has developed a winning culture.

“This win feels good,” Humbert said. “One thing I’ll pivot to and talk about is our unselfishness. We always talk about it, and it’s a big part of our dialogue and narrative week after week with the media.

“But, again, I’m partial to my people. They should be on a poster on how to handle things in terms of unselfishness and behavior.”

Humbert said the unselfishness was on display during his team’s final touchdown drive.

“We’re driving down here to put the nail in the coffin, and we rotate Quinton and Gedekoh in our wildcat formation. We go back and forth, and Quinton’s number was up to run it, and he said, ‘I don’t want it. Let Jake have it.’

“It was a key component to our success. Don’t get me wrong: We have good football players. You can’t hide that. Our all-in mentality we have, we didn’t let the pressure negate it all season.”

And instead of coasting on their talent, the Leopards took care of business to impressively earn their second title.

Now the underclassmen can start working toward a three-peat.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Belle Vernon