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TIGER COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AS BETHEL PARK WINS, 35-21

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by Don Vandergrift

After the game was stopped by lightning of Friday night, NA and Bethel Park resumed action on Saturday morning at Newman Stadium.  After spotting Bethel Park a 28-0 lead, the Tigers rallied to score the next 21 points.  NA had two chances to score the tying touchdown in the fourth quarter but could not convert.  Junior QB Adam Neugebauer threw three touchdown passes, two to senior SE Nick Henderson and one to senior RB Billy Knight, but the Blackhawks were able to hold on for the victory.  Junior TB Justin Pratt scored three times for the winning Blackhawks.

On Friday night on the opening kickoff, Knight returned the ball to the NA 39, a return of 31 yards.  After two plays gained only three yards, Neugebauer was sacked on third down forcing an NA punt.  Sophomore punter Geoff Greco punted to senior Kevin Yonto who was tackled in his tracks for junior Alex Carson at the BP 36.  The Blackhawks then went on a 12-play 64-yard scoring drive.  Three runs by Pratt got a first down at the Bethel 46.  On second down, junior QB Jeff Stewart ran around right end for 29 yards to the NA 20.  A personal foul call moved the ball back to the NA 48.  On third down, Pratt took the ball on an option sweep, was hit by several Tigers at the line of scrimmage, but broke free for a gain to the NA 11.  On third down, Stewart found junior WR Tim  Picard open in the end zone for a touchdown.  Sophomore Ethan Talbott added the point to give the Blackhawks a 7-0 lead at the 5:09 mark.  Once again, Knight got a good return on the kickoff and only a touchdown-saving tackle at midfield kept the Tiger senior from going the distance.  After a motion penalty against the Tigers, three incomplete passes forced another NA punt.  Greco’s punt was downed at the Bethel 33.  On the first play, Pratt again broke free from Tiger tacklers and raced 67 yards for another Bethel touchdown.  Talbott’s kick made it 14-0 with 4:22 remaining.  Junior Tyler DiMartino returned the kickoff to the NA 38.  After junior FB Marek Lapinski gained three yards, lightning was spotted by the game officials and the game was suspended.  After an hour and more lightning on the way, the decision was made to resume play on Saturday morning.  It was a good decision as heavy rains and more lightning followed on Friday night.

When play resumed on Saturday morning, the Tigers came out strong.  Neugebauer hit Knight for a 12-yard gain and a first down to the Blackhawk 48.  After sophomore RB Karl DeCiantis gained nine, Lapinski picked up five more and a first down at the BP 34.  Two running plays gained two yards, but Neugebauer then hit Henderson for 25 yards and an apparent NA score.  Offensive pass interference was called, however, with the 15-yard penalty moving the ball back to the 48 with a loss of down.  NA was forced to punt and Greco put the ball out of bounds at the Bethel 22.  On the first play, Stewart hit senior WR Nathan Buckley for a gain of 32 yards to the NA 46.  On second down, the Blackhawks fumbled the ball to senior FS Steve Halvonik who returned it to the NA 40 as time ran out in the quarter.  The longest quarter of the season ended with Bethel Park holding a 14-0 advantage.

On the first place of the second quarter, the Tigers returned the favor and fumbled the ball back to Bethel at midfield.  After a holding call moved the ball back to the BP 40, it took the Blackhawks only four plays to score again.  On second and long, Stewart hit senior FB Jon Enyeart with a screen pass good for 17 yards and a first down.  After Stewart threw to his senior TE Alex Wojdowski for 24 yards to the NA 16, Stewart ran the left side on a keeper and raced untouched into the end zone.  Talbott’s kick made it 21-0 at the 10:17 mark of the second quarter.  After the teams exchanged punts, the Tigers took over at their 25.  On second down, Lapinski ran for 8 yards and a first down at the NA 36.  Neugebauer then found sophomore TE Mike Furhman for a 16-yard gain and another first down to the Bethel 48.  After a five-yard penalty moved the ball to the 43, Neugebauer hit senior RB Adam Hambrick for an apparent 43-yard touchdown.  Unfortunately for the Tigers, the officials called holding on NA wiping up a second Tiger score.  On the next play, Bucklew picked off a Tiger pass and returned it to the NA 28.  A second down pass from Stewart to Picard got a first down at the NA 9.  On the next play, Pratt ran the left side for his second touchdown.  Talbott’s third straight conversion pushed the Bethel margin to 28-0 with just 2:58 remaining.  The Tigers were unable to move the ball and punted to Bethel at the Bethel Park 29.  On the first play, the Blackhawks fumbled and Lapinski recovered at the Bethel 31.  Neugebauer took advantage of the turnover as he hit Knight in full stride at the 5, and the Tiger senior scored the first NA touchdown of the game.  Senior Justin Runkel added the point to cut the lead to 28-7.  Bethel moved the ball to the NA 16 before time ran down.  The Blackhawks had time to attempt a 33-yard field goal by Talbott, but the kick fell short with 10 seconds remaining.  The teams went to the intermission with Bethel Park holding a commanding 28-7 lead.

After the second half kickoff was returned to the Bethel 23, the Black Hawks picked up a first down on three runs by Pratt.  On a second and seven, senior LB Darren Lepere broke through to sack Stewart for a loss of 8.  A gain of only one forced the Blackhawks to punt to the NA 30.  The Tigers then went on an 11-play 70-yard drive.  On second down, Neugebauer then long to Henderson down the left sideline and the Tiger senior came down with ball for a 36-yard gain to the BP 35.  On second down, Knight picked up sixteen on a reverse to the Blackhawk 19.  After two plays lost three yards, the Blackhawks were called for pass interference giving the Tigers a first down at the BP 11.  After three plays gained nothing, NA was faced with a fourth and ten at the 11.  Neugebauer again threw to Henderson, this time in the corner of the end zone.  Henderson went up between two defenders and come down with the ball.  When he hit the ground, the ball popped loose.  One official signaled touchdown, but the others ruled incomplete.  After a consultation of several minutes by the officials, the ruling was a Tiger touchdown.  Runkel’s point after made it a 28-14 game with 3:52 remaining in the quarter.  After the ensuing kickoff was returned to the 29, the Tiger defense forced another Bethel Punt that was caught by Knight on a diving catch at the NA 49.  After three plays gained only four yards, the Tigers went back in punt formation.  DeCiantis took a direct snap on a fake punt and ran for 22 yards and a first down at the Bethel  25.  On the next play, Neugebauer hit Henderson with a perfect pass in the end zone and the Tigers were back in the game.  Runkel’s kick cut the lead to 28-21 with 1:04 left in the quarter.  A holding call against NA gave Bethel a first down, and the quarter ended with the Blackhawks holding the ball and a seven-point lead.

The Tiger defense forced another Bethel punt that went out of bounds at the Blackhawk 49 after traveling only 14 yards.  On second down, Henderson made a great catch at the Bethel 10 for a gain of 37 yards and a first and goal for the Tigers.  Two running plays gained nothing.  With a third and goal, Neugebauer had two chances to hit Henderson in the left corner of the end zone, but the passes fell incomplete.  After Pratt picked up 17 to the BP 27, the Blackhawks fumbled and senior Josh Landreneau fell on the ball at the Bethel 16.  After Neugebauer hit Knight for a gain of six, the Tigers were called for holding, with the penalty moving the ball all the way back to the Bethel 40.  Two incomplete passes and a sack forced a Tiger punt with Greco putting the ball out of bounds at the Bethel 16.  At this point, the Bethel offense regrouped.  The Blackhawks went on a game-winning 84 yard-drive in eight plays, taking 5:02 off the clock, with Pratt scoring his third touchdown from one yard out.  Talbott’s point made it 35-21 with only 2:05 remaining.  After DiMartino returned the kickoff to the NA 36, Neugebauer hit Knight for a gain of six.  After a five-yard penalty, an incomplete pass and a sack brought up a fourth and 17.  A pass to Knight gained 12 but the Tigers had to turn the ball over at their 41.  Stewart took a knee twice and the Blackhawks had survived a good NA comeback to take a 35-21 win back to Bethel Park.

It was a good effort by the Tigers, and they had a realistic chance to pull out a victory.  The defense stiffened in the second half, allowing the offense to move the ball and get back in the game.  For his efforts in the comeback, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected senior Nick Henderson as the NA Player of the Game. 

The loss dropped the NA conference record to 0-2, the overall mark to 1-3.  The Tigers will host the undefeated Upper St. Clair Panthers on Friday night at Newman Stadium.  USC is coming off a 38-7 pasting of Mt. Lebanon and are outscoring their opponents, 155-7, on the season.  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.  Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
BETHEL PARK - 35  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 21

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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