McKeesport dominates Belle Vernon for 1st win of season

By: Liam Belan
Friday, September 13, 2024 | 11:40 PM

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McKeesport’s football team had a big opportunity Friday night in its meeting with Belle Vernon.

Playing their first home game of the season, the Tigers were 0-3 coming in with a double-overtime loss against Lake (Ohio), a blowout loss to Class 5A Peters Township and an overtime loss to rival Thomas Jefferson after losing a 21-point halftime lead.

McKeesport was desperate for a win, and it showed in a 28-7 victory where it dictated the majority of the game in the trenches.

“I think we’re just maturing,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said. “We’re maturing on the line, and we were able to block better today. We have some dynamic athletes, and when we can get them the ball and create some space for them, then they can do some big things.”

To Miller’s point, the Tigers managed 314 rushing yards, including 276 through their top three rushers. Kemon Spell posted 150 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, Anthony Cromerdie took eight carries for 63 yards and a score, and Anthony Boyd added 63 yards on nine rushes to lead the ground game.

For the Leopards (1-1), whom coach Matt Humbert admitted are still young, there were no excuses after the tough loss.

“We’re young and we’re banged up, but we’re not going to let that be the catalyst of our woes,” he said. “We’re trying to grow week to week, and we just have to keep moving forward because even though that youth was on full display (in a 23-17 win over Central Valley) last week, I thought we were able to overcome some things and show out. But that McKeesport team is a good football team. We can’t lose sight of that.”

Belle Vernon’s offense managed 44 yards in the first half and 54 more in the second to finish with 98 total.

The Leopards drove fewer than 20 yards to score their touchdown late in the game after a fumble from McKeesport backup quarterback Matthew Miller.

“We have to get back to the basic things that we do, especially offensively,” Humbert said. “There’s just no excuse to have the underproduction that we did tonight, and that’s on me. (QB) Curty (Wade) does everything that you ask him to do. He’s a good leader and a good field general. He, just like everyone, makes some mistakes, but his mindset is in the right place. We just have to get some things solidified, get healthy, and push forward.”

The Leopards had their third-biggest play of the contest — a 12-yard slant to Kole Doppelheuer — on the first offensive snap of the game. But Preston Rathway was called upon to punt and McKeesport went to work with its potent rushing attack.

The Tigers had gains of 8 and 7 yards before the Leopards cut it down to shorter gains, but McKeesport managed to keep its opening drive going with a keeper from quarterback Brady Eastman on fourth-and-1 in BVA territory.

Boyd had a 33-yard carry en route to a scoring drive as Eastman kept the ball on the triple option and pitched it to Cromerdie, who found the end zone from 8 yards. An Ian Shiffler extra point made the score 7-0 with 1:57 left in the first quarter.

Belle Vernon’s offense centered around Doppelheuer and Anthony Crews getting the ball from Wade, and that continued on the second drive. Early on, it was all McKeesport dictating the game up front, and it allowed the Tigers to shut the Leopards down.

After a few scoreless drives, Doppelheuer gave the Leopards some life with a big defensive play.

Five minutes remained in the first half, and the score was still 7-0 when the senior picked off a pass to set Belle Vernon up with good field position. However, the Leopards were unable to take advantage when they found themselves facing fourth-and-1 and a high snap forced them to fall on the ball, losing 8 yards.

The Tigers quickly took advantage, with Cromerdie taking a pitch 22 yards and being tackled by the facemask. The 15-yard penalty set up Spell’s first score of the night from 17 yards away to make it 14-0.

After a three-and-out from both sides to open the second half, Spell broke the game open with a 71-yard scamper that made it 21-0 in favor of McKeesport with 7:30 left in the third quarter.

Things went from bad to worse for BVA on the ensuing drive after Spell’s long score.

A play after Wade almost had a pass intercepted, Boyd picked him off to give the Tigers the ball at Belle Vernon’s 45-yard line.

The Tigers didn’t cash in on the turnover, though. They didn’t add to their lead until there was 7:09 to play as Spell found paydirt from 20 yards to make it 28-0 in favor of the home Tigers.

The Leopards stalled on their next drive, but Rathway crushed a 58-yard punt to push McKeesport deep in their own territory.

Rathway flipping the field ended up allowing the Leopards to score their touchdown as they fell on a fumble from Miller at quarterback before Doppelheuer caught an 11-yard strike and then ran in from 7 yards to cap the scoring.

McKeesport faces another stiff challenge next week when it hosts Class 5A Upper St. Clair (4-0), but it certainly felt good for the Tigers to get that first win.

“I think the enjoyment from this one carries over to the week of practice, and I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Miller said. “This is a good team, like I’ve said from the beginning, just young. I think we’ll keep getting better.”

Belle Vernon hosts a Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference foe in South Fayette (4-0), which defeated Elizabeth Forward, 38-19, on Friday.

“We’re not going to sit around and whine, because that’s a good football team regardless of their record,” Humbert said. “We just have to get back to work and keep preparing, because this is all working towards conference play.”

Tags: Belle Vernon, McKeesport