Leopards storm back to stun South Fayette, 41-30 (copy)
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert embraces Larry Callaway as the final seconds tick off during the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinal game against South Fayette at Peters Township High School on Nov. 8. The Leopards won, 41-30, to advance to the championship game at Heinz Field. Humbert is the 缅北禁地 Big School Coach of the Year. Callaway is a member of the Elite Status All-Area Team.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Nolan Labuda pulls in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jared Hartman despite tight defense by South Fayette鈥檚 Ryan McGuire (18) during the third quarter of Friday night鈥檚 WPIAL Class AAAA semifinal game at Peters Township High School. Labuda had two touchdown receptions in the Leopards鈥� 41-30 victory.
Belle Vernon's Larry Callaway leaps over a South Fayette defender during Friday night's WPIAL Class AAAA semifinal game at Peters Township High School. Callaway rushed for 120 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the Leopards' 41-30 victory.
Belle Vernon players congratulate Hunter Ruokonen after his touchdown reception.
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Andrew Pacak (6) celebrates after beating South Fayette, 41-30, to advance to the WPIAL Class 4A championship game.
Hunter Ruokonen celebrates after scoring a touchdown for Belle Vernon.
McMURRAY 鈥� Sometimes it鈥檚 not always dialed up the way it might be drawn up.
For the Belle Vernon football team and coach Matt Humbert, the final nine minutes of Friday night鈥檚 exhilarating 41-30 WPIAL Class AAAA semifinal victory over South Fayette might have fallen under that description.
After a running-into-the-snapper penalty was called on South Fayette on a missed 54-yard field goal by Belle Vernon, the Leopards had another chance. Humbert decided put it into his offense鈥檚 hands.
On fourth-and-five in the middle of the fourth quarter, Leopards quarterback Jared Hartman looked at Nolan Labuda and chucked a deep pass into the middle of the field. With eye-black in the shape of crosses under both eyes, Belle Vernon receiver Andrew Pacak needed all the faith he could muster to haul down this pass.
Tugging with a South Fayette defender on the jump ball, Pacak secured it and the crucial first down while going to the ground. In the next minute, Belle Vernon scored two touchdowns 鈥� a four-yard run by Larry Callaway to take its first lead and a 23-yard fumble return on the ensuing kickoff by Hunter Ruokonen 鈥� as the third-seeded Leopards secured the win over the second-seeded Lions in a back-and-forth game at Peters Township High School.
鈥淭here is never a way if I throw Andrew out there that he won鈥檛 be successful,鈥� Humbert said. 鈥淗e is a defensive-oriented player. He is an underrated receiver. We don鈥檛 use him too much on offense. But sometimes it鈥檚 not dialed up the way you expect it.鈥�
The win sends Belle Vernon (10-1) to the championship against conference rival Thomas Jefferson (12-0) next Saturday at Heinz Field. It is the first time the Leopards have advanced to a title game since 1999. They had lost in the semifinals the past two seasons to the eventual WPIAL champion.
The loss ends the season for South Fayette (10-2), which was trying to defend its WPIAL championship. The Lions beat Belle Vernon in last year鈥檚 semifinals.
鈥淭he mistakes hurt us,鈥� said South Fayette coach Joe Rossi. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 get any stops. That鈥檚 what it came down to. We played great defense early but momentum is tough to overcome sometimes.鈥�
Shifting all momentum to Belle Vernon was a small sequence of fourth-quarter plays.
Leading 30-28, the Lions fumbled a shotgun snap and shanked a punt that gave the Belle Vernon the ball at the South Fayette 37 with 9:06 left. After being stopped on three straight plays, standout kicker Cam Guess was short on a 54-yard field goal. South Fayette was called for running into the snapper, a five-yard penalty that changed Humbert鈥檚 decision to go for it on fourth down.
That鈥檚 when Hartman found Pacak for a 24-yard heave that fluttered into the cold, night air and was caught for the first down.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 the main guy on that play,鈥� Pacak said. 鈥淭he first read was covered and my quarterback had faith in me. Something me and my friends always say is that I鈥檓 a go-getter. I was going to get that ball by any means.鈥�
Pacak first shifted the momentum into Belle Vernon鈥檚 favor at the end of the first half. Taking a jet sweep, Pacak pulled up and threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Ruokonen to trim the Leopards鈥� deficit to 17-14 with 13 seconds left in the second quarter.
It was a play that was vital for Belle Vernon with South Fayette getting the ball to start the second half.
鈥淲e have practiced it for nine weeks,鈥� Humbert said of the jet pass. 鈥淵ou need a big chunk play. That was the best opportunity to bait them. We鈥檝e been prepping that one, so it was nice to see it work.鈥�
Callaway churned out 120 yards on 23 carries for Belle Vernon. Hartman was an efficient 15-for-18 with 185 yards.
Outside of the game-changing fumble in the fourth quarter, the South Fayette offense proved to be hard to slow down. Running back Andrew Franklin ripped off 187 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Ryan McGuire and Charley Rossi combined for seven receptions and 228 yards.
The Lions had four different two-possession leads throughout the game.
鈥淢ost of the points they鈥檝e allowed have been in the second half,鈥� Humbert said. 鈥淲e are a second-half football team. It felt like this game came full circle with the semifinal losses. Our backs were against the wall. Sometimes it鈥檚 such a momentum-based game.鈥�