Belle Vernon runs over Hickory, headed back to PIAA title game
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Friday, December 1, 2023 | 10:49 PM
Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin cuts around Hickory’s Tylon Cousins on the way to a second-quarter touchdown during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Kole Doppelheuer steps through the tackle attempt by Hickory’s Timmy Krivosh during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Aiden Johnson drops Hickory’s Sean Kennedy for a short gain during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Jake Gedekoh gets past Hickory’s Timmy Krivosh on the way to a second-quarter touchdown during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin stiff-arms Hickory’s Tylon Cousins during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Adam LaCarte intercepts a pass intended for Hickory’s Timmy Krivosh during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Aiden Johnson pressures Hickory quarterback Zander Telesz during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Jake Gedekoh cuts back on Hickory’s Timmy Krivosh during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Jake Gedekoh gets past Hickory’s Sean Kennedy for a second-quarter touchdown during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Adam LaCarte intercepts a pass intended for Hickory’s Timmy Krivosh during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Braden Laux scores against Hickory during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Anthony Crews spins into the end zone past Hickory’s Zander Telesz for a 2-point conversion Friday.
Belle Vernon’s Jake Gedekoh gets away from Hickory’s Tinny Krivosh during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Friday.
Belle Vernon football coach Matt Humbert said he preached to his players not to look ahead.
That will change this week.
That’s because the Leopards have reached the final game of the season for the second consecutive year by running over Hickory, 42-16, on Friday at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium.
They will play Northwestern Lehigh, which defeated Wyomissing, in the PIAA Class 3A championship game at 1 p.m. Dec. 9 at Cumberland Valley.
“There is one more to go,” Humbert said. “We’re excited, and the kids will be ready to roll. The goal isn’t fully achieved.
“We got there. We got the breathing room. We can take a deep breath, and now we have to go after it.”
Belle Vernon outrushed Hickory, 374-64, and outgained it 488-170.
It took Belle Vernon a little more than 12 minutes to get used to how Hickory played.
Once it did, the WPIAL Class 3A champions had no problem disposing of the District 10 champions.
The Leopards scored on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter and put the game away.
Belle Vernon (11-1) took the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards in 15 plays to grab a 7-0 lead. Quarterback Braden Laux scored on a 3-yard run, but the key moment came on the fifth play of the drive when Laux connected with Quinton Martin for 18 yards on third-and-18.
“We wanted to get Quinton involved, and Braden made a heck of a read and found him,” Humbert said.
Early in the second quarter, Hickory got a 40-yard field goal from Lukas Jones. But 40 seconds later Martin scored on a 20-yard run to make it 13-3.
“We had some things in the passing game that we didn’t take advantage of,” Hickory coach William Dungee said. “They were able to squeeze our gap schemes and forced us to bounce everything. They did a good job with their outside linebackers.
“Normally in these games, whoever runs the ball best (wins), and they did and we didn’t consistently run the ball. That’s a great team. They have everything. They have size, and they have speed.”
An Adam LaCarte interception at the Belle Vernon 15 stopped a Hickory possession and set up the Leopards’ next score, a 60-yard touchdown run by Jake Gedekoh. The senior was injured on the final play of the first half, but before he left he rushed for 110 yards on 11 carries.
“We had to find what worked for us and go from there,” said Laux, an Eastern Michigan recruit who rushed for 82 yards and two scores and completed 9 of 13 passes for 114 yards and a score. “We just push hard. Even if we stall out, we come back and play harder.”
Belle Vernon tacked on a third score of the quarter following a short punt. It was Martin taking a short pass from Laux and racing 39 yards for a score.
The Leopards almost scored a fourth time in the second quarter, but Laux was stopped at the 1.
Humbert said Laux did a great job in the hurry-up offense, but they had a miscommunication on the final play.
Laux was not stopped in the third quarter, scoring from the 1 to make it 35-3. The drive was set up by a defensive stop at the Hickory 39.
Hickory got a 91-yard kickoff return from Kelvin Morrison and then, after forcing a punt, Hickory got a touchdown pass to Parker Hilliard.
But the Leopards scored on their next possession, overcoming a couple of penalties to put the game away when Kole Doppelheuer scored on a 10-yard run.
Doppelheuer rushed for 84 yards on 10 carries, and Martin added 65 on eight carries. Martin also caught five passes for 70 yards.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
Tags: Belle Vernon
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