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TIGERS TAKE CARE OF HEMPFIELD, 35-7, IN FIRST ROUND OF WPIAL PLAYOFFS

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After Hempfield had tied the game early in the second quarter, the Tigers scored two quick touchdowns to take a 21-7 halftime lead.  A touchdown in each of the last two periods gave NA a 35-7 victory in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs at Newman Stadium on Friday night.  Senior QB Geoff Greco scored a pair of touchdowns while gaining 142 yards on 11 carries while senior HB Karl DeCiantis added two more TDs and gained 145 yards on 12 rushes.  Senior FB Zach Watts scored the first NA touchdown of the game.

Hempfield returned the opening kickoff 18 yards to the Spartan 23 and began a drive that ended in NA territory.  On second and ten, sophomore HB Ryan Hayden ran around left end for 34 yards and a first down at the Tiger 43.  After three plays gained nine yards, senior Shawn Faulk picked up the first down on a quarterback sneak to the Tiger 34.  On the next play, junior LB Jackson Boyd was able to pick off a deflected pass and return it to the NA 26.  It took the Tigers only six plays to go the 74 yards and take the lead.  On the first play, Greco ran the right side and was caught from behind at the Hempfield 40, a gain of 34 yards.  After DeCiantis got six on first down, Greco picked up nine and a first down at the Spartan 25.  DeCiantis then ran the middle for nine to the sixteen.  On a second and one, Zach Watts ripped through the middle for the remaining distance to give the Tigers the lead with 5:36 remaining in the quarter.  Senior Justin Facer added the point to make it a 7-0 NA advantage.  On the ensuing kickoff, Hempfield was called for holding with the ball moved back to the Spartan 15.  Hempfield then went on their only scoring drive of the game, holding the ball for 16 plays and taking 7:06 off the clock.  Senior halfback R.J. Thomas ran for ten and a first down to the 25.  On a third and 1, Faulk threw to senior WR Zac Blahovic for a gain of 16 to midfield.  After two running plays gained eight yards, senior Brandon Reese came in to pick up a first down at the NA 40.  After two incomplete passes, Faulk rolled left and threw back to Hayden who made a diving catch for a first down at the NA 27.  After a Hempfield time out,  Boyd made a good play to knock down a second and ten pass.  On third down, Faulk hit his senior TE Josh Gardner who went high to pull in the ball at the NA 8 to give the Spartans a first and goal.  Time ran out in the first quarter with the Tigers holding a 7-0 lead and Hempfield threatening.

As the second quarter began, two running plays put the ball at the NA 1.  On third and goal, Thomas took it in and Pat Cassidy converted to tie the game with 10:24 remaining in the half.  The touchdown marked the first time that Hempfield had scored against NA in the four games between the two teams.  Junior Brian Austin returned the ensuing kickoff for twenty-nine yards to the NA 34.  Once again, the Tigers were able to put together a quick scoring drive to take the lead.  On first down, Greco ran the right side for 13 yards and a first down at the 47.  On a second and eight, sophomore Grant Huckestein picked up four around left end.  Greco followed with a gain of six to the Hempfield 41.  On the next play, Greco ran untouched up the middle for 41 yards and a touchdown on a quarterback draw to put the Tigers ahead for good.  Facer again added the point as NA took a 14-7 lead with 8:00 remaining in the half.  Senior WR Tim Rowan returned the kickoff for 20 yards as the Spartans started on their own 29.  After two running plays gained two yards, senior safety Austin Amos intercepted a Faulk pass at the Hempfield 47 and returned it to the 38.  After a pass by junior QB Mike Locke just sailed over the hands of Austin at the Hempfield 5, Zach Watts ran the middle for eleven and a first down at the Spartan 27.  On the next play, DeCiantis broke through and outraced the Spartan secondary for the score.  Facer’s extra point was good again as the Tigers took a 21-7 lead with 5:30 on the second quarter clock.  Greco sent the kickoff into the end zone, and Hempfield took over at their own 20.  On second and eight, Faulk threw to Blahovic over the middle for 14 yards and a first down at the 36.  After Thomas picked up four up the middle, a pass interference call against the Tigers added 15 more as Hempfield had a first down at the NA 45.  Two runs got a first down at the Tiger 35 before Faulk found senior WR Zach Gianllonardo open for eleven and another first down at the NA 23.  On  the next play, the snap was fumbled and senior DL Austin Fedell fell on the ball at the Tiger 24 with 1:30 remaining.  On a third and long, Locke threw to junior WR Dan Wentz for 21 yards and a first down at the NA 40.  On the next play, Locke scrambled for eight to the 48.  Locke then found senior WR Curtis Belcastro open for a gain of 22 and a first down at the Spartan 30.  Locke then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 17 seconds left.  After an incomplete pass, Locke fired a strike to Greco at the two with the NA senior taking it into the end zone.  A  holding penalty, however, negated the score and moved the ball back to the Tiger 43.  After a procedure call, DeCiantis ran around the left side for 25 yards before being caught at the 17.  Time ran out with the Tigers holding a 21-7 advantage at the intermission.  NA outgained Hempfield, 255-172, in the half despite the Spartans holding the ball for 16:36 to just 7:24 for the Tigers.  Greco ended the half with 109 yards gained on only seven carries.

Austin returned the second half kickoff for fifteen yards to the NA 28.  On first down, Greco ran right for 10 and a first down.  After DeCiantis gained seven on first down, two running plays got only one more yard.  Greco punted out of bounds at the Hempfield 9.  Three plays gained only two yards and Costello was forced to punt from his end zone.  Austin took the kick at the Spartan 40 and raced down the left sideline all the way to the Hempfield 3.  After a motion penalty pushed the ball back to the 8, DeCiantis gained two.  An incomplete pass brought up a third and goal from the six.  Greco then ran the right side for the six yards and a score.  Facer’s third straight conversion extended the Tiger lead to 28-7 with 6:46 remaining in the quarter.  After Rowan returned the kickoff to the Spartan 22, Hempfield began a drive into NA territory.  After Thomas got eight up the middle, Faulk fumbled but recovered at the Hempfield 29. On third down, Faulk threw to Gardner who made a leaping catch at the Hempfield 42 for a first down.  On second and six, Faulk hit Moyer for eighteen and another first down at the Tiger 36.  On a second and nine, senior LB Corey Watts deflected a middle screen pass but Thomas made the catch and gained only one.  Faulk followed with another completion to Rowan and a first down at the NA 26.  After a delay of game penalty on a second and eight moved the ball back to the 29, senior LB Ty Dixon made a good play to break up a pass down the right sideline.  On third down, senior CB Christian Totera knocked down a pass intended for Gardner.  On a fourth and long, senior CB Kyle Butson picked off his fourth interception of the year in the end zone to stop the drive.  On first down from the NA 20, DeCiantis gained eight as the third quarter ended.  The Tigers took a commanding 28-7 lead into the final period.

As the fourth quarter began, Greco ran for seven and a first down at the Tiger 35.  After an incomplete pass, Greco picked up fifteen more around right end and a first down at midfield.  On the next play, DeCiantis raced for 25 yards and another first down at the Hempfield 25.  After Zach Watts gained nine up the middle, a procedure call against NA moved the ball back to the 21.  Greco then ran the left side for nine and a first down at the Spartan 12.  After another motion penalty moved the ball back to the 17, DeCiantis took it the distance for his second score of the game.  Facer was perfect again on the conversion as the Tigers extended the lead to 35-7 with 7:40 remaining.  After Greco sent the kickoff into the end zone, the Spartans began a drive at their own 20.  After Thomas gained five on first down, senior Jordan Jury ran right for fifteen yards and a first down at the 46.  On third and nine, it was Jury again for ten and another first down at the Tiger 44.  After two running plays gained only two yards, Faulk attempted two passes that fell incomplete as NA took over at their 43.  Coach Art Walker sent in the second offensive unit to finish the game.  Junior HB Jeff Litz got eight yards on two carries, and junior Jorden Kraus broke through for seven more and a first down at the Spartan 42.  On a second and thirteen, sophomore QB Justin Brozick ran the left side for a gain of five to the 45.  After Kraus gained six, the Tigers were hit with a motion penalty.  On fourth down, Litz was stopped at the Hempfield 37 and the Spartans took over with just 48 seconds left.  One running play by Jon Keenan gained seven as time ran out with the Tigers posting the 35-7 victory.

It was a good win for the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs.  Once again, the Tigers piled up huge yardage on the ground, finishing with a net total of 352 yards rushing.  The NA defense allowed a total of 270 yards but again kept the Spartans to just seven points.  NA took advantage of four turnovers that stopped Hempfield drives.  For his effort on the defensive end, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Jackson Boyd as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the Quad A tournament and will meet Penn Hills, a 27-13 winner over Canon-McMillan.  We will post the game information as soon as we receive it.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show twenty minutes before game time.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY – 35  HEMPFIELD – 7

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

TEAM STATISTICS

Statistics Courtesy of Steve Heckmann

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