Nov 1, 2009 By Les Harvath for The 3 min read

ROSTRAVER TWP. – Belle Vernon had a rough start, and first-year coach Aaron Krepps felt he knew why. “A playoff berth was on the line and it was Senior Night. Maybe there were some nerves out there,” Krepps said, speculating on his Leopards’ slow start Friday night in the regular-season finale against Elizabeth-Forward at BV’s James Weir Stadium.

Belle Vernon spotted the visiting Warriors an early nine-point lead, but stormed back with 37 unanswered points to defeat Elizabeth-Forward, 37-9, to clinch a Big 7 Conference berth in the WPIAL AAA playoffs, scheduled to begin week.

After E-F’s Gerald Johnson scored on a 15-yard run two minutes into the game and the Warriors’ Nick Kalpakis booted a 24-yard field goal midway through the opening period, Belle Vernon put on its playoff-game face.

“We were a slow-starting team defensively all season,” Krepps said, “and we put ourselves in a tough position early. But once we got over the nerves and calmed down, everything went fine.”

Belle Vernon’s defense surrendered 89 yards rushing and 15 passing in the opening period, but held the Warriors to a mere 19 total yards for the remainder of the game, including seven total yards in the second half. Following the Warriors’ initial two possessions, E-F (4-5, 1-5) was held to three-or-fewer plays on each of its next seven possessions and didn’t record a first down until its final possession, when all three first downs came via penalty.

“We improved each week,” Krepps said. “At the beginning of the season we thought we had the potential to be a playoff team, and the kids bought into our system. They exceeded our expectations. We grew as a team each week. We’re the No. 3 seed in the toughest conference in the WPIAL. I’m proud of the way these kids responded this season. We had a couple one-point losses, including one in the conference, and we played Thomas Jefferson tough last week. We’re going into the playoffs in the right frame of mind.”

Sophomore Matt Green led the Leopards with 201 yards on 21 carries, including a 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to open Belle Vernon’s scoring. Green, who rushed for 1,122 yards on 167 attempts for the season, had runs of 32, 38, and 39 yards to lead the Leopards ((5-4, 3-3). Green posted 10 rushing touchdowns for the season.

With two seconds remaining in the first half, Joey Walko’s 32-yard field goal gave Belle Vernon a 10-9 halftime lead, and it was all Belle Vernon in the second half.

BV quarterback Brandon Dilmore started just as slowly as the BV defense, throwing a pair of first-quarter interceptions – both of which came on passes that bounced off his receivers’ hands – but completed his final five passes for 49 yards and one touchdown, a 24-yard pass to Michael Thayer in the third quarter.

Clinging to a one-point halftime lead, BV’s Cory Williams reeled off a 37-yard touchdown run three minutes into the third period, for a 17-9 BV lead. In the final period, Spencer Lynn and Dilmore each scored on one-yard runs. BV rushed for 272 yards for the night.