South Fayette's perfect start continues

For the Observer-Reporter

BELLE VERNON – It appears that the Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference will be one of the most fiercely fought sections in the WPIAL this fall.

Move over Peters Township, Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair, South Fayette would like a word as the Lions made a statement with a resounding 27-14 win Friday night over Belle Vernon in a non-conference game at James Weir Stadium. The Lions end non-conference play with a sterling 5-0 mark while Belle Vernon sits at 1-2 as it prepares to embark on Class 4A play after winning a state title in 3A last season.

South Fayette was led by quarterback Drew Welhorsky who finished with 124 yards on 15 carries as well as completing 11 of 14 passes for 145 yards. He had three total scores, two through the air and one on the ground.

"Drew has a ways to go," Lions coach Marty Spieler said. "He actually started two games for us as a freshman as well. He's one of the best athletes though and is a gamer. His competitiveness comes through. He's going to work and give what he can to his teammates."

Ben Cavenaugh four passes for 103 yards in the win.

The Lions struck first when Welhorsky play-faked a reverse handoff and found a wide open Evan Earley for a 14 yard scoring strike. Luke Gillen's extra point was good, giving South Fayette a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

The 40-yard drive was set up by a Noah Mathias interception of a Curtis Wade pass.

South Fayette's defense was stifling in the opening frame. Five of Belle Vernon's seven snaps on offense went for negative yardage. Wade fumbled a shotgun snap on the game's first play. Compounding matters, Wade attempted to recover the ball one handed, it was then booted backwards to the Leopards 11 where Dalton Daumit recovered the ball for Belle Vernon, good for a 25-yard loss.

"Our coaches really got after our defensive line guys in practice this week," Spieler noted. "We did a lot of work to eliminate their best player. Their quarterback (Wade) is a really good player. They played a really hard non-conference schedule, once they get into conference play, they're going to do some things."

Belle Vernon's defense then took it upon themselves in the second quarter when Kole Doppelheuer intercepted a Welhorsky pass and raced 85 yards back for a Leopards score. Preston Rahway knocked home the extra point, knotting the game at seven with nine plus minutes left in the second.

Welhorsky and the Lions responded when the signal caller found Tyson Wright for a 30-yard touchdown connection. Gillen kicked his second extra point, giving the Lions the lead back at 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

After forcing another Belle Vernon three-and-out, the Lions struck again. Welhorsky capped a 45-yard drive with a seven-yard scamper to give South Fayette a 21-7 lead with 3:21 left in the half.

Belle Vernon then went on their best drive of the half when they moved from their own 35 to deep in South Fayette real estate. A 15-yard Wade to Doppelheuer completion set the Leopards up on the Lions 3. Wade then attempted to sneak it in but was stopped. The clock continued to run as confusion reigned on the Leopards side. Instead of spiking the ball to stop the clock, Wade inexplicably took a knee. The clock ran out on the hosts as they had no timeouts left, leaving the Lions with a two-score lead at the end of the half.

"Just a mental mistake there," Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert said. "Obviously a mistake there by Curry, but if you look at the balls he threw in the second half, they were right on the money"

The Leopards got a stop on defense to start the second half and took possession on their own 25. They were able to move to the South Fayette 15 where the drive stalled. Rathway's 32-yard field goal was no good, leaving the Lions lead at 14 with four minutes remaining in the third.

South Fayette then drove to the Belle Vernon 13, courtesy of a 37-yard Welhorsky to Cavenaugh connection. The drive did eventually stall, but Gillen came on to kick a 30-yard field goal to push the Lions lead to 24-7 early in the fourth.

Belle Vernon's last gasp drive ended on fourth and long on the Lions 35 when Wade's deep pass fell incomplete, giving the ball back to South Fayette with 5:54 left and essentially sealing the game for the Lions.

South Fayette closed out their scoring when Gillen hit a 27-yard field goal with a little more than a minute left in the ball game.

Belle Vernon finally scored an offensive touchdown when Wade hit Doppelheuer for a 20-yard touchdown with 43 seconds to go.