Avonworth using tough loss in state title game as motivation in undefeated regular season

AVONWORTH, Pa. — The Avonworth football team is on a mission to forget a heartbreaking end to last year’s season.

As Channel 11’s Shelby Cassesse found out, all the players are buying into the mission - and so far, no one has been able to stop them.

“We’re homegrown. We don’t get many transfers and so we’ve all just grown up together and been good friends,” said senior wide receiver Luca Neal.

Like good friends do, the Avonworth football team has experienced all the highs and the lows over the last few years.

One of the tougher moments was last year’s state title game. It was a 36-33 overtime loss to Northwestern Lehigh.

“Definitely in the off-season. It was a big driving factor. You know, it’s a lot of motivation. Losing how we lost sucks. It’s terrible,” said senior quarterback Carson Bellinger.

The sting of that loss is gone, but not forgotten. The focus at practice is only on the game ahead, using that memory from December as fuel.

“Working in the off-season, getting timing down and everything so so now everything’s like perfect timing. And then yeah, the unselfishness with players, it’s like we all just do our job and focus and focus on you know winning games instead of being selfish,” said Neal.

So far, the results reflect that.

Undefeated Avonworth entered the final week of the regular season outscoring opponents 356 to 83 and avenging two losses from the previous season.

“Alliquippa was a big turning point in our season. You know, that was a huge statement when, and then going in and beating TJ the way we did, I feel like that’s really when it clicked that, you know, like, this is a different year. We could be really good,” said Bellinger.

The road back to the state title game is a long one, including the opportunity to defend their WPIAL championship, bound by the brotherhood that’s carried them this far.

“Just being out of the field with my best friends, getting to spend that time with them, it really makes it enjoyable. It makes me want to come here every day,” said Bellinger.

“I mean, especially coming up short last year, like I said, it’s still in the back of our minds. So I think winning it this year would be kind of like the perfect story,” said Neal.

Avonworth finished out their regular season undefeated with a 49-7 win over Beaver.

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