Oct 24, 2025 3 min read

Observer-Reporter

BELLE VERNON – The Trinity High School football team wasn’t in the sharing mood.

The Hillers had already clinched at least a share of the Class 4A Bix Six Conference championship and the league’s top spot for playoff seeding. But they also wanted to win the conference title outright, and in undefeated fashion.

Trinity accomplished as much Friday night.

Running back Owen Gardner scored three touchdowns, quarterback Jonah Williamson ran for two scores, Ben Priest intercepted two Belle Vernon passes and Trinity won 34-21 at James Weir Stadium.

The Hillers’ ground game rolled up 341 yards. Williamson led the way with 145 yards on 12 carries and Garnder added 123 yards on 20 attempts. Daniel Glass had 73 yards on only two carries.

Trinity dominated the first quarter. Priest intercepted a Belle Vernon pass at the leopards’ 44-yard line on the game’s first possession, setting up a three-yard touchdown run by Gardner that gave the Hillers a 6-0 lead.

With Trinity backed up deep in its own territory after a Belle Vernon punt, Williams scrambled up the middle, cut to the left sideline and raced 88 yards for a touchdown and 13-0 Hillers lead less than eight minutes into the game.

Trinity made it 20-0 before the opening quarter ended. A long pass from Williamson to Ayvari Chandler set up a 6-yard scoring run by Williamson.

Belle Vernon, which did not generate a first down until the second quarter, scored in the final minute of the first half. Quarterback Curtis Wade scored on a one-yard plunge with 23 seconds left in the second quarter, cutting Trinity’s lead to 20-7.

The Leopards weren’t able to immediately carry that momentum into the third quarter as Gardner returned the second-half kickoff 67 yards to the Belle Vernon 33-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Glass bolted 18 yards up the middle to the Belle Vernon 15. On the ensuing play, Gardner went up the middle for his second touchdown of the night and a 27-7 Trinity lead.

Trinity was driving on its next possession but a fumble was scooped up by Belle Vernon’s Caleb Horner, who returned it all the way to the Trinity 16-yard line. The turnover set up a TD run by Chase Petrosky that pulled the Leopards to within 27-14 midway through the third quarter.

Petrosky scored again on Belle Vernon’s next possession and suddenly it was a 27-21 score with 3:24 left in the third quarter.

Gardner, however, sealed the win for Trinity when he went 68 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.