364 days later, Mt. Lebanon (1-0) avenged that loss—one that kickstarted a disappointing 5-6 season—blowing out the Gators 28-7 at home.
Gateway (0-1) got the ball to open the game and quickly marched downfield with quarterback Brad Birch—a two-time First-Team All-State player with an offer from Oregon—at the helm. The Blue Devils’ defense tightened up in the red zone, though, forcing a fourth-and-one.
Gateway botched the ensuing handoff, and Mt. Lebanon linebacker Patrick Smith scooped it up, returning it 90 yards for a 7-0 lead.
Mt. Lebanon began to put heavy pressure on Birch from there, stifling the Gators’ offense. Senior linebacker Beckham Dee, who committed to Air Force in July, made his presence known in the second quarter. He picked up a sack of Birch, later doubling Mt. Lebanon’s lead with a one-yard touchdown carry on offense.
With Gateway driving in the waning moments of the second quarter, Dee sent the game to the half by corralling the Gators’ ballcarrier out of bounds.
Smith racked up his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter, this time on offense. Mt. Lebanon started giving him more carries in the second half, and he made a pair of splash plays, finding pay dirt on the second with a 28-yard score.
Senior receiver Ezra Heindenreich scored early in the fourth to put the Blue Devils up 28-0.
Birch broke the ice with 6:37 to play, making it 28-7 with a nine-yard touchdown carry.
The Blue Devils move on to play Bethel Park on the road on September 1. Gateway will face Woodland Hills on the road that same day.
