Belle Vernon football team knows keys to playoff drive

By: Mike Kovak
Saturday, August 17, 2019 | 11:10 AM

---

Coaches and players at Belle Vernon agree. A few key factors kept the Leopards from becoming an elite team in WPIAL Class 4A the past couple of seasons.

One is injuries.

Belle Vernon was hit hard with them last season, but the Leopards persevered during the regular season, losing to WPIAL runner-up Thomas Jefferson and comfortably winning their other eight regular-season games.

Belle Vernon continued to win when starting quarterback Jared Hartman suffered ACL, MCL and lateral meniscus tears in his right knee.

But the run ended in the WPIAL semifinals, where district champion South Fayette earned a 28-10 victory.

“We have to be healthy to get to where we want to go,” coach Matt Humbert said. “I’m really proud of what the kids accomplished last year. The first three to four weeks of the season, we were without four or five starters. Hopefully, the experience that gave other players who return will pay dividends.”

Humbert said avoiding injuries is particularly important up front. Offensively, the line returns starters Hayden Baron, Max Bryer and Anthony Evans. The defensive line brings back just one returning starter in Dakota Marion.

“We return real good kids up front, but we’re not as deep as we typically are,” Humbert said.

Eden Shemesh, Zade Zadrozny, Tommy Kovatch and Ryan McGrew are incoming players expected to help up front, and, like the returning players, they are buying into Belle Vernon’s business-like approach.

With advanced training equipment such as the Tsunami Bar, the Leopards have hit the weights hard in the offseason. A record number of players joined the 1,000-pound club, which is a players’ combined total of bench press, squat and deadlift.

It’s all part of the WPIAL championship chase for a program that’s been knocked out of the semifinals the past two seasons.

“We’ve been so close every year I’ve been here,” said Baron, who has received several FCS and Division II offers. “My freshman year, we lost two games. Sophomore year, we lost to TJ in the semifinals. Last year, it was South Fayette. This year, as a group, we want to get to the next step and past that.”

Which brings Belle Vernon to another key: offensive balance.

The Leopards are a hard-running team, but with a healthy Hartman and a bevy of receivers in Hunter Ruokonen, Nolan Labuda and Devin Whitlock, who transferred from Monessen and could be used in multiple spots on offense and in a talented defensive backfield, Belle Vernon believes it is ready to bring more balance to its force.

“We’ll still be run-heavy, but we should be able to air it out better and run more spread formations,” Ruokonen said. “Teams can’t just expect us to run, run, run. Hopefully, we get to the point where they don’t know if we’re going to run or pass.”

Should Belle Vernon stay healthy and become more balanced while maintaining the same defensive intensity that produced four shutouts last season, Class 4A heavyweights South Fayette and Thomas Jefferson could face a difficult postseason challenge.

As long as the Leopards can achieve a third critical element: making fewer errors in key situations.

“No stupid penalties, and that goes for all of us,” Baron said. “If we can eliminate penalties on big plays, that’s going be huge.”

Huge accurately describes the leg of kicker/punter Cameron Guess, one of the nation’s most sought-after senior kickers, and Belle Vernon’s expectations. The Leopards crave a second Big 8 title in three seasons, and they want a spot in the WPIAL championship game.

But Humbert makes certain the players don’t look ahead.

“This senior class has been together a long time, and they’ve been part of some great things,” Humbert said. “I think these kids have bought into our approach, and, hopefully, that takes us to where we want to go.”

Schedule

Coach: Matt Humbert

2018 record: 9-2, 6-1

All-time record: 315-233-7

Date, Opponent, Time

8.30, at Ambridge, 7

9.6, at Thomas Jefferson*, 7:30

9.13, Laurel Highlands*, 7

9.20, Indiana*, 7

9.27, at Greensburg Salem*, 7

10.4, at Trinity*, 7

10.11, West Mifflin*, 7

10.18, at Plum, 7

10.25, Ringgold*, 7

*Class 4A Northwest 8 Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Jared Hartman

43-59, 492 yards, 7 TDs

Receiving: Hunter Ruokonen

32-465 yards, 5 TDs

Rushing: Mason Pascoe*

203-1,764 yards, 16 TDs

*Graduated

Belle Vernon roster

No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.

1, Devin Whitlock, RB/DB, 5-6/150, So.

2, Larry Callaway, RB/LB, 6-0/190, Sr.

3, Zach Powell, WR/DB, 5-4/105, Jr.

4, Jackson Jewell, QB/DB, 5-9/155, Jr.

5, Nolan Labuda, WR/DB, 5-7/160, Sr.

6. Andrew Pacak, WR/LB, 6-1/210, Sr.

7, Dane Anden, RB/DB, 6-0/155, Jr.

8, Tanner Steeber, QB/DB, 6-0/150, Fr.

9, Damani Johnson, WR/DB, 5-8/160, Sr.

10, Ben Tenuta, TE/LB, 6-0/185, Sr.

11, Ryan Abbott, RB/DB, 6-0/175, Sr.

12, Jared Hartman, QB/LB, 6-1/210, Sr.

13, Ian Maloney, WR/DB, 6-1/170, Jr.

14, Reilly Wiant, QB/DB, 6-1/160, So.

15, Cole Weightman, TE/DB, 6-2/195, So.

16, Ryan Hamer, RB/LB, 5-8/160, So.

17, Hunter Ruokonen, WR/DB, 6-0/170, Sr.

18, Logan Cunningham, WR/DB, 5-7/140, So.

20, Tyler Kovatch, WR/DB, 5-7/140, So.

21, Jake Wessel, WR/DB, 5-7/140, Fr.

22, Evan Pohlot, WR/DB, 5-7/130, Fr.

23, Joe Klanchar, WR/DB, 6-1/175, So.

24, Martin Marion, RB/LB, 6-0/170, Fr.

25, Brady Hoffman, WR/DB, 5-8/140, So.

26, Caden Hutchinson, RB/DB, 5-8/130, Fr.

27, Anthony Miklos, WR/DB, 5-7/140, So.

28, Chase Ruokonen, RB/DB, 5-10/145, Fr.

33, Anthony Coccari, RB/LB, 5-8/185, Sr.

34, Alex Kingland, TE/LB, 6-0/190, Jr.

35, Xander Zilka, TE/WR/LB, 6-1/180, Jr.

36, Camden Spoto, RB/LB, 6-1/190, Sr.

39, Jake Thompson, WR/DB, 5-10/160, So.

41, Mitchell Pohlot, TE/DE, 6-4/215, Sr.

43, Logan Hoffman, RB/LB, 5-9/165, So.

44, Jack Bryer, RB/LB, 5-9/160, So.

45, Gage Rogge, FB/DL, 5-10/215, Sr.

48, Anthony Sauritch, TE/DB, 6-1/195, Sr.

51, Zach May, OL/DL, 5-10/190, Fr.

52, Dakota Marion, OL/DL, 6-2/245, Jr.

53, Colt Manown, OL/DL, Fr.

56, Ryan McGrew, OL/DL, 6-3/215, So.

58, Anthony Evans, OL/DL, 6-3/282, Jr.

60, Zade Zadrozny, OL/DL, 6-3/225, Sr.

61, Nate Farley, OL/DL, 6-3/235, Jr.

62, Dylan Larson, OL/DL, 5-9/200, So.

63, Max Bryer, OL/DL, 6-2/215, Sr.

64, Noah Clegg, OL/DL, 6-0/200, So.

65, Connor Youngblood, OL/DL, 5-6/280, So.

68, Tommy Kovatch, OL/DL, 5-11/216, So.

69, Hayden Baron, OL/DL, 6-2/265, Sr.

71, Steve Machesk, TE/OL/DL, 6-4/210, Fr.

72, Craig Dongilli, OL/DL, 5-9/190, So.

73, Kody Callaway, OL/DL, 5-5/280, Sr.

74, Eden Shemesh, OL/DL, 6-3/240, Jr.

75, Cole Youngblood, OL/DL, 5-7/300, Jr.

76, Scott Mastin, OL/DL, 6-1/235, Fr.

79, Noah Fox, OL/DL, 6-4, 260, Jr.

81, Dylan Seliga, WR/DB, 6-0/150, Fr.

82, Brandon Barber, WR/LB, 5-10/160, Sr.

88, Cameron Guess, K, 6-0/190, Sr.

Tags: Belle Vernon