Mission accomplished: Martin stars as Leopards take down Antelopes to win WPIAL title, 24-7
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon players raise the WPIAL Class AAA championship trophy after defeating Avonworth, 24-7, at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Quinton Martin stiff arms an Avonworth defender on his way to a 45-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of Saturday无毛视频檚 WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Acrisure Stadium. Martin scored three touchdowns in the Leopards无毛视频� 24-7 victory.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Evan Pohlot pressures Avonworth quarterback Nathan Harper into throwing an incomplete pass during Saturday无毛视频檚 WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Acrisure Stadium.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon head coach Matt Humbert receives a Gatorade shower from his players after the Leopards defeated Avonworth, 24-7, to win the WPIAL Class AAA championship at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Quinton Martin pulls in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Braden Laux on fourth down late in the first half of Saturday无毛视频檚 WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Acrisure Stadium. The first of Martin无毛视频檚 three touchdowns put the Leopards ahead 10-7 and they would go on to win 24-7.
Belle Vernon's Dane Levy chases Avonworth quarterback Nathan Harper out of the pocket during Saturday's WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Acrisure Stadium. Harper threw for 127 yards but the Leopards won, 24-7.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon head coach Matt Humbert (left) and his players anxiously await the awarding of the WPIAL Class AAA championship trophy after the Leopards defeated Avonworth, 24-7, at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 26. Humbert would go on to lead Belle Vernon to its first-ever PIAA title.
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Big time players make big time plays, and Quinton Martin accounted for three of them Friday night, all for touchdowns, to lead Belle Vernon Area to the WPIAL Class AAA football championship over Avonworth, 24-7.
The junior All-American caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Braden Laux on fourth down just before halftime, returned a punt 51 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and rushed 45 yards for a score in the fourth quarter to lead the Leopards (10-2) to their 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, with this senior class finishing as runner-up twice in the last three seasons.
无毛视频淭his group of seniors, ever since I was a freshman, have always been there for me and helped me with everything,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭his means a lot because we put blood, sweat, and tears into this.
无毛视频淲e are competitors and want to win, and that无毛视频檚 what we did. I am so happy for the seniors.无毛视频�
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 which included long days, a Thanksgiving practice and a film study Friday morning.
无毛视频淭he way they conducted their business this year and there wasn无毛视频檛 any selfish attitude or demeanor at all when it came to trying to get this trophy 无毛视频� the players did it for themselves, did it for their coaches and did it for all the kids that were so close the last six years,无毛视频� Humbert said.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a program win and I无毛视频檓 so happy for them.无毛视频�
Humbert, a Laurel Highlands graduate, spoke in more detail about the past week.
无毛视频淲e 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,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 a good ball club we went up against.
无毛视频淚f we didn无毛视频檛 win, it would have been devastating. We probably put 35 hours into preparation this week.无毛视频�
After a scoreless first quarter, Avonworth无毛视频檚 Elvin Le intercepted a pass by Belle Vernon quarterback 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 drive that ate up 6:04 off the clock.
On their next drive, the Leopards trimmed the Avonworth lead to four points when Willie Schwerha connected on a 31-yard field goal with 5:25 to go in the half to cap a 13-play drive.
The Antelopes (11-2) punted on their next possession, and like they had done on each previous punt, they kicked the ball out of bounds, sacrificing distance to keep the ball out of Martin无毛视频檚 hands.
Belle Vernon took over at the Avonworth 36, and on a fourth-and-nine play at the 32, Laux went for broke and hit Martin, who got behind the defense, with a touchdown pass in the end zone to give the Leopards their first lead.
无毛视频淭hat was a 7-on-7 play that we haven无毛视频檛 run once all season,无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淲e were able to hit on that corner route.无毛视频�
The Leopards took the 10-7 lead into halftime and after forcing an Avonworth punt on the Antelopes无毛视频� second possession of the third quarter, 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. He took the punt, received several key blocks and juked his way down the left sideline before cutting all the way back to his right and diving into the end zone to give the Leopards a 17-7 lead.
Humbert marveled at the return.
无毛视频淭hat was pretty phenomenal out there,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 will say this, it was phenomenal blocking and that was a team punt return (touchdown).
无毛视频淪teve Macheska had a big block on that, and Quinton showed who he was with the complementary aspect with of team.无毛视频�
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.
无毛视频淚 thought I was going to take it back,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 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.
无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 think, you just go.无毛视频�
After the game, Avonworth coach Duke Johncour lauded Martin and his big plays.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a special player and made three splash plays that were unbelievable,无毛视频� Johncour said. 无毛视频淭he kid无毛视频檚 really, really talented and if you let him get in open field, he is going to make you pay, and he did today.无毛视频�
The Leopards erased any doubt of the outcome when Martin raced 45 yards into the end zone with 8:48 left.
无毛视频淓very week, we are trying to find a way to put 25 (Martin) into an advantageous position,无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淲e wanted to get Quinton the ball in a magnitude of ways.无毛视频�
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 the Antelopes无毛视频� yards came late. Avonworth quarterback Nathan Harper completed 12 of 25 passes for 127 yards and was sacked twice, by Macheska and Laux. Adam LaCarte and Parker Jewell each had nine tackles for Belle Vernon.
Humbert was impressed by his team无毛视频檚 defense before pointing at the WPIAL championship trophy, which sat on the interview table.
无毛视频淥ur defense has been phenomenal all year,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲e have a special defense, and they did their job. It was a complete team effort.
无毛视频淭he beautiful thing about that trophy right there, that we have been coveting and chasing for so long, it无毛视频檚 an extension of more football. (The trophy) is the cherry on top, (but) playing more football is truly the reward.无毛视频�
Next weekend, the Leopards face District 6 champion Central Martinsburg (12-2) in the PIAA semifinals.
Before finishing up at the podium, Humbert shared how much pressure the players were under this year.
无毛视频淎ll 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,无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淭hey did this for themselves and all the kids that have come through here the last six years.无毛视频�
Martin closed the media session explaining what he was feeling.
无毛视频淭his feels better than I thought it would,无毛视频� he said humbly with a big smile. 无毛视频淭his is a feeling I have never felt before and I hope everyone who gets to this point can experience it.无毛视频�