WPIAL Class 3A championship game by the numbers: Avonworth 17, Central Valley 0

By: Bill Hartlep
Saturday, November 23, 2024 | 8:01 PM

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Avonworth 17, Central Valley 0

Avonworth 7-3-0-7—17

Central Valley 0-0-0-0—0

Scoring summary

A: Nico Neal 2 run (Calder Mahan kick)

A: Mahan 32 field goal

A: Neal 3 run (Mahan kick)

Team statistics

A … CV

First downs 8 … 7

Rushes-yards 45-143 … 28-51

Passing yards 30 … 109

Passing Comp-Att-Int 1-2-0 … 11-16-0

Total offense plays-yards 47-173 … 44-160

Punts (number-avg.) 5-38 … 4-24.5

Fumbles-lost 1-0 … 1-1

Penalties-yards 5-40 … 5-40

Possession time 26:56 … 21:04

Individual statistics

Rushing: A: Nico Neal 23-102, 2TDs; Luca Neal 16-33; Jaden Jones 2-6; Dimitri Velsaris 2-3. CV: Mason Dixon 10-33; Jance Henry 6-10; Steven Rutherford 9-8; Aaron Lawson 1-1.

Passing: A: Carson Bellinger 1-2-0, 30 yards. CV: Rutherford 11-15-0, 109 yards; Antonio Perri 0-1-0, 0 yards.

Receiving: A: Noah Goetz 1-30. CV: Lawson 5-35; Quinn Connolly 2-46; Jaiden Underwood 2-8; Dixon 1-11.

Third time a charm

Avonworth’s players and coaches watched from the opposing sideline as Belle Vernon raised the WPIAL Class 3A championship trophy the past two seasons at Acrisure Stadium, so it was a welcome feeling for the Lopes to celebrate on the grass on the North Shore on Saturday night.

Their 17-0 victory secured the school’s third WPIAL title. Avonworth beat Washington, 28-6, to win the Class 2A title in 2019, and tied Union, 13-13, to share the Class A championship in 1959. The Lopes were runners-up in 2014, ‘22 and ‘23.

Shutouts on biggest stage

Avonworth’s 17-0 victory was the 75th shutout in WPIAL championship game history, including eight scoreless ties. The most recent shutout before that was last season, when the Lopes lost to Belle Vernon, 26-0.

All tied up

Avonworth’s victory Saturday tied the all-time series between the teams at 2-2. Central Valley defeated Avonworth, 43-6, in 2021 and 37-22 in 2022. The Antelopes beat the Warriors in Week 5 of this season, 21-14, in a Western Hills Conference game.

Central Valley a frequent visitor

The Warriors played in the WPIAL final for the ninth time in the school’s 15 years of existence. They have five WPIAL championships as Central Valley, which was formed when Center and Monaca merged in 2009. Monaca won three WPIAL championships (1975, ’82, ’85).

Nico’s world

Avonworth senior running back/linebacker Nico Neal made his presence felt all over the field Saturday. Frequently lining up as a wildcat quarterback, Neal ran for 102 yards, including touchdown runs of 2 and 3 yards. He also made four tackles, including one for a loss and recovered a fumble to seal the victory with 1:38 left.

Key stat

Central Valley’s Mason Dixon and Jance Henry had combined for 2,127 rushing yards with 31 touchdowns entering Saturday’s game. The Avonworth defense limited the pair to 43 yards on 16 carries. Sophomore linebacker Bryce Metz had eight tackles to lead the group. Senior linebacker Justin Beck had seven tackles, including three for a loss (two sacks).

Charlie’s home field

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch was the honorary captain for the pregame coin toss. Inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2019, Batch was a standout quarterback at Steel Valley. The 1992 grad was a two-year starter for the Ironmen, who were ranked No. 1 and reached the Class AA semifinals in 1991. He went on to play at Eastern Michigan before being drafted in the second round by the Detroit Lions. He passed for more than 2,000 yards in three of four seasons in Detroit before signing with the Steelers in 2002. He played for 11 more seasons, including victories in Super Bowl XL and XLIII. He now is a studio analyst for the Steelers Radio Network and KDKA-TV.

Next up

Avonworth (11-3) will play District 6 champion Penn Cambria (14-0), a 30-7 winner over Hickory, in the PIAA semifinals next week.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Avonworth, Central Valley