TRIBUNE-REVIEW • SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018 • 17
SCHEDULE
Coach: Matt Humbert
2017 record: 10-1, 8-0
All-time record: 306-231-7
Date Opponent Time
8.31 Ambridge 7
9.7 Thomas Jefferson* 7
9.14 at Laurel Highlands* 7:30
9.21 at Indiana* 7
9.28 Greensburg Salem* 7
10.5 Trinity* 7
10.12 at West Mifflin* 7:30
10.19 Plum 7
10.26 at Ringgold* 7
*CLASS 4A BIG 8 CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Jared Hartman
61-123, 928 yards, 15 TDs
Rushing: Mason Pascoe
115-788, 6 TDs
Receiving: Logan Pfrogner*
21-322 yards, 7 TDs
*GRADUATED
BELLE VERNON BUILDING
ON RECENT SUCCESS
Belle Vernon qualified for the
WPIAL playoffs for a 10th consecutive
year last fall, but the majority
of those trips were one-stop stays
made by teams with mediocre
records.
Things changed in recent seasons.
No longer are the Leopards
satisfied with simply qualifying
for the postseason. Stockpiling
wins and contending for conference
and district titles are the new
normsinceMattHumbert became
coach in 2014.
Behind a balanced offense and
opportunistic defense, Belle Vernon
won its first 10 games a year
ago, won the Big 8 Conference title
thanks to a 21-17 win against perennial
power Thomas Jefferson —
the second time in three years the
Leopards beat the Jaguars in the
regular season—and reached the
WPIAL Class 4A semifinals before
seeing its season end against TJ.
Key players return on both sides
of the football, but the Leopards
aren’t talking WPIAL playoffs or
defending the conference title,
at least not publicly. That goes
against Belle Vernon’s business
model.
“We try to dispel looking ahead,”
said Humbert, who has compiled
an impressive 32-10 record at Belle
Vernon. “I know it’s not great paper
talk, but it’s truthful. We start
with heat week. From there, it’s
training camp. Then, it’s the first
scrimmage. We go from there.
We’re trying to win that day. Then,
we’re trying to win the next day.”
Belle Vernon is getting used to
winning, and junior quarterback
Jared Hartman leads the way.
The multisport standout excelled
in his first year as a starter. He
passed for 928 yards with 15 touchdowns
and three interceptions.
His nine rushing touchdowns led
the team, and he’s worked hard to
improve.
“We all worked hard this offseason.
We had workouts three days a
week, but on Fridays, I would get
the guys together and work out
with the receivers,” Hartman said.
“Last year, I did assume a leadership
role as the starting quarterback,
but I’m more comfortable
in that role this year. I’m more
comfortable in pushing everyone
to be better. As a sophomore, I was
a little nervous to say something to
the seniors.”
Hartman will direct an offense
that returns running back Mason
Pascoe, a powerful 5-foot-6 senior
who rushed for 788 yards and six
touchdowns last season.
Junior Larry Callaway also is
back, and they will be running
behind an offensive line that returns
four starters in tackle Anthony
Rebar, guards Collin Pallotta
and Kirk Popelas and center
Eric Oblak. Having four returning
starters up front should help ease
the loss of Pitt freshman Blake
Zubovic, an all-state performer
last season.
“The nice thing about all these
kids is they’ve had fantastic offseasons,”
Humbert said. “From
an (athletic director) perspective,
we want kids who play as many
sports as they can but still invest
hugeamounts of time in football.”
Investments paid off defensively
in 2017 as Belle Vernon held seven
opponents to seven points or fewer.
The Leopards allowed 10.5 points
per game, second best in the classification
to TJ (6.9).
Belle Vernon created turnovers,
came up with tackles for loss in
bunches and set up the offense
with short fields all season.Cameron
Guess, the nation’s top-ranked
punter in the Class of 2020 by
Kohl’s Kicking Camp, also provides
Belle Vernon with an unique
advantage.
“I knowI appreciate our defense.
That’s for sure,” Hartman said.
And Belle Vernon appreciates
a winner. James Weir Stadium,
home of the yellow turf players
call “The Beach,” has seen an uptick
in attendance. There’s a buzz
in the community that hasn’t been
there since the late 1990s.
“We’re the conference champs,”
Hartman said.“We’ve got a target.
Everyone wants to beat us.”
by MIKE KOVAK
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
1 Anthony Bertram LB-WR 6-0/215 Sr.
2 Larry Callaway LB-RB 6-0/190 Jr.
3 Zach Powell DB-WR 5-4/105 So.
4 Damani Johnson DB-WR 5-8/160 Jr.
5 Nolan Labuda DB-WR 5-7/160 Jr.
6 Andrew Pacak LB-WR 6-1/210 Jr.
7 Jake Fine DB-WR 6-0/175 Sr.
8 Zachary Spano LB-QB 5-9/165 So.
9 Jackson Jewell DB-QB 5-9/155 So.
10 Ben Tenuta LB-TE 6-0/185 Jr.
11 Ryan Abbott DB-RB 6-0/175 Jr.
12 Jared Hartman LB-QB 6-1/210 Jr.
13 Ian Maloney DB-WR 6-1/170 So.
14 Reilly Wyaint QB-DB 6-1/160 Fr.
15 Cole Weightman LB-TE 6-2/195 Fr.
16 Ramon Soto DB-WR 5-7/150 Sr.
17 Hunter Ruokonen DB-WR 6-0/170 Jr.
18 Logan Cunningham DB-WR 5-7/140 Fr.
20 Tyler Kovatch DB-WR 5-7/140 Fr.
21 Mason Pascoe DB-RB 5-7/170 Sr.
22 Joey Federer DB-RB 5-5/155 Sr.
23 Joe Klancher DB-WR 6-1/175 Fr.
25 Bobby Russell DB-WR 5-5/155 So.
26 Tony Lorenzo DB-WR 5-4/150 Fr.
27 Anthony Miklos DB-WR 5-7/140 Fr.
28 Dane Anden DB-RB 6-0/155 So.
30 Ryan Hammer LB-RB 5-8/160 Fr.
32 Jack Bryer LB-RB 5-9/160 Fr.
34 Chad Metikosh LB-RB 5-7/230 So.
35 Hunter Moody DL-OL 5-9/190 Sr.
36 Camden Spoto LB-RB 6-1/190 Jr.
39 Skyelor Rose LB-TE 5-9/175 So.
41 Mitchell Pohlot DE-TE 6-3/200 Jr.
42 Nino Kuntz LB-RB 6-2/240 Sr.
43 Logan Hoffman LB-RB 5-9/165 Fr.
48 Anthony Sauritch DB-TE 6-1/195 Jr.
50 Lucas Girgenrath DL-OL 6-2/220 So.
51 Kirk Popelas DL-OL 6-2/265 Sr.
52 Dakota Marion DL-OL 6-2/245 So.
53 John McCahill DL-OL 6-4/265 Sr.
56 Ryan McGrew DL-OL 6-3/215 Fr.
57 Jaquez Martin DL-OL 6-4/220 Jr.
58 Anthony Evans DL-OL 6-2/235 So.
60 Zade Zadrozny DL-OL 6-3/225 Jr.
61 Eric Oblak DL-OL 6-3/235 Sr.
62 Dillion Larson DL-OL 5-0/200 Fr.
63 Max Bryer DL-OL 6-2/215 Jr.
64 Noah Clegg DL-OL 6-0/200 Fr.
65 Eden Shemesh DL-OL 6-3/240 So.
66 Anthony Rebar DL-OL 6-3/240 Sr.
67 Gage Rogge DL-OL 5-10/215 Jr.
68 Tommy Kovatch DL-OL 5-11/216 Fr.
69 Hayden Baron DL-OL 6-0/240 Jr.
70 Collin Pallotta DL-OL 6-0/245 Sr.
71 Devon Marmie DL-OL 5-9/185 Jr.
72 Craig Domgilli DL-OL 5-9/190 Fr.
73 Kody Callaway DL-OL 5-5/280 Jr.
74 Connor Youngblood DL-OL 5-6/280 Fr.
75 Cole Youngblood DL-OL 5-7/300 So.
77 Seth Cadwallader DL-OL 5-9/210 Sr.
79 Noah Fox DL-OL 6-4/260 So.
82 Brandon Barber DB-WR 5-9/145 So.
88 Cameron Guess K-P 6-0/190 Jr.
ROSTER
ANTHONY REBAR
LARRY CALLAWAY
BIG 8
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