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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY FOOTBALL

TIGERS CRUSH LATROBE, 49-0, FOR
SECOND WIN

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

The Tigers scored the first seven times they had the ball on their way to a convincing 49-0 victory over Latrobe at Newman Stadium on Friday.  Senior fullback Marek Lapinski scored three more touchdowns to lead the Tigers to their second victory of the season.  Junior halfback Corey Watts scored on a 33-yard run while junior WR Geoff Greco and senior TE Tom Keiser both caught 18-yard scoring passes from senior QB Adam Neugebauer.  Senior halfback Tim Lotz led all rushers with 131 yards in 11 carries.

The Tigers controlled the game from the opening kickoff.  After junior Mike Fuhrman returned the opening kickoff to the NA 36, the Tigers went on a 64 yard drive in four plays to take the lead.  On second and 10, Lotz broke through the middle and cut right and was finally caught by Brent Heckel at the Latrobe 13 after a gain of 51 yards.  Corey Watts gained six on the next play to the Wildcat 7.  Lapinski then raced into the end zone for his first score.  Senior PK Rich Doyle added the point as NA took a 7-0 lead just 1:05 into the game.  Heckel returned the ensuing kickoff to the Latrobe 41 to give the Wildcats good field position.  An offside penalty against the Tigers and three running plays brought up a fourth and inches at the NA 49.  Kameron Zitelli took a handoff and just got enough to move the sticks.  After Heckel hit WR Nick Sorice for a gain of seven, Lapinski broke through to hit Zitelli for a 4-yard loss.  Heckel then hit RB Alex Kernicky for a six-yard gain and another Wildcat first down.  Two running plays and an incomplete pass forced a Latrobe punt that went into the end zone.  It took the Tigers just five plays to go 80 yards and another score.  On second and 8, Neugebauer scrambled for eleven and a first down at the NA 33.  With a second and five, Corey Watts ran off the left side and rambled for 20 yards and another first down at the Latrobe 42.  On the next play, Lapinski raced 42 yards for his second touchdown of the game.  Doyle added the point, and the Tigers had a 14-0 lead with 3:20 left in the quarter.  After Heckel brought the kickoff back to the 22, two incomplete passes and a running play gained only one yard forcing another Latrobe punt.   On the return, senior Darren LePere picked up an NA fumble and brought it to the Tiger 49.  Four plays later, the Tigers were on the board again.  With a third and five, Neugebauer scrambled again for a first down, picking up 13 yards to the Latrobe 33.  On the next play, Corey Watts broke through, shook off tacklers, and raced into the end zone for the third NA score.  Doyle again converted to give the Tigers a commanding 21-0 lead as the quarter ended.

The Tigers did not let up in the second quarter adding a pair of touchdowns.   The Wildcats could not move the ball, and Heckel punted to junior DB Christian Totera who returned the kick to the NA 46.  Lotz picked up seven on first down, and Lapinski six more to give NA a first down at the Latrobe 41.  Lotz added gains of 9 and eight yards to move the ball to the Wildcat 24.  After a five-yard penalty against the Tigers, Corey Watts rambled for 15 to the Latrobe 30.  After Lotz got ten, Lapinski picked up six more to the Wildcat 4.  On the next play, Lapinski took it in for his third TD of the game, his sixth in the first two contests.  Doyle was perfect on the conversion and the Tigers extended the lead to 28-0 with 6:41 remaining in the half.  After the ensuing kickoff was returned only to the Latrobe 16, the Wildcats moved the sticks on a third down completion from senior QB Rob Weber to Nick Sorice.  After Keiser sacked Weber for a loss of 2, an incomplete pass brought up a third and long.  A personal foul face mask call against NA gave Latrobe another first down at the Wildcat 46.  Weber then hit Sorice in the right flat, but junior DB Kyle Butson was there to hit the Wildcat receiver for a 2-yard loss.  Keiser broke through to sack Weber for a loss of ten to the 26.  After Weber got the ten back on a completion to Heckel, the Wildcats were forced to punt again.  Zack Watts was able to partially block the punt with the ball going out of bounds at the NA 40.  With 52 seconds remaining, the Tigers struck again.  After Lotz got six on first down, an incomplete pass brought up a third and four.  Lotz went off the left side and raced to the Latrobe 32, a gain of 24 yards.  With seconds remaining, Neugebauer found Greco open deep in the right corner of the end zone with the NA receiver making a good catch for the score with just four seconds remaining.  Doyle’s kick was good to give NA a 35-0 halftime lead.

The mercy rule was invoked for the entire second half.  Latrobe could not move the ball after receiving the kickoff, and Heckel punted to Totera who took it to the Latrobe 49.  Once again, it took the Tigers only five plays to score.  After a gain of 12 by Lotz on first down, Zack Watts gained five to the 32.  On the next play, it was Corey Watts for 8 and a first down at the 24.   Neugebauer then hit Keiser at the 10 and the senior tight end battled his way into the end zone for touchdown.  Doyle’s kick extended the lead to 42-0 with 6:36 remaining in the quarter.  Latrobe was called for holding on the kickoff and started from their 15.  The Wildcats could not move the ball, and Heckel punted to sophomore Brian Austin who took it to the Latrobe 37.  Coach Art Walker then sent his second team offense into the game.  On the first play, sophomore quarterback Mike Locke raced around left end and outran the Wildcat defenders into the end zone.  Doyle again converted and the Tiger lead went to 49-0 with 3:18 still remaining in the quarter.  On the next series, the Wildcats picked up one first down before fumbling the ball away to the Tigers at the Latrobe 45.  The Tiger reserves moved the football with senior Ryan McCullough and sophomore Jorden Kraus doing most of the damage.  The quarter ended with the Tigers holding the 49-0 advantage.

Early in the final period, with a first down at the Latrobe 19, the Tigers fumbled and the ball squirted all the way to the Latrobe 1 where the Wildcats fell on it.  Three plays gained only two yards and Heckel was forced to punt from his end zone.  A line drive kick was knocked down by sophomore Mike Zelik who fell on it at the Wildcat 20.  Two runs by Krause and a six-yard gain by sophomore Marcus Hambrick gave the Tigers a first and goal at the 9.  Three plays took it to the one.  Coach Walker then instructed sophomore QB Mike Foglio to take a knee at the 3.  The Wildcats ran one play before time ran out on the turning clock.  There was no scoring in the final quarter with NA taking the 49-0 victory.

It was another impressive showing by the Tigers.  On the ground, ten NA runners piled up 400 yards rushing.  Neugebauer threw only five passes, completing three, two for touchdowns.  Defensively, NA held Latrobe to just 25 yards rushing.  In the air, the Wildcats were a combined 8 for 16 for just 39 yards.  The total yardage in the game showed NA with 447 and Latrobe only 64.  For his efforts on both sides of the ball, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected senior Marek Lapinski as the Player of the Game.

The win improved the NA overall record to 2-0 as they continued their series of non-conference opponents.  Next Friday, the Tigers will travel to the Wolverena in Turtle Creek to meet the always tough Woodland Hills Wolverines in another non-conference contest.  Woody High cruised over Baldwin, 49-14, to pick up their first win of the season last night.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:40 pm.  The kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY – 49  LATROBE – 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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