WPIAL Class 3A final by the numbers: Belle Vernon 24, Avonworth 7

By: George Guido
Friday, November 25, 2022 | 8:40 PM

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Belle Vernon 24, Avonworth 7

Avonworth 0-7-0-0 — 7

Belle Vernon 0-10-7-7 — 24

How they scored

A: Brandon Biagiarelli 1 run (Michael Osekowski kick)

BV: Willie Schwerha 31 field goal

BV: Quinton Martin 32 pass from Braden Laux (Schwerha kick)

BV: Martin 51 punt return (Schwerha kick)

BV: Martin 45 run (Schwerha kick)

Team statistics A … BV

First downs 12 … 9

Rushes-Yards 34-114 … 29-129

Passing yards 147 … 41

Passing Att-Comp-Int 27-13-0 … 10-3-1

Total offense Plays-yards 61-261 … 39-170

Punts (number-avg.) 6-25.2 … 4-29.8

Fumbles-lost 1-0 … 1-0

Penalties-yards 10-80 … 3-28

Possession time 26:48 … 21:12

Individual statistics

Rushing: A: Brandon Biagiarelli 10-47, Andrew Kuban 2-24, Luke Hilyard 8-20, Peyton Faulkner 4-12; BV: Quinton Martin 8-60, Jake Gedekoh 6-43, Breden Laux 11-33

Passing: A: Nate Harper 12-25-127-0INT-0TD, Peyton Faulkner 1-2-20-0INT-0TD; BV: Laux 3-10-41-1INT-1TD

Receiving: A: Kuban 5-67, Colin Crawford 3-19, Austin Johncour 2-37, Faulkner 2-15; BV: Martin 2-41, Kole Doppelheuer 1-0.

A second title

Friday’s victory brought the second WPIAL title to Belle Vernon. The Leopards defeated Franklin Regional, 22-6, in 1995. The school lost WPIAL title games to Blackhawk in 1996, West Allegheny in ’99, Thomas Jefferson in 2019 and Aliquippa last year.

Belle Vernon won its three WPIAL playoff games by a cumulative score of 121-14.

A predecessor school, Rostraver, shared a WPIAL title with Carmichaels in 1962, three years before a consolidation with Rostraver and Belmar formed Belle Vernon Area.

Coach Matt Humbert is now 77-19 at Belle Vernon. The Leopards are 24-30 all-time in the WPIAL playoffs.

Avonworth was seeking its second title in four seasons after defeating Washington in 2019. The Antelopes tied Union in 1959, 13-13, and lost in the finals to Clairton in 2014.

The school is 19-20-1 in WPIAL playoff games.

Coach Duke Johncour is 97-37 in his 12 years at the helm. He was a quarterback at the former Churchill High School in the mid-1980s.

Martin the magnificent

Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin continued to burnish his credentials as one of the state’s top players.

Martin’s three touchdowns in three ways gave the junior 29 on the season.

He has 1,159 rushing yards on the season.

Hilyard hurt

A key juncture of the game occurred when Avonworth’s leading rusher, Luke Hilyard, was hurt with 7 minutes, 7 seconds left in the third quarter.

He did not return and was limping around the Antelopes bench.

Before the injury, Hilyard had 20 yards rushing, finishing the season with 1,394 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Up next

The Leopards will enter the PIAA playoffs in the semifinal round next weekend against Martinsburg Central at a time, date and site to be determined.

Belle Vernon’s only other state playoff appearance was a 22-16 loss against Sharon on Dec. 2, 1995.

Tags: Avonworth, Belle Vernon