Gateway knew it would have to face one of the top running backs in the state yesterday afternoon. The Gators just didn't know they would face two.

LeSean McCoy, the former Pitt and current Philadelphia Eagles standout, stood on the sideline cheering on his alma mater, Bishop McDevitt, while sporting the No. 10 jersey of Crusaders star Jameel Poteat, a Pitt recruit.

And while neither Poteat nor McCoy made an immense impact on the game, a smothering defensive effort by Bishop McDevitt was more than enough to earn the Crusaders a 23-0 victory against visiting Gateway, the Post-Gazette's No. 5-ranked team in Class AAAA.

Poteat, one of the most sought-after senior running backs in the nation and whose offer list included Florida and Southern California, finished with 73 yards on 24 carries and scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter.

Poteat's numbers might sound pedestrian, but he went down with an injured left knee early in the second quarter before returning soon after -- "I heard my knee crack. I was so scared," he said -- and battled cramps throughout for what he said was the first time in his career.

There was one other explanation, too.

"That was the best defense I ever faced. Those boys are good," Poteat said of a Gateway unit led by hard-hitting linebacker Armstead Williams.

It was Gateway, though, that faced the better defense. Bishop McDevitt, the state's top-ranked Class AAA team, gave a young Gators team fits. The Gators managed only 99 total yards and five first downs.

Promising sophomore Tom Woodson made his debut at quarterback taking over for four-year starter Rob Kalkstein. Woodson displayed a strong arm and was close on connecting on a few long passes -- a would-be touchdown was dropped by a Gators receiver also -- but finished 3 of 15 for 50 yards.

"When you have a young team, you don't quite know how they're going to respond," Gateway coach Terry Smith said. "We'll go through our growing pains. And when you play a really good team like this, they can really expose that."

With the Gateway defense keyed in on stopping Poteat, Bishop McDevitt quarterback Matt Johnson took advantage of the Gators' secondary by completing 11 of 20 passes for 140 yards. Johnson, a Bowling Green recruit, also made some key plays with his legs, including a 10-yard scoring run late in the second quarter to help give the Crusaders a 13-0 lead at the break.

Poteat might not have caught many breaks in the game but he still was quick to send out a message to Pitt fans about the future of their team's running game: "I'm going to keep the tradition going, so get ready for me."

• Summit Academy 34, Schenley 8: Knights quarterback Andre Williams ran for one touchdown and threw for another to lead Summit over the Spartans, the Post-Gazette's No. 3 City League team.

• Riverview 47, Wilkinsburg 12: Brandon Seacrest scored three rushing touchdowns of 25 yards or more in the Raiders' blowout victory against the Tigers. Seacrest finished with 215 yards rushing on eight carries.

• Monessen 51, Giebel 8: Trae Cook and James Foster each scored two touchdowns and Greyhounds quarterback Brady Kunsa threw two touchdown passes and added one rushing score as Monessen cruised past the Gators.

• Erie McDowell 34, Erie Cathedral Prep 7: The Trojans had to wait a day but picked up their first victory as a member of the WPIAL. A power outage postponed Friday night's rivalry game, which had already started.

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