Scholastic football highlights
Belle Vernon’s shutout loss was first since 1995 opener One of the favorite games played by sports observers is “when was the last time that happened?”
“That” being when a team wins, or loses, a game with a last second field goal, a long run at the final gun, a shutout loss or a back running for a lot of yards.
Anything that highlights a game and can be a point for discussion at the post-game watering hole debate.
Last Friday night, Belle Vernon was shutout 43-0 by Thomas Jefferson in its season opener, and immediately the question arose “when was the last time anybody blanked Belle Vernon?”
A long time would have been the usual answer, but the exact answer is Sept. 1, 1995, and in a touch of irony, Thomas Jefferson also applied that coup, 15-0.
That collaring was followed by a run of 78 games in which the Leopards were on the scoreboard.
After being zeroed to start the 1995 season, the Leopards rebounded and hung a few collars of their own on the opposition. That would be their only loss of the season, and they went on from there to win two shutouts, beat Mount Pleasant 25-19, then blanked five consecutive opponents for a season total of seven zeroes. The Leps climaxed that year by beating Franklin Regional, 32-6, for the WPIAL Class-AAA championship.
Then came seasonal runs of 12, 10, 10, 12, 12 and 10 games without a collar until last Friday. There were some close calls in that run, all by Blackhawk and West Allegheny. In 1996, the closest they came to being shutout was in the playoffs, losing to Blackhawk, 24-6. The following year, it was Blackhawk again threatening, but a field goal in the playoffs (20-3) kept the scoring run intact. Two years ago, West Allegheny was a 24-7 winner in the playoffs, and last year it was a repeat, this time by 27-7. That was the closest anybody came to collaring the Leps until last Friday.
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Three teams had problems with extra-points last week and all three lost. Connellsville lost to Trinity 13-12, Southmoreland missed a PAT kick and ended in a regulation time 6-6 tie with Yough, losing in overtime, 14-13, and Geibel missed one kick and three runs in a 26-24 loss to South Allegheny.
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On the other side of the kicking ledger, Andy Latusek of Mapletown booted a 32-yard field goal with 1:32 left for the final edge over Bentworth, 16-14.
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Two runners had three scores – Bryan Golden, Waynesburg, vs. McGuffey, and Colby Giles, Carmichaels, vs. Burgettstown.
John Bokat, Geibel, threw three touchdown passes, two to Ardie Renze and a 66-yarder to Dan Chorba.
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Some other opening night top marks around the district and the WPIAL included:
Long Kickoff Returns – 98 yards, Mark Nesbitt, Hampton, game opening kickoff against Moon; 97, Scott Nash, Center, vs. Shenango; 85, Seth Fox, Ford City, game opener against Kittanning, and 85, Ryan Cole, Greensburg Central Catholic, vs. Wheeling (W. Va.) CC.
Long Field Goal – 48 and 42 yards, Matt Porta, Montour, vs. Chartiers Valley; 47, Conor Lee, Upper St. Clair, vs. Erie McDowell; 36, Adam Gazda, Chartiers Valley vs. Montour; 35, Adam Bonifanti, Greensburg-Salem vs. Hempfield.
Long Runs – 85, Doug Patterson, Brownsville, vs. Clairton; 65, Vaughn Jones, Albert Gallatin vs. Baldwin. WPIAL – 90, Colby Miller, West Greene, vs. Serra; 82, C.J. Brown, Jeannette, vs. Deer Lakes; 78 and 72, Nesbitt, vs. Moon; 78, John Adams, Riverside, vs. Ellwood City. Ryan Abels of Elizabeth-Forward had three long scoring runs, 77, 64, and 64 yards, vs. Mount Pleasant.
Pass Interception TD – Trevor Leyland, Butler, vs. Kiski Area.
Pass-Run TD – 83, Adam DiMichele to Lamar Jackson, Sto-Rox, vs. Carlynton.
TD Run With Fumble – 62, Pat Kimutis, Trinity, vs. Connellsville.
Punt Return TD – 88, Jerry Dopkowski, Hempfield, vs. Greensburg-Salem; 85, A.J. Wilson, West Greene, vs. Serra.