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NORTH ALLEGHENY  FOOTBALL

2003 GAME SUMMARIES

TIGERS HOLD ON TO DEFEAT SENECA VALLEY, 10-7

by Don Vandergrift

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

The Tigers scored 10 points in the first quarter and held off a late Seneca rally to defeat the Raiders, 10-7, at Raider Stadium on Friday night.  The Raiders lost three fumbles in the first quarter and three more in the fourth quarter to help the Tigers to improve their Quad North record to 1-1 and their overall mark to 2-3.  Senior placekicker Lee House kicked a 25-yard field goal, and junior QB Andrew Krewatch hit senior TE Chris Rogers on a 24-yard scoring strike with House adding the conversion.

In the first quarter, Seneca Valley fumbled the ball away to NA at the Raider 30 on the third play from scrimmage.  Junior running back Andrew McMillen ran for 14 yards and a first down to the SV 16.  After two running plays picked up only 4 yards, Krewatch was tackled for a loss back to the 18.  A fourth down pass fell incomplete and the Raiders took over on downs.  After one running play was stopped for no gain, Seneca Valley lost the ball again with senior SS Tim Hreha recovering at the SV 23.  McMillen picked up six to the 17, and senior HB Dan Bartos got six more to give NA a first and goal at the 11.  After Krewatch got six yards on first down, two running plays lost two yards.  On fourth down, House converted on a 25-yard field goal to give NA a 3-0 lead.

After the Raiders returned the kickoff to the 28, Seneca again fumbled on first down with senior LB Josh Zunic recovering at the Raider 28.  On first down, Krewatch ran for four yards to the 24.  Krewatch then lofted a long pass to senior TE Chris Rogers who caught the ball at the ten and bulled his way into the end zone.  House’s extra point was perfect and the Tigers had a 10-0 with 3:21 left in the quarter.  It would be the last NA score of the night.  After House’s kickoff went out of bounds, the Raiders were able to pick up their initial first down of the game on two plays by senior fullback Steve Minton.  After senior QB Luke Mangola ran for three yards to midfield, two incomplete passes forced a Seneca punt.  Senior punter Ben Follett was able to pin NA deep when his punt was returned to the Tiger 8 yard line.  The first quarter ended with the Tigers holding a 10-0 advantage.

In the second quarter, after three running plays picked up only seven yards, Krewatch punted to the SV 44.  Minton was able to pick up eleven yards on two carries to get a first down at the NA 45.  The Tiger defense then held and took over at the Tiger 39.  On second down, Hreha gained five and McMillen added nine more for a first down at the SV 47.  Three more plays gained only two yards, and Krewatch was forced to punt to senior WR Joe Sklarsky who made a fair catch at the SV 10.  After an incomplete pass, the Raiders fumbled again but senior HB Dustin Layton recovered at the SV 6.  After another incomplete pass, Follett punted to senior WR Mike Petrasek who returned it to the Raider 38.  After a penalty moved it back to the 40, McMillan ran around the left side for 20 yards to the Raider 20.  After two plays got a yard, Krewatch’s second down pass was intercepted in the end zone by junior Marshall Lee who returned the ball to the Raider 14 with just 1:02 remaining.  The Raiders were unable to move the ball, and the half ended with the Tigers still in front, 10-0.

Zunic returned the second half kickoff all the way to the SV 45, a return of 45 yards.  After three plays picked up only four yards, Krewatch punted into the Raider end zone.  A pass to senior TE Dan Reale earned a Raider first down at the 32, but the Tiger defense then stepped up.  Zunic broke through to sack Mangola for an 8-yard loss, and junior NG Wade Wolowiec followed with another sack.  The Raiders were forced to punt, and NA took over at their own 47.  Three straight series saw the teams unable to move the ball, and Krewatch punted to the Seneca 29.  After being unable to move the ball against the NA defense thoughout most of the first three quarters, the Raiders went on their only scoring drive of the game.  Layton took the ball on a wingback reverse and raced all the way to the NA 32, a gain of 39 yards.  Junior DB Steve Guzzetti made a saving tackle for the Tigers.  Minton then ran off the left side for eight more yards.  With just 15 seconds left in the quarter, Mangola lofted a long pass to the end zone that Skarsky caught on a diving catch to put the Raiders on the board.  Follett added the point, and Seneca was back in the game, trailing only 10-7 as the third quarter ended.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Zunic broke loose and ran 68 yards for an apparent touchdown.  The Tigers were called for an illegal block in the back, however, and the ball was brought back to the NA 35.  After Bartos picked up a first down, three additional plays gained only 2 yards, and Krewatch punted to the SV 17.  A screen pass to Minton got 7 yards, and Minton ran for 8 more and a first down to the Raider 33.  Junior Evan Braithwaite came off the SV bench to gain 16 yards to the SV 44.  After Minton lost a yard, the Raiders dropped the football again, and Zunic fell on it at the Seneca 42.  After three plays got 8 yards, the Tigers went for it on fourth down and were stopped short at the Raider 35.  On first down, Mangola completed a long pass to Sklarsky, who made another leaping catch at the NA 24.  After Minton picked up three to the 21, the Raiders turned the ball over again, the fifth lost fumble of the game, at the NA 20.  Once again, NA was unable to move the ball, and Krewatch had to punt with his kick rolling out of bounds at the Tiger 48. 

After Braithwaite gained eight yards on first down, Mangola was sacked by a host of Tigers who forced yet another Raider fumble.  The Tigers recovered at the SV 43 with just 1:57 left in the game.  Bartos broke loose to the SV 19, a gain of 38 yards, and the Tigers were able to run out the clock and preserve their first conference victory.

It was a hard earned victory for the Tigers who lost several starters to injury.  McMillen did not play in the second half, along with senior WR Jason Strimmel who went out just before halftime.  The Tiger defense was strong again, with the exception of the one breakdown at the end of the third quarter.  Seneca Valley was unable to move the ball for most of the game, although Sklarsky did catch three passes for 71 yards and a TD.  Mangola was 7 for 13 for 97 yards, but the Tigers were able to pressure and sack the Raider quarterback on numerous occasions. 

For the Tigers, Bartos picked up the slack running the football and finished with 101 yards on 16 carries.  For his efforts running the ball and on defense, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Dan Bartos as the Player of the Game.  Zunic was under consideration for his fine defensive play.  With the victory, the Tigers moved back into contention in the Quad North.  NA will be at home next Friday night when they host Shaler in the annual Homecoming game.  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 – 10    SENECA VALLEY – 7

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

9/27/03

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