BELLE VERNON — Driving 30 miles south from Pittsburgh, you’ll cross the Monongahela River not once but two times to reach the high school responsible for molding one of the top recruits in the country.
Belle Vernon is proud of its football tradition. That’s obvious walking through the doors of the athletics wing, seeing commemorative footballs and other nods to the past fill the trophy cases. But at the very end of the main case sits a trophy Belle Vernon never held before. Last year, the Leopards won their first PIAA state title. They made history, thanks in large part to a 16-year-old kid with a bright smile and an even brighter future.