Westmoreland County football Q&A with Belle Vernon’s Blake Zubovic

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | 7:15 PM

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Blake Zubovic is living large in Belle Vernon.

The senior lineman who stands 6-foot-6 and tips the scale at 310 pounds, has big hands and crunching handshakes. He wears size 16 shoes and drives a big truck: a spiffy, Dodge Ram 1500 that was a birthday present when he turned 17. His license plate reads, “BIG-Z68.”

But “Big Z” also has big goals.

“The best way for us to cap this year is win a championship,” said Zubovic, a Pitt recruit who had 16 Division I scholarship offers before pledging to the Panthers in June.

Second-seeded Belle Vernon just completed its second undefeated regular season (9-0) in three years, and the Big 9 Conference champs open the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against No. 7 Mars (6-4).

Once an aspiring catcher who thinks baseball helped with his leverage and leg-drives, Zubovic is laid back most of the time, except for game nights when, “I'm totally crazy.”

Zubovic, slowed some by an ankle sprain that limited his effectiveness on defense, has paved the way for a strong rushing attack that averages nearly 200 yards per game.

“Blake has great size and can utilize it in space,” Leopards coach Matt Humbert said. “He's an athletic big guy who has good lateral quickness.”

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Zubovic's recruiting is that he never attended a prospect camp, not even Pitt's. He might be a throwback when it comes to his down-and-dirty playing style, but he is a walking-tall example of how much technology has “changed the game.”

“None,” he said of college camps. “It was all social media. I sent (direct messages through Twitter) to coaches all over the country. Maryland reached out to me first because they somehow found me on social media. Pitt was interested after that.”

Highlight videos via the widely used Hudl program were what coaches saw well before they met or talked to Zubovic.

Belle Vernon's towering tackle is this week's Westmoreland Q&A:

Your dad and uncles played football?

Yes. My dad (Eric) played at Frazier and Washington & Jefferson. My uncles, Adam and Mike (Spitznagel) played at Belle Vernon. Adam was a sophomore on the (1995) WPIAL championship team. They were linemen, and they're in the BVA Hall of Fame.

Where do you get your size?

My dad is 6-3, and my mom is 5-10.

What set Pitt apart from the other schools?

I always dreamed about going to Pitt. It's the hometown squad. Family can come to home games.

How exciting was beating Thomas Jefferson (21-17) this year?

It was the biggest win I have ever been a part and had such a big role in. They beat us 55-0 last year. It was nice to come out and smack them.

You have one more game on the gold turf at James Weir Stadium. How unique was it to play on that field?

It will be bittersweet leaving “The Weir.” I'm used to (the turf), and I love it. I think green turf is weird now. We like to say, “Protect the Beach.”

You used to take baseball more seriously than football?

I didn't play football until I was 10. I thought I'd play baseball in college. But I broke my hip sliding into a base (as a sophomore) and missed the high school season. I came back, and things weren't the same. I was 6-4, 215 before I got hurt.

Any unique hobbies?

I like to write songs and poetry. I am good at rhyming when we have poetry slams in class.

Favorite TV show?

“Ballers.”

Favorite meal?

My grandma's meatball hoagies.

Favorite Belle Vernon player growing up?

Dorian Johnson. I always came up to watch him. I was going to ask for his autograph, but I thought it's corny. I work out with him sometimes now.

Linemen don't have many stats to measure their games. Since you haven't played much defense, what would you use as a stat?

I know I have a crap-ton of pancakes.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Belle Vernon