Leps try to piece together another winner

Aug 17, 2024 5 min read

By Bill Hughes

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

After graduating 15 seniors – six of them now playing collegiately, including two at the FBS level – from the team that won WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships for the second year in a row, it would be easy for someone from the outside to think that the cupboard is bare at Belle Vernon.

Don’t tell that to head coach Matt Humbert.

“The biggest thing everyone will say is we had a big core of kids graduate, but we have a lot of kids returning who were instrumental in two state championships,” he said. “We have a good core that has returned and a good group of young kids.

“We just have to fit the puzzle pieces together. We are trying to fit the right pieces where they need to lay.”

With running back Quinton Martin off to Penn State and quarterback Braden Laux heading to Eastern Michigan, along with several other multi-year starters who are gone, backups and role players from a year ago will have to step into main roles while some inexperienced players will be called upon to contribute.

“The puzzle pieces the last two years, we knew who went where,” Humbert said. “Where they will fall this year, we will have a learning curve.

“We hope these kids will be able to pick things up quickly.”

Along with the move to Class 4A, Belle Vernon’s non-conference schedule is brutal.

The Leopards open Aug. 30 at defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A champion Aliquippa. Always-talented Central Valley comes to James Weir Stadium the following week before the Leopards head to McKeesport, the WPIAL 4A runner-up last season.

“Our inexperience will show as the first few weeks are not easy,” Humbert said. “We might have one of the toughest schedules in the WPIAL, but this is on par with the last few seasons as our non-conference schedule has been brutal.”

As if the non-conference schedule isn’t tough enough, the Leopards open Big 6 Conference play Sept. 27 at Thomas Jefferson.

“TJ is always a favorite, and I would like to think we are, too,” Humbert said. “We haven’t played Chartiers Valley in a while, and Trinity is on the rise. Ringgold will be on the rise and is gaining traction while Laurel Highlands is working hard.

“It is hard to focus on (the Big 6) with who we play before we get to the conference. We have to focus on that prism first as there is a lot of diversity and deviation in styles weeks one through four.”

One player who quietly had a great season a year ago is senior running back Kole Doppelheuer, who rushed for 819 yards and 13 touchdowns despite sharing the backfield with Martin and Jake Gedekoh.

“Kole coming back, to the blind eye, people don’t know how instrumental he was,” Humbert said. “He did a lot of stuff really well for us.

“Alonzo Wade and Anthony Crews did a lot, too. With Crews, most games last year, he and Martin were the two most dynamic players on the field.”

Wade, a senior, and Crews, a junior, will be joined in the starting lineup at wide receiver by Deaubre Lightfoot, with juniors Anthony DiCenzo and Caleb Horner as well as sophomore Luca Ghilani looking for playing time.

Replacing Laux at quarterback will be either junior Curty Wade, sophomore Jace Gedekoh or senior Chase Mertz. Wade took the most reps during the offseason.

Lightfoot will also see time at running back while junior Eli Triffanoff and senior Brady Gabrovsek are the fullbacks. Senior Dominic Ghilani and sophomore Cameron Jenko will be the tight ends.

“We played Deaubre a little bit of everywhere last season,” Humbert said. “He is one of the key pieces that will play in different places based on personnel.

“We have to coagulate to get it all. We have to get the pieces together, and hopefully by osmosis, it manifests itself. Our offensive line is a great example of getting the right puzzle pieces to fit together.”

The Leopards lost four two-year starters up front.

“I feel very optimistic about the kids who have competed over the summer,” Humbert said. “The lack of Friday night experience is the issue, and we have seven kids competing.”

Junior Ryan Kent returns the most experience up front. Juniors Jude Minniti, Timmy Schwerha, Tyler Zelenski and Triffanoff, sophomore Dalton Daumit and senior Josh Zdrojewski are the other six linemen looking to start with Kent.

“Ryan got a lot of time last year, and we feel confident with Jude,” Humbert said. “Eli, he could play fullback or guard on offense and inside backer and tackle on defense.”

Junior Ethan Baron and junior Shaun Roberts are also attempting to crack the offensive line rotation.

Alonzo Wade (outside linebacker), Crews (defensive back), and Lightfoot (defensive back) are the returning starters on defense and Dom Ghilani played the most snaps of any non-starter last season.

Other defensive backs with Cruz and Lightfoot include Curty Wade, Luca Ghilani, junior Nick Mahalko and Mertz.

Joining Wade at outside backer will be Doppelheuer, Chace Petrosky, and Skylar Gush while Mertz, Triffanoff, sophomore Dave Bergstedt, Jackson Alexander, and Gabrovsek are the middle linebackers.

Dominic Ghilani, Triffanoff, Jenko, and Alexander are the defensive ends, and Kent, Schwerha, Daumit, and Minniti are at defensive tackle.

Preston Rathaway will handle the kicking.

Belle Vernon is one of only a handful of teams not playing an official game Week 0, and Humbert said it will help.

“It gives us two good weeks of evaluation,” he said. “Considering how tough our schedule is, we need every practice rep we can get to get ready.”