Belle Vernon starts season with win
BELLE VERNON – It wasn’t pretty but Belle Vernon opened its 2017 football season with a 29-6 Big Nine Conference win over Albert Gallatin.
After the game, Leopards coach Matt Humbert wasn’t happy but was realistic, considering the number of inexperienced players getting significant playing time.
“We didn’t play well and we didn’t coach well,” he said.
“We played sloppy and I know that we have a lot of guys who haven’t gotten a lot of time, but I expect more out of us.
“However, this will benefit us moving forward.”
One experienced player who stepped up was tight end and linebacker Derek Thomas. The senior finished with career-high of seven receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
“I felt that I had to help us come out and make a statement,” he said. “I had confidence in (sophomore quarterback) Jared (Hartman) to get me the ball.”
Thomas also recovered a fumble and made numerous big hits.
Belle Vernon (1-0, 1-0) scored first when sophomore kicker Cameron Guess made a 31-yard field goal with 7:14 to play in the first quarter.
The score held into the second quarter, until Thomas hauled in a 23-yard scoring strike from Hartman with 2:01 left in the half to make it 10-0.
On the ensuing kickoff. the Leps attempted an onside kick but the plan backfired. On an incomplete pass moments later, Belle Vernon’s Logan Pfrogner was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty for hitting a defenseless AG receiver on third down.
On the next play, Patten Fabryki hit Trey Kirby on a 23-yard scoring strike with 19 seconds left in the half.
The Colonials went for two but Fabryki’s pass fell short and the Leopards took a 10-6 lead into the half.
Derek Cesovski raced 24 yards for a score early in the third quarter and the duo of Hartman and Thomas hooked up for another 23-yard touchdown strike.
Hartman then found Thomas with a 27-yard TD pass to close the scoring early in the fourth quarter.
Hartman was 12 of 21 for 196 yards and the three scores, Mason Pascoe rushed for 97 yards on 17 carries and Cesovski had 73 yards and one score on 14 carries.