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TIGERS HOLD OFF WOODLAND HILLS, 14-0, IN FIRST ROUND OF WPIAL PLAYOFFS

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The Tigers scored fourteen first quarter points and held off Woodland Hills for the remainder of the game to take a 14-0 victory over the Wolverines in the first round of the WPIAL Quad A playoffs at Newman Stadium on Friday night.  Senior QB Mike Locke hit senior WR Brian Austin on a 91-yard scoring strike midway through the quarter for the first score.  Late in the period, Locke went in on a quarterback sneak from one yard out.  A two-point conversion from Locke to Austin completed the scoring.

After Austin returned the opening kickoff 15 yards to the NA 22, the Tigers could not move the ball and junior Justin Brozick punted to Jayron Polk who was hit immediately by junior T.J. Idowu at th WH 40.  Junior tailback Dom Timbers ran for eight on first down, and a reverse to WR Cameron Contreras got four more and a first down to the NA 48.  The NA defense held the Wolverines to just one yard in the next three plays forcing a Contreras punt that bounced out of bounds at the NA 7.  After junior tailback David Humphrey got two on first down, Locke found Austin open at midfield and the Tiger speedster outran the WH secondary to complete the 91-yard scoring play.  Junior Jackson Cox missed right on the conversion as NA took a 6-0 lead with 6:49 remaining in the quarter.  Timbers got loose and returned the kickoff for 30 yards to the WH 46.  After two incomplete passes, the NA defense chased Timbers all the way back to the Wolverine 32, a loss of fourteen yards.  Contreras punted to Austin who made a fair catch at the NA 34.  After a motion penalty, senior fullback Jorden Kraus ran up the middle for five yards.  The next two plays lost a yard, and Brozick punted to Timbers who dropped the ball with junior Gary Allen recovering for the Tigers at the Woody High 32.  An incomplete pass and false start penalty brought up a second and 15 at the 37.  Locke then threw to Austin on a middle screen for a gain of fifteen and at first down at the WH 22.  On the next play, Humphrey raced for eight off the right side to the Wolverine 14.  Kraus then ran up the middle and was dragged down inside the WH one.  On the next play, Locke took it in on a quarterback sneak.  The Tigers went for two, and Locke hit Austin just across the goal line to make it a 14-0 NA lead with 2:27 left in the quarter.  Polk took the ensuing kickoff all the way to the NA 45, a return of 37 yards.  On a second and six, senior DE Wes Henderson broke through to sack QB John Yezovich at the 34.  After an incomplete pass, Contreras punted into the end zone.  The Tigers ran two plays for no gain as the quarter ended.  NA took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

On the first play of the second quarter, Locke found Henderson open for a gain of 20 and a first down at the NA 39.  After senior HB Grant Huckestein got two, an incomplete pass brought up a third and eight.  A pass to Henderson gained only six forcing a Brozick punt that was caught by Lafayette Pitts on a fair catch at the WH 20.  The Wolverines went on a long drive that took the ball all the way to the NA 13 before the Tiger defense stiffened.  It was Timbers who did most of the work picking up 33 yards on three carries to the NA 47.  After Yezovich threw to his TE Mike Lee for a gain of 23 to the Tiger 24, Timbers got eleven and another first down at the Tiger 13.  On a second and ten, junior LB Jon Lowery broke through to hit Timbers for a loss of four at the NA 17.  After a time out, Yezovich hit Timbers in the end zone, but a Woodland Hills lineman was caught down field illegally.  The penalty moved the ball back to the NA 22.  On fourth and long, sophomore DB Matt Steinbeck broke up a Yezovich pass in the end zone.  the Tigers took over at their 22.  After Kraus got three, a motion penalty moved the ball back to the 20.  Steinbeck ran the left side for a gain of eleven to the 31  After an incomplete pass on third down, Brozick punted to Timbers who made a fair catch at the WH 37 with 3:17 left in the half.  On first down, Yezovich threw to Contreras for a gain of 14 and a first down at the NA 49.  After Yezovich found Timbers open for a gain of nine, the WH running back got three more and a first down at the Tiger 34.  On a third and six, Yezovich hit Contreras for a gain of 19 and another first down at the NA 11.  Timbers ran the middle for five to the Tiger six with 1:11 remaining.  After a WH time out, Yezovich tripped going back to pass for a loss of nine to the 15.  On the next play, Lowery almost intercepted a pass in the end zone, but it fell to the ground incomplete.  On fourth and long with 40 seconds left, Henderson and senior LB Brad Comport combined on a sack that brought Yezovich down for a loss of11.  The Tigers took over at their 26.  After Humphrey ran for 10 and a first down to the 36, Locke scrambled for two more as time ran out.  The Tigers took a 14-0 advantage to the intermission.

Cox sent the second half kickoff deep to Polk who returned it to the WH 25.  On second and nine, Henderson broke through again to sack Yezovich back at the Wolverine 18, a loss of eight.  After a third down play got only five, Contreras punted with the ball downed at the WH 45.  Three plays got only eight yards, and Brozick punted with the ball downed by the Tigers at the Woody High 1.  Three plays gained only five yards, and Contreras punted out of bounds at the WH 26, a kick of only 20 yards.  On second and ten, Locke was sacked by Julian Turner back at the WH 32.  On the next play, Ron DeVaughn picked off a Locke pass in the end zone and brought it back to the Wolverine 20.  On a third and six, senior tackle Ryan Schlieper sacked Yezovich back at the 15, a loss of seven.  Contreras punted again with the ball downed at the WH 49.  Steinbeck ran for eight up the middle on first down and followed with a gain of five more and a first down at the 36.  On the next play, Locke could not handle the snap and the Wolverines Alfonzo Strozier recovered at the WH 37.  Timbers got thirteen up the middle and a first down at midfield.  Timbers picked up four on the next play, and fullback Cameron Thompkins added six more and a first down at the NA 40.  On the last play of the quarter, Timbers raced for 14 and another first down at the Tiger 26.  NA continued to hold the 14-0 lead going into the fourth quarter.

After Timbers was hit for a two-yard loss to open play in the final stanza, an incomplete pass brought up a third and 12.  On the next play, Timbers ran around the right side and was finally pulled down at the NA 2.  Timbers gained a yard on the next play with the Tiger defense then stopping him for a loss of a yard.  With a third and goal at the two, Timbers tried to get around left end but was trapped for a loss of eight at the NA 10.  On fourth and goal, Yezovich's pass to WR Ronrei Lloyd was knocked down in the end zone by senior LB Jackson Boyd and junior CB Blair Plivelic.  With a third and eight, NA Head Coach Art Walker called a time out with 8:38 left in the game.  On the next play, Humphrey ran a draw for eight yards and a first down at the 20.  Staying on the ground, Steinbeck got eight on first down, and senior fullback Jared Congedo picked up five more and another first down at the NA 33.  On a third and five, Steinbeck broke free up the middle for a gain of 11 and a first down at the 49.  After a motion penalty, Humphrey got the five yards back on the next play.  On a third and 12, an incomplete pass brought up a punting situation.  The Tigers had run off over seven minutes with Brozick punting with just 2:38 left.  On the return, Timbers slipped trying to cut and went down at the WH 25.  Contreras picked up 13 on a reverse to the 38 on the first play.  Timbers then got loose for a gain of 30 all the way to the Tiger 32.  On a second and one, WH coach George Novak called a time out.  After an incomplete pass, Timbers got six to the NA 25.  On fourth and three, Yezovich made an error in judgment and spiked the ball to stop the clock.  The problem was that it was a fourth down play, and the ball went over to the Tigers at their own 25.  Locke took a knee twice as time ran out on the Wolverines.  The Tigers held on for the 14-0 victory and a trip to the quarterfinals.

With the win, NA advanced to a quarterfinal meeting with the number 2 seed and undefeated Bethel Park Blackhawks.  It was a good team victory for the Tigers with the offense generating enough points to win, and the defense coming up big against a talented WH offense.  Timbers was able to gain a game high 134 net yards, but NA hit hit for losses of 30 in that total.  Yezovich was held to just four completions in 18 attempts for 65 yards gained.  NA was able to gain 120 yards on the ground led by Steinbeck with 55, Humphrey with 39, and Kraus with 29.  Locke completed five of thirteen for 141 yards and a touchdown.  Austin caught two passes for 107 yards and a score and also added a catch for a two-point conversion.  The NA defense broke through for four sacks, led by Henderson who was in on three of them.  For his offensive efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Brian Austin as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to the Quad A quarterfinals next week against Bethel Park, a 48-20 winner over Hempfield on Friday night.  The game will be played at Baldwin High School on Friday night.  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.
Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 14  WOODLAND HILLS - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

* STATISTICS *
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 14  WOODLAND HILLS - 0

Statistics Courtesy of Steve Heckmann

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