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NORTH ALLEGHENY  FOOTBALL

2003 GAME SUMMARIES

TIGER MISTAKES HAND BUTLER 21-14 VICTORY

by Don Vandergrift

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

After leading 14-7 at halftime, the Tigers fell apart in the second half at Butler as the Tornado came back for a 21-14 victory.  Touchdowns by junior QB Andrew Krewatch and sophomore Billy Knight, on a 10-yard pass from Krewatch, had given NA the lead at halftime.  Five turnovers and eleven second-half penalties did in the Tigers as their chances for a playoff spot in the Quad North are all but gone.

After the opening kickoff was returned by sophomore Nolan Brink to the Butler 41, the Tornado started strong behind the leading rusher in the Quad North, senior Calvin Littlejohn.  The Butler senior picked up gains of five, fourteen and fourteen to give the Tornado a first down at the NA 27.  The Tiger defense held at this point, however, and NA took over on downs at their 27.  On the first offensive drive of the game, the Tigers drove 73 yards in eight plays to take the lead.  Krewatch picked up a quick eight on a keeper, and senior halfback Tim Hreha gained nine around right end on an option pitch.  Junior running back Andrew McMillen broke through for fifteen yards and a first down at the Butler 29.  A face mask penalty against the Tornado put the ball at the Butler 15.  After senior HB Dan Bartos got 7, McMillan ran to the 5, inches short of a first down.  Krewatch picked up the first down on a quarterback sneak, and Bartos followed with a gain of three.  Krewatch then scored on a keeper as the Tigers picked up their first points in eight quarters.  The extra point attempt was blocked by junior Bob Ridley, but the Tigers led, 6-0.

After the ensuing kickoff was returned to the Butler 38, the Tiger defense forced a Tornado punt.  The big play was a sack by Bartos, who hit senior QB Branden Dunn-Setnar for a loss of six yards.  After senior Tom McPherson’s punt was downed at the NA 31, the Tigers started another drive.  Bartos gained six around the right side, and McMillan followed with six more and a first down at the NA 43.  Senior halfback Josh Zunic took a pitchout and ran to the Butler 43, a gain of fourteen and another NA first down.  After Krewatch got three, Zunic ran for 5 more, and Bartos got a first down at the Butler 33 as the quarter ended.

On the first play of the second quarter, Krewatch threw a pass that went right through the hands of his receiver and was picked off by Dunn-Setnar at the Butler 35 to end the threat.  Once again, the Tiger defense, led by Bartos, stopped Butler on three plays, forcing McPherson to punt again.  After the Tigers took over at their 45, two running plays gained nothing.  On third down, Krewatch again was on target to an open receiver.  This time, the ball hit the receiver’s hands, popped up in the air, and was picked off by Littlejohn who ran 48 yards for a touchdown.  Freshman Chris Haley added the point, and Butler had a 7-6 advantage while being badly  outplayed by the Tigers.

The Tigers came back, however, to regain the lead.  Hreha gave NA a big jump start when he returned the kickoff all the way to the NA 43.  After a penalty moved the ball back to the 38, Krewatch hit Knight for ten to the NA 48.  Zunic broke through and raced to the Butler 32, a gain of 20 yards and a first down.  On the next play, Zunic got 20 more, and the Tigers were in business at the Butler 12.  After McMillen gained two, Krewatch found Knight at the goal line and the Tiger receiver fell into the end zone.  Zunic ran the right side and took it in for the two-point conversion to give the Tigers a 14-7 lead. 

After Butler was forced to punt, the Tigers took over at their own 27.  After McMillen gained one, Littlejohn stepped in front of a pass intended for Knight and returned it to the NA 8.  The Tiger defense rose up and stopped Butler inside the one to keep NA in the lead.  Bartos and Hreha picked up first downs as the Tigers ran out the clock and went to the intermission with the 14-7 advantage.

The Tigers were dominant in the first half but managed only a seven-point lead.  NA outgained Butler, 192 to 52, picked up 11 first downs to 2, and generally were in control.  Krewatch had a strange statistical line at halftime as he was 2 for 5, with a touchdown, but three interceptions.  Two of the int’s were well thrown balls not handled by the receivers.  The failure to gain a bigger lead would come back to haunt the Tigers in the second half. 

Hreha returned the second half kickoff to the NA 31.  On the first play, Bartos broke through for 14 and a first down to the 45.  On the next play, the Tigers were called for holding, a portent of things to come.  Krewatch was able to complete a pass to senior TE Tom Dunn at the 48, but the Tigers were forced to punt.  After the NA defense forced a Butler punt, the Tigers started the next drive at their own 25.  After two plays and a penalty brought up a third and long, Krewatch was sacked by junior Adam Pritts at the NA 19.  The Tigers were then called for three consecutive illegal procedure penalties on the attempted punt.  Krewatch was forced to kick from the end zone, and the ball traveled only to the NA 29.  After two plays got only two yards, Dunn-Setnar hit Littlejohn with a screen pass in the right flat, and the Butler senior raced into the end zone untouched.  Haley’s kick tied the game at 14-14 with 3:14 left in the quarter.

After Hreha brought the kickoff out to the NA 26, the Tigers fumbled on the first play.  Senior DB Dan Andreassi picked up the ball and took it into the end zone and, suddenly, Butler had the lead.  Haley’s kick made it 21-14 as Butler had scored two touchdowns in just sixteen seconds. 

After McMillen returned the kickoff ten yards to the NA 32, the Tigers were called for a substitution infraction that moved the ball back to the 27.  Zunic was hit for a loss, but Butler was called for a personal foul, giving the Tigers a first down at the NA 43.  Krewatch hit sophomore Brett Fields for a 15-yard gain and a first down at the Butler 42.  After Krewatch got three on a keeper, Zunic took the ball on a “Statue of Liberty” reverse and raced 39 yards for an apparent touchdown.  The Tigers, however, were called for an illegal block, and the ball was brought back to the Butler 46.  A pass to McMillen got nine, but Krewatch was sacked by 6-5, 390-pound junior tackle Nate Hartung at the Butler 46 to end the threat.    The quarter ended with Butler holding the 21-14 advantage.

Early in the fourth quarter, Butler drove into NA territory.  Littlejohn picked up a first down at the NA 42 after a 14-yard gain.  After the Tigers held Littlejohn to 2 yards in 2 carries, Dunn-Setnar found McPherson open for a first down at the NA 27.  On second down, the Tornado fumbled and Zunic recovered at the NA 22.  Two more penalties against the Tigers offset a seven-yard gain by Zunic.  With second and thirteen, Krewatch threw long for Brett Fields, but Dunn-Setnar jumped high to pick it off at the NA 45.  Good defense and a holding call against Butler forced a Tornado punt that went into the Tiger end zone.

The Tigers took over with 5:20 remaining.  McMillen got five tough yards up the middle, Bartos added three more, and Krewatch gained 8 and a first down at the 36.  Zunci then broke through for 11 and another first down to the NA 47.  After penalties against each time, McMillen ran to the 50.  After an incomplete pass, Zunic picked up eight to the Butler 42.  With a fourth and three, Krewatch was stopped a yard short of a first down, as the Tigers last gasp effort came up short.   Littlejohn was able to run for a first down and the Tornado ran out the clock to pick up the 21-14 victory.

The win improved Butler’s conference record to 2-2 while NA dropped to 1-3.  It was a tough loss for the Tigers, who had the better of the play for most of the game.  Butler made some halftime adjustments that slowed the Tigers’ rushing game in the second half, but, in the end, mistakes cost NA dearly.  Two of the three Butler touchdowns came on turnovers, and  the eleven NA second-half penalties cost the Tigers field position that gave the Tornado the winning TD.  

Statistically, the Tigers did a good job of containing Littlejohn and keeping him from breaking a long run.  Still, Littlejohn ended up with 96 yards on 25 carries.  The Butler senior had two interceptions, one run back for a touchdown, the second returned to the NA 8.  For the Tigers, Zunic was the leading rusher with 83 yards on 9 carries.  Krewatch was 5-12 for 58 yards and a touchdown, but was guilty of four interceptions.  On his behalf, two of the picks were on balls that receivers should have caught.  For his efforts, both offensively and defensively, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Josh Zunic as the Player of the Game.

The Tigers will return to action on Friday night when they host the Bethel Park Blackhawks.  Bethel Park upset North Hills, 14-13, last night to move into a first-place tie with Mt. Lebanon.  Both teams are 3-1 in the conference.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm and the opening kickoff at 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
BUTLER – 21  NORTH ALLEGHENY – 14

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

10/11/03

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org