Whitlock directs Belle Vernon past Trinity
Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert said he was concerned how his offensive front would handle Trinity’s stout front defensive wall.
After Friday night’s performance at Hiller Field, the young Leopards coach had very little reason to worry as Belle Vernon clinched a Class AAAA playoff spot with a dominant 52-14 win over host Trinity.
The Leopards moved to 5-1 overall and within conference play, while Trinity fell to 3-3 overall and 2-3 within the Big Eight Conference.
“We knew they were going to be tough,” Humbert said. “I was proud of how our kids answered this challenge. All week, we tried to make things hard on them in practice. They have three really good defensive linemen. Regardless of how many points we scored or how many turnovers we forced, I was proud of how we responded.”
Belle Vernon’s defense forced six turnovers. Five of which were interceptions of Trinity quarterback Connor Roberts. One was a late fumble recovery in the Leopards’ end zone.
Roberts finished with 12 completions in 26 attempts for 175 yards and a touchdown. The Leopards managed to hold Trinity running back Micah Finley to 68 yards on 22 rushes.
Belle Vernon junior quarterback Devin Whitlock continued his stellar play this year with five touchdowns. Three were rushing, one was through the air and another was via an interception return. He finished with 143 yards rushing on nine carries and also threw for 108 yards and a passing touchdown.
Freshman Quinton Martin came in off the bench for the Leopards to score three times and rush for 68 yards on six totes. He took the place of Dane Anden who left with a leg injury in the second quarter. Anden finished with 76 yards on 10 carries through two quarters.
“We have a lot of confidence in that freshman,” Whitlock said of Martin. “I think you see why tonight.”
The Hillers got off to a good enough start as they marched 66 yards in six plays. Roberts scored the game’s opening touchdown when he plowed in from four yards out on fourth and short. Dante DeRubbo’s kick was good, giving Trinity a 7-0 lead five minutes into the contest.
The Leopards moved 57 yards in seven plays on their second possession. Whitlock took a shotgun snap and swerved 15 yards through the Hillers defense for the tying score. The junior then showed off his passing arm after a blocked Trinity punt gave Belle Vernon the ball on the Hillers’ 45. Two plays later, Whitlock snuck a sideline pass to Ian Maloney, who took it the rest of the way for a 45-yard scoring connection. Tyler Kovatch’s kick was good, giving the Leopards a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.
Trinity looked to tie the contest on their next drive and were in good shape when they reached the Belle Vernon 30, but Roberts was hurried into an incomplete pass on fourth down, giving the ball back to a hot Leopards offense along with momentum.
Martin then showed his vast potential when he ripped through the Hillers’ defense for a 28-yard scoring run two minutes into the second quarter, giving the visitors a 21-7 advantage.
Whitlock put his stamp on the contest after Jake Haney ended the following Hiller drive with an end-zone interception midway through the second quarter. The junior electrified the crowd with a 78-yard touchdown run that featured several cuts that left multiple Trinity would-be tacklers grasping at air, extending the Leopards’ lead to 28-7 with less than four minutes remaining in the half.
He also announced his presence on defense when he intercepted Roberts at the Belle Vernon 23 later in the quarter. Following his blockers, Whitlock raced 77 yards for a backbreaking score that pushed the Leopards’ lead to 34-7 late in the second quarter.
With nine seconds left in the half, Trinity cut the lead to 34-14 when Peyton Thompson scored on a 16-yard screen pass from Roberts.
Trinity attempted to cut deeper into the Belle Vernon advantage early in the third quarter, but Belle Vernon’s Logan Cunningham intercepted Roberts on the Leopards’ 40 and returned it to the Hillers’ 9. Whitlock carried it in for his fifth score.
from there, extending the Belle Vernon lead to 40-14 three-and-a-half minutes into the second half.
Whitlock showcased more moves when he intercepted a deflected Roberts pass and weaved 25 yards to the Hillers’ 40, short-circuiting another Trinity possession. Three plays later, Martin rushed 20 yards through a demoralized Hillers defense and a 46-14 bulge midway through the third quarter.
Martin notched his third score of the evening when he plunged in from the three, pushing the Belle Vernon advantage to 52-14 late in the third.
Belle Vernon’s defense slammed the door shut on Trinity’s bid for a third score late in the fourth when Finley was stopped short of the goal line on a first and goal run and fumbled one play after reeling in a long pass from Roberts. The Leopards recovered in the end zone for the touch back.