2-time defending state champ Belle Vernon fitting new pieces into place

By: Charles Curti
Monday, August 12, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 23. Due to production scheduling conflicts, the Laurel Highlands and Ringgold previews will appear later this month.

Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert always has been loath to schedule Week Zero games. To his way of thinking, it is more beneficial to play a second scrimmage, where he and his staff can evaluate players further without the pressure of winning a game.

Having that second scrimmage will take on larger significance this season.

The Leopards, coming off back-to-back PIAA Class 3A titles behind a large, accomplished senior class, will be relying on a bevy of new players in 2024. Further, the Leopards are making the jump to Class 4A, where they will play in the Big Six Conference with Chartiers Valley, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson and Trinity.

To be fair, none of the players who will be mainstays of the lineup are coming in cold. All gained at least some experience the past two seasons.

But Humbert said he and his staff will be doing a lot of mixing and matching during the preseason and, likely, into the regular season as well.

“Even two years ago, it took us until Week 4 or 5 to figure out the personnel aspect of things,” said Humbert, heading into his 11th season at BVA. “As much as you feel like you have a lot of the offseason to prep for who goes where and who does what, sometimes you just need to see those kids in live action situations on a Friday night.

“It’s all about the puzzle pieces, and one of our keys is, can the puzzle pieces be figured out sooner than later?”

Among the most important “puzzle pieces” will be a trio of seniors: RB/LB Kole Doppelheuer, WR/DB Alonzo Wade and WR/DB Anthony Crews. Their listed positions might end up being only a hint of where they line up. Crews, Humbert said, could be in line for the Quinton Martin role: slotting in at various places on offense to maximize his matchups/touches.

Junior running back Deaubre Lightfoot, who started at fullback in the PIAA final, also returns to give the Leopards plenty of skill options.

“We try to just be as multiple as possible,” Humbert said. “I think the neat thing about those kids are they are a little versatile.”

The quarterback spot is a competition between three players: junior Curtis Wade, who saw some time under center last season, including one start, senior Chase Mertz and sophomore Jace Gedekoh.

Regardless of who plays quarterback or fills the other skill positions, their success will be reliant on a revamped offensive line. Juniors Ryan Kent and Jude Minniti are favorites to land two of the starting jobs. The remaining three spots, Humbert said, likely will come down to four players: sophomores Ethan Baron and Dalton Daumit, junior Tim Schwerha and senior Tyler Zelenski.

Despite so many unknowns with new starters and a new classification, Humbert remains confident the Leopards still will be contenders.

“For us, the pawns are all in place,” he said. “Very optimistic about everything. I just think it’s one of those things where, like always, you have to stay healthy. If we can stay healthy, I think that will put us as a legitimate contender.”

Added Doppelheuer: “We have a lot of skill kids coming back, and I think a lot of them, like myself, are going to step up and be leaders this year. I believe we’re still going to be a very good team based on who we still have and who didn’t graduate.”

Belle Vernon

Coach: Matt Humbert

2023 record: 13-1, 5-0 in Class 3A Interstate Conference

All-time record: 366-241-7

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.30 at Aliquippa, 7

9.6 Central Valley, 7

9.13 at McKeesport, 7

9.20 South Fayette, 7

9.27 at Thomas Jefferson*, 7

10.4 Chartiers Valley*, 7

10.11 Laurel Highlands*, 7

10.18 at Ringgold*, 7

10.25 at Trinity*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Braden Laux*

113-175, 1,641 yards, 19 TDs

Rushing: Quinton Martin*

114-1,161 yards, 16 TDs

Receiving: Martin*

53-753 yards, 7 TDs

FAST FACTS

• Belle Vernon (2022-23) is one of only two teams to win the WPIAL Class 3A title the past five years. Central Valley (2019-21) is the other.

• Coach Matt Humbert needs eight wins to reach 100 in his tenure at Belle Vernon.

• The Leopards were one of four PIAA champions to repeat last season, along with St. Joseph Prep (6A), Southern Columbia (2A) and Steelton Highspire (A)

• After its only loss in 2023 (to Thomas Jefferson), Belle Vernon scored at least 49 points in the next seven games, including two WPIAL playoff games

ROSTER

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

1, Kole Doppelheuer, RB/LB, 5-11/150, sr.

2, Anthony DiCenzo, WR/LB, 5-6/170, jr.

3, Curtis Wade, QB/DB, 6-1/175, jr.

4, Alonzo Wade, WR/DB, 6-2/200, sr.

5, Anthony Crews, WR/DB, 5-11/175, jr.

6, Dominic Ghilani, TE/DL, 6-3/225, sr.

7, Ean Tatar, DB/WR, 6-0/170, fr.

8, Preston Rathway, K/P, 6-1/160, jr.

9, Deaubre Lightfoot, WR/DB, 5-10/165, jr.

10, Jace Gedekoh, QB/DB, 5-11/165, so.

11, Christian Burns, WR/DB, 5-10/130, so.

12, Nick Mahalko, WR/DB, 6-1/150, jr.

13, Chase Mertz, WR/DB, 5-11/170, sr.

14, Cam Black, QB/LB, 6-1/150, fr.

15, Vander Raczkowski, RB/LB, 5-8/140, fr.

16, Caleb Horner, WR/LB, 5-7/150, jr.

17, Rylee Doppelheuer, QB/DB, 5-4/100, fr.

18, Bradey Gabrovsek, RB/LB, 5-9/185, sr.

19, Jason Petrusky, WR/DB, 5-9/135, jr.

20, Mitchell Daley, RB/LB, 5-6/155, jr.

21, Chase Petrosky, RB/LB, 5-8/155, so.

22, David Bergstedt, WR/LB, 5-7/160, so.

23, Braylon Bassett, WR/DB, 5-8/135, fr.

24, Cameron Jenko, RB/DL, 6-2/225, so.

26, Joel Lawver, RB/DB, 5-9/140, so.

27, Nicolas Angelo, WR/DB, 5-6/125, so.

28, Keadon Johnson, 6-0/140, so.

29, Suyash Sapkota, WR/DB, 5-6/135, jr.

31, Andrew Bickerton, WR/DB, 5-7/135, so.

32, Andrew Selembo, TE/DL, 5-11/185, fr.

33, Brayden Minahan, WR/DB, 5-10/145, so.

41, Robert Allshouse, WR/DB, 5-6/145, so.

42, Skyler Gush, RB/LB, 5-11/175, so.

45, Mason Baughman, WR/LB, 5-10/150, so.

46, Angelo Spoto, RB/LB, 5-7/140, so.

50, Jake Zelenski, OL/DL, 5-7/180, fr.

52, Eli Triffanoff, OL/DL, 6-2/220, jr.

53, Hunter Mckenzie, OL/DL, 5-11/230, fr.

54, Ethan Baron, OL/DL, 6-0/210, so.

55, Tyler Zelenski, OL/DL, 6-1/220, sr.

56, Ryan Kent, OL/DL, 6-2/260, jr.

57, Sean Keller, OL/DL, 5-6/170, fr.

58, Dalton Daumit, OL/DL, 6-1/225, so.

59, Gino Scalise, OL/DL, 5-6/230, fr.

61, Caleb Cunningham, OL/DL, 5-8/200, so.

63, Braden Dillon, OL/DL, 5-11/220, so.

64, Zander McGavitt, OL/DL, 5-7/160, fr.

65, Shaun Roberts, OL/DL, 6-3/270, jr.

66, Tyler Koons, OL/DL, 5-11/180, fr.

68, Timmy Schwerha, OL/DL, 6-1/240, jr.

69, Nate Kostelnik, OL/DL, 6-3/240, jr.

70, Jude Minniti, OL/DL, 6-4/235, jr.

73, Randy Munsky, OL/DL, 5-11/280, so.

77, Connor Cunningham, OL/DL, 5-9/230, fr.

78, Josh Zdrojewski, OL/DL, 6-2/220, sr.

79, Derek Deleonibus, OL/DL, 6-0/220, so.

79, Camden Matusik, TE/DL, 6-0/180, so.

80, Jackson Alexander, TE/LB, 6-4/205, jr.

86, Zayden Carter, WR/DE, 6-0/150, fr.

88, Luca Ghilani, WR/DB, 6-2/170, so.

Tags: Belle Vernon