Leopards dealing with football team’s success
Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino roams the sidelines during a PIAA playoff game against Quaker Valley at North Allegheny last season.
Belle Vernon's Quinton Martin dribbles the ball during a PIAA playoff game last season against Quaker Valley at North Allegheny.
Belle Vernon蘑菇视频 Alonzo Wade (4) protects the ball from Freeport蘑菇视频 Parker Lucas during a WPIAL playoff game at Belle Vernon last season.
Over the course of his long and storied career, there aren鈥檛 many things that Joe Salvino can say he has not done.
But, with the Belle Vernon football team winning the WPIAL Class AAA championship and advancing to the PIAA semifinals, this is the first time Salvino has started a season with so many players missing.
鈥淗ardly anyone is around as we have usually had eight to 10 players for practice,鈥� Salvino said while laughing. 鈥淥ne time, we had six and to be honest, this is weird.
鈥淚 am excited the football team is doing so well, but as a (hoop) team, who we start the season with will look different from who we have once everyone is with us.鈥�
Quinton Martin is the most notable missing from the football team. The junior could go over the 1,000-point mark this season.
Three other key contributors from last year蘑菇视频 team that are enjoying solid football seasons are sophomore Alonzo Wade, junior Braden Laux and senior Evan Pohlot. The trio will factor in again for Salvino this season, although Pohlot is recovering from an injury and might not be immediately available.
Two freshmen that Salvino said to keep an eye on are Curtis Wade and Jude Minniti. Both are also finishing out the football season before they will attempt to crack the varsity lineup.
While Salvino lost a talented class to graduation last year from a team that made the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinals, he still has some talented players currently at practice, including Zion Moore and Trevor Kovatch.
Moore, a transfer from Ringgold, and Kovatch, are both sophomores.
鈥淭hey are two (rotation) players I do have,鈥� Salvino said. 鈥淚 think Zion averaged around 20 points a game last year at Ringgold and may have scored 40 in a game. The kid can score.鈥�
Until the players on the football team show up, Salvino will have to adjust from his normal pressure style of play.
鈥淲e will have to work on some different things,鈥� said Salvino. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 be able to play our aggressive defense and may have to go to a zone.鈥�
Salvino said he did not consider pulling out of the first few games until he had a full roster.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 feel right pulling out and sticking others,鈥� explained Salvino. 鈥淚t is what it is, and we will go in and see what we can do with the players we have.鈥�
鈥淚 am thinking we will be fairly good,鈥� Salvino said of his squad蘑菇视频 expectations. 鈥淨uinton is back, and he is a big part of our team.鈥�
When asked about Section 3-AAAA, Salvino spoke about the entire classification and not just the section.
鈥�(Class) 4A is absolutely loaded,鈥� said Salvino. 鈥淟incoln Park is really talented, and so is Highlands, Laurel Highlands and Hampton. LH is in our section, and Uniontown and EF will be really good, as well.
鈥淲e are going to be athletic, and I am really looking forward to this season.鈥�
Besides Laurel Highlands, Elizabeth Forward and Uniontown, the other teams in the section include Albert Gallatin and Southmoreland.