It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Belle Vernon Leopards had no problem doing just that on Friday. They blew past the Hornets 42-16. The result was nothing new for Belle Vernon, who have now won 11 contests by 21 points or more so far this season.
Belle Vernon got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Braden Laux out in front who rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 108 yards and a touchdown while completing 72.7% of his passes. Another player making a difference was Quinton Martin, who gained 153 total yards and two touchdowns.
The win was the ninth in a row for Belle Vernon, bringing their record for this year to 12-1. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 38.22 points. As for Hickory, their loss ended a eight-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 11-3.
Belle Vernon will square off against Northwestern Lehigh at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Northwestern Lehigh is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt want to keep things rolling. Hickory does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
