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鈥檚 Quinton Martin stiff arms an Avonworth defender on his way to a 45-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of Saturday鈥檚 WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Acrisure Stadium. Martin scored three touchdowns in the Leopards鈥� 24-7 victory.
Ed Thompson
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Evan Pohlot pressures Avonworth quarterback Nathan Harper into throwing an incomplete pass during Saturday鈥檚 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鈥檚 Quinton Martin pulls in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Braden Laux on fourth down late in the first half of Saturday鈥檚 WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Acrisure Stadium. The first of Martin鈥檚 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 鈥� 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.
鈥淭his group of seniors, ever since I was a freshman, have always been there for me and helped me with everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his means a lot because we put blood, sweat, and tears into this.
鈥淲e are competitors and want to win, and that鈥檚 what we did. I am so happy for the seniors.鈥�
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.
鈥淭he way they conducted their business this year and there wasn鈥檛 any selfish attitude or demeanor at all when it came to trying to get this trophy 鈥� 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,鈥� Humbert said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a program win and I鈥檓 so happy for them.鈥�
Humbert, a Laurel Highlands graduate, spoke in more detail about the past week.
鈥淲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,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a good ball club we went up against.
鈥淚f we didn鈥檛 win, it would have been devastating. We probably put 35 hours into preparation this week.鈥�
After a scoreless first quarter, Avonworth鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淭hat was a 7-on-7 play that we haven鈥檛 run once all season,鈥� Humbert said. 鈥淲e were able to hit on that corner route.鈥�
The Leopards took the 10-7 lead into halftime and after forcing an Avonworth punt on the Antelopes鈥� 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.
鈥淭hat was pretty phenomenal out there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 will say this, it was phenomenal blocking and that was a team punt return (touchdown).
鈥淪teve Macheska had a big block on that, and Quinton showed who he was with the complementary aspect with of team.鈥�
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.
鈥淚 thought I was going to take it back,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 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.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 think, you just go.鈥�
After the game, Avonworth coach Duke Johncour lauded Martin and his big plays.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a special player and made three splash plays that were unbelievable,鈥� Johncour said. 鈥淭he kid鈥檚 really, really talented and if you let him get in open field, he is going to make you pay, and he did today.鈥�
The Leopards erased any doubt of the outcome when Martin raced 45 yards into the end zone with 8:48 left.
鈥淓very week, we are trying to find a way to put 25 (Martin) into an advantageous position,鈥� Humbert said. 鈥淲e wanted to get Quinton the ball in a magnitude of ways.鈥�
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鈥� 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鈥檚 defense before pointing at the WPIAL championship trophy, which sat on the interview table.
鈥淥ur defense has been phenomenal all year,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a special defense, and they did their job. It was a complete team effort.
鈥淭he beautiful thing about that trophy right there, that we have been coveting and chasing for so long, it鈥檚 an extension of more football. (The trophy) is the cherry on top, (but) playing more football is truly the reward.鈥�
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.
鈥淎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,鈥� Humbert said. 鈥淭hey did this for themselves and all the kids that have come through here the last six years.鈥�
Martin closed the media session explaining what he was feeling.
鈥淭his feels better than I thought it would,鈥� he said humbly with a big smile. 鈥淭his is a feeling I have never felt before and I hope everyone who gets to this point can experience it.鈥�