12 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 • VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
CLASS 3A
PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Belle Vernon (10-1)
The Leopards reached the
WPIAL Class 4A finals in 2021
and have been a perennial power.
Now, because of a decline in
enrollment, the Leopards find
themselves the team to beat in
Class 3A. The Leopards, return
numerous starters including one
of the top players in the state,
running back Quinton Martin.
2. Avonworth (9-3)
3. Elizabeth Forward (9-3)
4. Beaver (7-3)
5. Freeport (6-5)
* RECORDS FROM 2021
THE STARS
DASHAWN CARTER
South Allegheny, Sr., DE
The Gladiators’ top defender
was all-Interstate Conference. He
followed a good sophomore season
by garnering 14 quarterback
sacks and 17 tackles for losses
last season.
PEYTON FAULKNER
Avonworth, Sr., TE/DE
Ranked the third-best tight
end the state after catching 32
passes for 356 yards and five
touchdowns as a junior, he will
be the offense’s main target.
BEN LANE
Freeport, Sr., QB/DB
Lane had another banner season
for the Yellowjackets. He completed
46 of 101 passes for 464
yards and three touchdowns and
rushed for a team-high 556 yards
and scored nine touchdowns.
QUINTON MARTIN
Belle Vernon, Jr., RB/DB
The 6-foot-3 athlete has many
NCAA Division I offers. He rushed
for 428 yards and six touchdowns
and had six catches for 119 yards
and two scores last season.
CODY RUBRECHT
Greensburg Salem, Sr., QB/S
One of the top receivers in the
WPIAL moves to quarterback.
Rubrecht caught 48 passes for
1,010 yards and 13 touchdowns
as a junior. He ran the Wildcat a
few times and gained 85 yards.
DON’T MISS
9.23 Belle Vernon at
Thomas Jefferson
Belle Vernon and Thomas Jefferson
played twice in 2021 and the
Leopards won both meetings,
including a 21-7 decision in the
WPIAL Class 4A semifinals.
10.7 Beaver at Avonworth
The Western Hills Conference
title could be on the line. Beaver
is dropping to Class 4A following
a 7-3 campaign.
10.28 Belle Vernon at
Elizabeth Forward
The Interstate Conference title
could be up for grabs in the
final regular-season game. They
have participated in preseason
scrimmages the past few years,
so there is familiarity.
Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin is one of the WPIAL’s most recruited athletes.
NEW CROP OF CONTENDERS
A changing of the guard in
WPIAL Class 3A football will
occur in 2022 and Belle Vernon,
a Class 4A finalist last year, is
favored to be the top team to
replace three-time WPIAL champion
Central Valley.
That’s because Central Valley
is moving up to Class 4A after
dominating Class 3A.
With the new enrollment figures
for the 2022-2023 seasons,
major changes in classifications
have occurred.
Moving out of Class 3A along
with Central Valley are North
Catholic and Ambridge to Class
4A and Burrell, Yough, Keystone
Oaks and Derry to Class 2A.
Brownsville will now compete
as an independent.
Moving down to Class 3A along
with Belle Vernon are Greensburg
Salem, West Mifflin, Knoch
and Beaver, while moving up
from Class 2A are Shady Side
Academy and Seton LaSalle.
Led by junior running back
Quinton Martin, the Leopards
return seven starters on offense
and six on defense and appear to
be the team to beat.
Other two-way starters back
for Belle Vernon include lineman
Steve Macheska, wide receiver/
linebacker Chase Ruokonen,
running back/linebacker Jake
Gedekoh and wide receiver/defensive
back Evan Pohlot. Other
returning starters are lineman
Dane Levi, wide receiver Tanner
Steeber and linebacker Tanner
Moody.
Challenging Belle Vernon in
the Interstate Conference will
be Class 3A semifinalist Elizabeth
Forward, which returns
numerous starters including
quarterback Zion White, tight
end John DiNapoli and running
Zach Boyd.
Avonworth, which also lost in
the Class 3A semifinals, returns
quarterback Nate Harper and
tight end Peyton Faulkner. The
Antelopes are favored to win the
Western Hills Conference.
Beaver, which returns five offensive
starters and six defensive
starters, should challenge Avonworth
in the conference.
Freeport, with star quarterback
Ben Lane back, looks to
be the best team in the Allegheny
Six Conference. Shady Side
Academy and newcomer Knoch
could make noise.
Greensburg Salem returns
wide-receiver-turned-quarterback
Cody Rubrecht and three
starting offensive lineman.
The Interstate Conference,
with Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland
and South Allegheny, looks
to be very competitive.
by PAUL SCHOFIELD