‘Special’ group guides Mt. Lebanon to WPIAL finals
Mt. Lebanon linebacker Charles Pelligrino drives North Allegheny quarterback Logan Kushner back for no gain during WPIAL Class 6A semifinal action. The Blue Devils defeated the Tigers, 28-17.
Joey Daniels (3) celebrates with Joseph Peters (55) after scoring on a 31-yard run during Mt. Lebanon's 28-17 win against North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals.
Joey Daniels (3) eludes North Allegheny's Will Sheridan (11) as he gallops 31 yards for a touchdown during Mt. Lebanon's 28-17 win.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon’s Eli Heidenreich eludes North Allegheny tacklers during WPIAL Class 6A semifinal action. Heidenreich returned an interception and punt for touchdowns during the Blue Devils’ 28-17 win against the Tigers.
Mt. Lebanon’s return to the top in high school football began three years ago when Bob Palko took over the program as head coach.
A WPIAL Hall of Fame inductee with eight WPIAL championships as head coach at West Allegheny, Palko saw the makings for this year’s undefeated team that found itself ranked No. 1 in the state.
The Blue Devils advanced to the Class 6A championship with a 28-17 WPIAL semifinal win Nov. 12 against North Allegheny.
The championship game will be held Nov. 20 at Norwin High School Stadium.
We knew this group was special,” Palko said. “But things needed to happen. The way they conduct their business, this doesn’t shock me. It’s a special bunch.”
Lebo is led by its big three seniors, quarterback Joey Daniels, all-purpose player and Navy recruit Eli Heidenreich and power back Alex Tecza, who rushed for 158 yards against NA.
During the regular season, Tecza ranked sixth in the WPIAL and No. 1 in Class 6A with 1,426 yards on 156 carries and 18 touchdowns.
The Daniels-to-Heidenreich connection proved one of the top passing combinations in the WPIAL. Daniels threw for 1,285 yards and 19 scores in leading the Blue Devils to the Allegheny County Conference championship while Heidenreich hauled in 32 catches for 817 yards. He has scored 18 touchdowns, including two against North Allegheny.
How Heidenreich scored was significant. Against the Tigers, he returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. He also returned a punt 41 yards for another score.
The Blue Devils also scored against North Allegheny when Jack Smith forced a fumble and Connor Young scooped up the loose ball and rambled 25 yards into the end zone.
“You have to tip your hat to these kids. The way they responded. The way the reacted,” Palko said. “They never panicked. For me, that was really neat to see.”
The Blue Devils played the entire second half against the Tigers with Daniels, dressed in sweats, sidelined by a knee injury.
Freshman David Shields filled the slot.
“It’s that next man up mentality,” Palko said.
“We had some injuries,” he added, noting the lose of defensive back William Harvey to a lower leg injury. “Those are things you have to overcome as a team.”
Harvey, Daniels, Heidenrich, Tecza and Smith are among the seniors around which Palko rebuilt the Blue Devils.
Jacob Munoz, Matthew Wertz, Sam Ward, Brendan Anderson, Thomas Boehner, AJ Settler, Lou Pietragallo, Charlie Pellegrino, Noah Bhuta, James Kline, Daniel King, Joe Peters, Michael Becker, Kyle Watkins, Kyle Quealy, Owen Halter, Joe Barry and Cooper Austin also play significant roles for the Blue Devils.
“Winning is hard,” Palko stressed. “People think it’s easy but it isn’t. There are so many dynamics that go into it. So you have to take your hat off to this senior group. The mettle they showed. The way they approach their daily business as a group of brothers. It’s pretty special. A special group.”