Belle Vernon defeats Neumann-Goretti to win PIAA Class 3A football championship

The Belle Vernon Leopards are state champions for the first time in school history after defeating Neumann-Goretti 9-8 in the PIAA Class 3A football title game Saturday.The Leopards (12-2) got the win in their first-ever appearance in the state championship game.The Saints (11-4) were also seeking their first state football title.The run to a championship game has captured the attention of the Belle Vernon area, a school district that covers parts of Westmoreland and Fayette counties."It's a quintessential football community," head coach Matt Humbert told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 this week. "It's something you could almost make a movie about."