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TIGERS GRIND OUT 21-7 WIN
OVER McDOWELL

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The Tigers used a strong ground attack to defeat the McDowell Trojans, 21-7, at Gus Anderson Field at McDowell High School on Friday night.  After senior Karl DeCiantis scored two first quarter touchdowns, the Tigers took a 14-7 halftime lead.  In the third quarter, senior QB Geoff Greco scored on a two-yard run to increase the margin to 21-7 and the NA defense held the Trojans for the rest of the game.

The game started with scoring fireworks on Homecoming Night at McDowell.  After sophomore RB Grant Huckestein made a fair catch of the opening kickoff at the NA 25, the Tigers went on a 75-yard scoring drive in just six plays.  On a second and 12, junior QB Mike Locke found junior WR Brian Austin wide open along the left sideline and Austin raced all the way to the McDowell 9 yard line, a gain of 68 yards.  On second and nine, Greco started around right end and was hit for a six-yard loss.  Locke then scrambled to the McDowell three where senior Justin Facer kicked a 20-yard field goal.  The Trojans were called for a personal foul, however, and the Tigers took the points off the board for a first and goal at the McDowell one.  DeCiantis blasted into the end zone for his 11^th touchdown of the season and Facer added the point.  NA led, 7-0, with 8:27 left in the first quarter.  After Greco sent the kickoff into the end zone, it took one play for McDowell to tie the score.  On an option play around right end, junior A.J. Fenton ran 80 yards untouched into the end zone.  Dan Vasil kicked the point to tie the game with just 15 seconds taken off the clock.  Junior LB Jackson Boyd returned the kickoff to the 36 and the Tigers were ready to roll again.  It was the Karl DeCiantis show as NA needed only five plays to go the 64 yards with DeCiantis picking up 59 of the yards.  On first down, the Tiger senior ran the right side for 34 to the Trojan 30.  After senior FB Zach Watts got five, DeCiantis ran left for 21 more and a first down at the McDowell 4.  Two plays late, DeCiantis recorded his 12^th touchdown of the season.  Facer again was perfect on the conversion, and the Tigers regained the lead at 14-7 with 5:53 still left in the first quarter.  It looked like the Trojans would come right back to tie the game.  After another Greco kickoff into the end zone, Fenton ran for 20 to the Trojan 40, ten more to the 50 and then picked up another first down at the Tiger 38.  After an incomplete pass, the Trojans fumbled and Boyd fell on the ball at the NA 20 to stop the drive.  After three plays gained only three yards, Greco was forced to punt and got off a 55-yarder to push McDowell all the way back to the Trojan 17.  After Fenton was hit for a two-yard loss and McDowell was called for holding, quarterback Dave Herbe threw short to Fenton who went to the 26.  After a time out by the Trojans, fullback Nick Galich ran the middle for eight yards and a first down at the 34 as the first quarter ended.  The Tigers took a 14-7 lead into the second period.

The scoring slowed in the second period as the defenses began to adjust.  A personal foul sent the Trojans back to the 17 and a high pitchout was recovered by Herbe at the McDowell 7.  Fenton got 20 around the left side, but Vasil punted to the Trojan 49 where it was downed.  The Tigers could not move the ball and Greco punted where senior LB Ted Connolly downed the ball at the McDowell 20.  The Trojans lost a yard on three tries forcing Vasil to punt with the ball downed at the NA 35.  On first down, Huckestein ran around left end for ten yards and a first down.  After a motion penalty, three plays came up short, and Greco punted again, this time for 51 yards into the end zone.  The Trojans then mounted a long drive and threatened to tie the score by halftime.  Runs by Fenton and Galich got a first down at the 31.  On second down and ten, Fenton ran around left end for 16 and a personal foul by the Tigers on a hit out of bounds moved the ball all the way to the NA 38.  On second and seven, Herbe hit WR Robert Ward for a first down at the Tiger 15.  Galich picked up ten yards and a first down inside the five.  After two plays loss two yards, NA cornerback Kyle Butson intercepted a Herbe pass at the goal line and got it back to the three.  A five-yard face mask took it to the NA 8 with 10 seconds left in the half.  DeCiantis got a couple as time ran out, and the Tigers took a 14-7 lead to the intermission.

After a halftime celebration that featured the crowning of the McDowell Homecoming Queen and an inspiring performance by the Tiger Band, McDowell’s Alex Schmude returned Greco’s kickoff to the McDowell 24.  The Trojans started a drive, exclusively on the ground, and moved the ball for three consecutive first downs.  Fenton, who gained 171 yards in the first half, ran the ball six times as McDowell moved into NA territory at the Tiger 40.  On first down, Fenton bobbled the handoff and gained only a yard.  On second down, an inside handoff to Kyle Harpster resulted in a five yard loss with senior LB Ty Dixon making the tackle.  On third and fourteen, Zach Watts broke through to sack Herbe all the way back at the Trojan 45.  Vasil punted to Greco who returned it six yards to the NA 32.  The Tigers got the ball with less than five minutes left in the quarter.  Greco went in at quarterback for the Tigers and led a 68 yard Tiger scoring drive.  On first down, Zach Watts broke through for eight yards.  Greco followed with a run around left end for ten more and a first down at the 50.  On second and nine, DeCiantis took an inside handoff and raced through the middle for 12 more to the Trojan 37.  It was then the Geoff Greco show.  The Tiger senior signal caller ran right for fifteen and a first down to the 22.  On the next play, Greco ran left for nine more to the 13.  It was then Greco right for 11 more and a first and goal at the two. On the next play, Greco ran the left side and dove into the end zone for the score.  Facer again added the point and the Tigers took a 21-7 lead with just 1:25 remaining in the quarter.  After Galich returned the kickoff for 11 yards to the Trojan 29, Herbe threw a long pass that Boyd picked off.  The Tigers were called for roughing the passer, however, and the Trojans got a first down at the 44.  On a jet sweep, WR Ward took the ball around right end for a gain of 23 to the NA 33.  After a run gained nothing, the third quarter ended the Tigers holding the 21-7 lead.  As the fourth quarter begin, a pitchout to Fenton gained five to the Tiger 29.  An inside handoff to Schmude got three more.  On fourth and one, Fenton was stopped by the Tiger defense short of the first down, and NA took over at their 24.  The Tigers then went on another long drive all on the ground.  After Greco ran right for five, the NA QB took around the left side for thirteen more and a first down at the 43.  DeCiantis got seven on first down, and senior FB Corey Watts three more and a first down at midfield.  Zach Watts picked up seven more on first down, and Greco ran left for seven more and a first down at the McDowell 32.  Greco ran the right side for nine more.  On second and one, Greco threw into the end zone but the pass fell incomplete.  On third and one, it was Greco left for five and a first down at the Trojan 18.  On the next play, the Tigers fumbled with McDowell recovering at their 20.  On first down, Herbe scrambled for twelve yards and a first down at the 32.  On the next play, Herbe was chased out of the pocket but sent a two-handed chest pass to Fenton for a gain of eleven and a first down at the 43.  After a Trojan timeout, Corey Watts came straight up the middle and sacked Herbe at the 35 for a loss of eight.  Three incomplete passes turned the ball over to the Tigers at the Trojan with just over four minutes remaining.  The Tiger ground attack ate up the remaining time with DeCiantis and Greco taking turns running the ball.  Greco got to the McDowell 12 but time ran out as the Tigers picked up a 21-7 victory.

It was an important win for the Tigers as they remained unbeaten in conference play with the showdown with Shaler coming up next Friday.  After a wild first six minutes of the game, the contest settled down into a battle of run oriented offenses.  The two Trojan turnovers helped the Tigers to the 14-7 halftime lead, but NA controlled the ball and the game in the second half.  Greco was the Tiger quarterback in the second half and finished with a total of 95 yards rushing for the game.  DeCiantis added 91 on the ground as the Tigers finished with 221 net yards rushing.  NA threw only four passes the entire game, completing two for 97 yards.  The Tiger defense held McDowell to only 35 yards in the air on a four for thirteen night for Herbe.  NA picked off one pass, had another nullified by a penalty, and recorded two big sacks.  For his effort in the second half, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Geoff Greco as the Player of the Game.   

With the win, the Tigers improved their conference record to 2-0, the overall mark to 6-0.  NA will host Shaler on Friday night in a battle for first place in the Northern Five Conference at 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 7:10 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY – 21  McDOWELL – 7

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

TEAM STATISTICS

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