Mt. Lebanon wins WPIAL Class 6A title
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon head coach Bob Palko accepts the WPIAL championship trophy while his players celebrate in the background.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon’s trio of Eli Heidenreich (8), Joey Daniels (3) and Alex Tecza (5) hoist the WPIAL championship trophy after helping the Blue Devils scorch Central Catholic, 47-7, in the Class 6A final played Nov. 20 at Norwin High School stadium.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Owen Halter signals Mt. Lebanon possession after forcing a Central Catholic fumble as his defensive teammates Matthew Wertz (4), William Hartung (43) and Thomas Boehner (17) celebrate.
Owen Halter signals Mt. Lebanon possession after forcing a Central Catholic fumble as his defensive teammates William Hartung (43) and Thomas Boehner (17) celebrate.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Tommy Boehner enthusiastically hoists the WPIAL championship trophy while an excited Mt. Lebanon head coach Bob Palko enjoys the moments after a 47-7 triumph against Central Catholic.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Central Catholic’s Keith Cushenberry (24) attempts to tackle Mt. Lebanon’s Alex Tecza (5) during WPIAL Class 6A football championship action.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon’s Alex Tecza leaps for joy after scoring a touchdown during a 47-7 victory against Central Catholic in the WPIAL Class 6A football finals.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon’s Eli Heidenreich (8) rumbles downfield ahead of Central Catholic defender Xavier Thomas (26) and into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Central Catholic’s Xavier Thomas and Devin Barren attempt to bring down Mt. Lebanon’s Eli Heidenreich (8) during WPIAL Class 6A championship action.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Alex Tecza helped lead Mt. Lebanon to conference, district and state championships in football.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
The Norwin High School stadium scoreboard midway through the third quarter of the WPIAL Class 6A championship game
After winning their first WPIAL football championship title in 21 years, the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils are looking for a sweet finish to an already successful 12-0 season.
“Since January, we talked about Ketchup and Chocolate,” said senior wide receiver Eli Heidenreich. “We got the ketchup down. Now on to the bigger goal.”
The PIAA title is Lebo’s ultimate aim.
The Blue Devils took their first step toward capturing their first-ever state championship by walloping Central Catholic, 47-7, in the first round of the PIAA tournament. The game, played Nov. 20 at Norwin instead of the usual Heinz Field venue, also doubled as the WPIAL final for the 6A classification.
The PIAA Class 6A championship game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at Hersheypark Stadium. The Blue Devils hosted District 1 champion, McDowell in the state quarterfinals Nov. 26.
Heidenreich played a key role in the triumph against the Vikings. A Navy recruit, he had five receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown grab of 28 yards. He also rushed for 91 yards, 67 of them coming on Lebo’s last score with 7:14 to play in the third quarter.
“This was one of the greatest nights of my life,” Heidenreich said. “It means so much to me, my teammates, this coaching staff and even this entire community. We all have been working so hard.”
None labored more than Alex Tecza. He was the workhorse in Lebo’s ground attack.
Tecza rolled up 189 yards on 17 carries and scored on runs of 2, 59 and 25 yards. He also caught a 23-yard scoring strike.
“Alex is a special player, a great leader and a great teammate,” said Heidenreich.
Tecza noted his success has come from playing football and toiling with his teammates his whole life.
“We put the grit in. The time and the effort,” he said. “That’s been the biggest part. This is something we have been dreaming about and it’s amazing to be a part of it.”
Joe Daniels did his part. The Lebo quarterback completed 11 of 13 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns, including a 5-yard scoring strike to Brandon Anderson.
“Joey, Alex and Eli are tremendous football players but they are even better kids and teammates,” said Lebo head coach Bob Palko.
Palko shrugged off the notion that he, or anybody else, was solely responsible for bringing a seventh WPIAL title to Mt. Lebanon. For Palko, it was his ninth championship, having won eight others while at West Allegheny.
“One guy can’t do it,” he said. “A lot goes into this. Things have to set up right and everybody has to buy in and trust. I am proud of my players. They are learning that they can accomplish something when you have a strong conviction.
“We challenged them,” Palko added. “We really expected a lot out of them and were not bashful about letting them know that. They all relished their assignments. They just anted to play for each other.
“When you can get a group set aside all their selfishness and work toward a common goal. It’s magical. It’s been a journey. To see it all unfold is special. It’s been a blessing.”