MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — The Belle Vernon Leopards completed their quest for back-to-back titles on Saturday, running over the Northwestern Lehigh Tigers 38-7.
Junior receiver Anthony Crews scored two long touchdowns in the first five minutes, while 2024 Penn State commit Quinton Martin collected 157 yards on 13 touches. Fellow senior Jake Gedekoh made clutch plays on both sides of the ball, including a fourth-down goal-line stand, a long rush to flip the field, and a touchdown.
Crews wasted no time making a statement for Belle Vernon, catching the opening kickoff at his own 29 and weaving 71 yards through the Tigers’ defense for a 7-0 lead 13 seconds in. He then doubled down on the Leopards’ first offensive drive, although the play seemed destined for disaster when he and quarterback Braden Laux couldn’t make a smooth exchange on the handoff.
Running to his right, Crews juggled the football with Tigers’ defenders crashing in around him. He outmaneuvered all of them, reversing field to the left as he broke up the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown.
Northwestern Lehigh senior Daniel Jenkins gave his team a jolt early in the second quarter, forcing a fumble in punt coverage to set the Tigers up at Belle Vernon’s 37. It took every yard, but the Leopards defended the short field successfully, with Gedekoh stonewalling the Tigers’ ballcarrier on fourth-and-goal from the one.
Leopards Leap Ahead
Belle Vernon responded with a 98-yard drive—with 49 of those coming on a rush from Gedekoh—finished by a two-yard touchdown sneak by Laux.
Northwestern Lehigh ran a successful two-minute drill to break the ice before the half. Quarterback Shane Leh aired it out for 31 yards to Devon Hildebrand before finding Landen Matson for a 17-yard touchdown.
The Tigers moved the ball methodically to open the third quarter, going 31 yards on ten plays and burning 5:37 of game clock. They eventually stalled near midfield, as Aiden Johnson recorded an emphatic third-down sack.
Following the punt, Martin scored the dagger with a 92-yard touchdown rush to go ahead 28-7.
Kicker Preston Rathway booted a 44-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, and Gedekoh put the game away with a one-yard score up the middle.
Congratulations to Monessen/Belle Vernon. Half the kids including 5 $tar Martin are recruited from Monessen High School. Its a shame this team should be in 4A.🤑
Truth