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NORTH ALLEGHENY  FOOTBALL

2003 GAME SUMMARIES

TIGERS OUTLAST RINGGOLD, 21-7
by Don Vandergrift

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

After being held to a 7-7 tie after three quarters, a strong fourth 
quarter saw the Tigers score a pair of touchdowns to earn a 21-7 victory 
over the stubborn Ringgold Rams at Newman Stadium on Friday night. The big play was a 92-yard touchdown run by junior halfback Andrew McMillen that gave the Tigers a 14-7 advantage. McMillen finished with 145 yards rushing on 11 carries for the game. 

The Tiger defense was dominant for most of the evening. After the opening kickoff was returned to the Ringgold 15, the Rams were held to no gain in three plays. After a short punt went out of bounds at the Ram 36, the Tiger offense went to work. McMillen picked up eight yards on his first carry and added four more for an NA first down at the 24. Ringgold slowed the Tiger running game by limiting the Tigers to 8 yards in the next three runs, but McMillen gained four off the left side to give NA a first down at the Ram 11. After senior halfback Dan Bartos took it to the three, a delay of game penalty moved it back to the Ram 8. Bartos then skirted right end and stepped into the corner of the end zone for the first Tiger touchdown of the season. Senior Lee House added the point and the Tigers had a 7-0 lead with 5:38 left in the quarter.

The lead lasted only twenty seconds. Ram running back Sean Dungee took the kickoff at the Ram 11, started to his right, and avoided three Tiger tacklers on his way to the near sideline. From there it was sprint to the end zone and the 89-yard return brought the Rams to within one at 7-6. Jake Hudak kicked the point and the game was tied at 7-7. After the 
ensuing kickoff, Bartos ran for 10 yards and a first down but the Tiger 
drive stalled at the Ringgold 48. Senior Chris Rogers then launched the first of a number of long punts and his kick rolled into the end zone.
After a pair of penalties set up two Ram first downs, Ringgold picked up 
two major penalties, an illegal block and holding, and the Rams were faced with a fourth and 14 as the first quarter ended with a 7-7 tie.
In the second quarter, neither team was able to mount much of a scoring drive. After the Ram punt rolled dead at the NA 7, the Tigers were forced to punt and Ram return man Robert Heller brought it back to the NA 36. That was as close as Ringgold got to the NA goal line as the Tiger defense forced a Ram punt into the end zone. Good work by junior Wade Wolowiec in the middle, Rogers at end, and senior linebacker Josh Zunic put pressure on junior QB Adam Zewe, forcing a pair of incomplete passes. Zewe would complete only three passes the entire game.

After the Rams held, Rogers boomed a 54-yarder into the end zone and field position went NA's way. After the Tiger defense held again, Bartos 
returned the Ram punt to the Ringgold 45. This time, the Ram defense came up big as senior tackle Blaine Zentak intercepted an attempted screen pass and returned it to midfield. After two plays earned a Ram first down, senior strong safety Tim Hreha stepped in front of a Ram receiver and returned the pick 16 yards to the NA 41. The Tigers ran out the clock and went to the intermission with a 7-7 tie.

Near the end of halftime, lightning lit up the sky at Newman Stadium 
forcing the officials to call a delay. Almost an hour later, the game 
resumed. After the Tigers could not move the ball after receiving the 
kickoff, Rogers punt of 48 yards was downed at the Ram 28. A pass 
interference call gave Ringgold a first down at the Ram 46 and two running plays moved the ball into NA territory at the 48. On third down, the Tiger defense sacked Zewe at the Ram 44 to end the threat. After the Tigers picked up a first down on two runs by McMillen and a four yard burst by Bartos, the drive stalled and Rogers punted into the end zone.Once again, the Tiger defense did not allow the Rams to get started, but a roughing the kicker call against NA gave Ringgold a first down at the 37. After Dungee was hit by Bartos for a one-yard loss, the third quarter ended with the game still tied at 7-7.

After the Tigers held, a 57-yard punt by Ringgold rolled dead at the Tiger 6. After Hreha picked up two yards, McMillen took off around the left side and raced 92 yards to give NA the lead for good. House added the point to make it a 14-7 advantage. The Rams picked up one first down after the kickoff but Zunic fell on a Ram fumble at the Ringgold 49.The Tigers then went on a seven-play drive to put the game out of reach. Zunic went for five, Hreha added twelve, and sophomore QB Billy Knight ran for ten to give the Tigers a first down at the Ram 22. After a loss of a yard, McMillen raced up the middle all the way to the Ram one beforehe was dragged down. Knight took it in from there to make it 20-7. House converted his third straight point and the Tiger lead was 21-7 with 6:00 remaining. 

After the Rams were pushed back to their 16 by a personal foul call on the kickoff, Heller picked up 26 on an inside reverse, the biggest gain of the night for the Rams. Zunic then stepped up to sack Zewe for a loss of 
four. After another loss, Zunic had the hit of the game when he stopped 
Michael McCurry short of a first down at the Ram 39. Junior QB Colin 
Moleton got some playing time for NA, but the Tigers were unable to move the ball and Rogers' punt was fair caught at the 18. The Rams mounted a drive in the last couple of minutes but ran out of time, and the Tigers were able to hold on for a 21-7 victory in the season opener.

It was a good win for the Tigers who were forced to use their third-string 
quarterback, Billy Knight, after Dan Williams and Andrew Krewatch were both injured in pre-season scrimmages. Knight was able to direct the Tigers to victory in his first start, but the story of the game was the 
Tiger defense. Ringgold was unable to put together any kind of sustained drive throughout the game with their only score coming on the kickoff return. The North Allegheny Sports Network selected Andrew McMillen as the Player of the Game for his efforts running the football.The Tigers will be back in action next Friday night when they host the tough Panthers of Upper St. Clair. USC defeated Erie McDowell, 34-2, in their opener on Friday night. 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.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 21  RINGGOLD - 7

8/30/03

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