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TIGERS BLOW AWAY GOLDEN TORNADO, 49-0

(9/29/12) North Allegheny dominated another section opponent Friday night, downing the visiting Butler Golden Tornado, 49-0.  The Tigers scored early and often, on their way to a comfortable 42-0 halftime lead.  Quarterback Mack Leftwich turned in another masterful performance through the air, torching the Golden Tornado defense for 220 yards on just six completions.  Four of those completions went for touchdowns.  On the other side of the ball, North Allegheny turned in its first shutout of the year.  Linebacker Mark Schultheis was named Wright Automotive Player of the Game for his stout efforts on defense, including an interception on the first series of the game.

Following Schultheis’ interception, the Tigers struck on their first play from scrimmage.  Leftwich connected with Zach Lyon over the middle for a 30-yard catch-and-run touchdown.  North Allegheny needed just three plays on its next possession to score, as Leftwich found Elijah Zeise behind the secondary for a 94-yard touchdown bomb, putting the Tigers in control, 14-0. 

Buter drove into North Allegheny territory but turned the ball over on downs at the end of the first quarter.   After a few runs by Alex DeCiantis, Leftwich hit his running back with a perfectly designed screen, as DeCiantis raced up the sidelines 40 yards to paydirt.  As the half wound down, the Tigers scored three more touchdowns, in a span of just 1:09, including a defensive score by Brendan Coniker.  Despite dominating time of possession, Butler was held to just 198 total yards by the Tigers defense.  Additionally, the Tigers forced four turnovers on the night.

With the win, North Allegheny improves to 5-0, including a 4-0 record within the Northern Eight Conference.  The Tigers will take a step out of section play next week when they head to Monroeville for a showdown with the Gateway Gators.  The Gators are ranked #2 in the WPIAL and #4 in the state by local media outlets.  The game will be broadcast on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 49   BUTLER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

NORTH ALLEGHENY

BUTLER

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NA HOSTS VASTLY IMPROVED BUTLER TONIGHT AT NEWMAN STADIUM

(9/28/12) It’s been more than a decade since Butler has been considered a playoff contender, but second-year head coach Clyde Conti has built the Golden Tornado into exactly that in 2012.  Entering tonight’s action with a 2-2 record in the Northern Eight Conference, Butler visits the reigning two-time WPIAL Champion North Allegheny Tigers at Newman Stadium.  The Tigers are currently riding an eight game winning streak against the Golden Tornado and have not lost to Butler since 2003.  The series has been dominated by the Tigers in recent years with several blowout victories favoring NA.  In their last five meetings, North Allegheny has outscored Butler 199-14, including three shutouts.      

However, this Golden Tornado team is playing with a lot more confidence than in years past.  In week two, Butler snapped a 28-game conference losing streak with a 60-26 blowout of Shaler and narrowly lost to North Hills last week, 14-0.  Despite losing to the Indians last week, Butler allowed only one offensive touchdown and plays with a hard-nosed defense that’s lead by middle linebacker Rob Vernick.  The three-year starter at linebacker, Vernick leads Butler with 44 tackles.  The top defensive lineman for Butler is senior Steve Shoemaker who has collected three sacks on the year.  Shoemaker epitomizes the Butler defense, undersized but fast and aggressive. 

The Golden Tornado’s defense will have the difficult task of facing one of the best offenses in class AAAA, led by the top passer in the WPIAL, Mack Leftwich.  Leftwich has thrown for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, with his top target being senior Gregg Garrity who has pulled in 20 passes for 387 yards and five scores.  On the ground, North Allegheny is paced by senior Alex DeCiantis who has carried the ball 68 times for 390 yards and five touchdowns.  In last week’s 35-3 win over Pine-Richland, DeCiantis rushed for 201 yards, grinding down the Rams defense in the second half.  With an offense that uses multiple sets, the Tigers can wear down an opponent with the rushing attack or simply go over them with the highly accurate Leftwich.

On the other side of the ball, the NA defense, which has not allowed a touchdown in 10 consecutive quarters, will face a Butler squad that likes to keep the ball primarily on the ground.  Using a Wing-T, option offense that had its way with Shaler and Pine-Richland earlier this season, the Golden Tornado boast a trio of runners that have accounted for over 600 yards rushing.  The leading ball carrier amongst this three-headed monster is senior halfback Kolby Kriess who has toted the ball 49 times for 263 yards and two touchdowns.  Senior wide-out Jacob Olenick, who often runs the ball off the jet sweep, has rushed for 226 yards and three scores.  Junior fullback Claude Clarke rounds out the triumvirate with 180 yards rushing on 24 carries.  The key for North Allegheny in defending the Butler run game is hampering quarterback Jordan Cratty.  The senior signal caller has rushed for 124 yards and is the primary decision maker for all run plays out of the option.  If the Tigers can snuff out Cratty, the rest of the dominos will topple.  When Butler decides to pass, Canan Roskovski is the top receiver, catching 13 passes for 232 yards and a score.  Cratty has been erratic when asked to throw, tossing for 357 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Similar to the Butler defensive line, the offensive line is very much undersized in comparison to North Allegheny, and blocking the likes of Patrick Kugler and Jeremy Gonzales up front will prove difficult for the Golden Tornado.  Gonzales, Zach Lyon, and Layne Skundrich are tied for the team lead with three sacks apiece and are likely to bring the heat again tonight.  Other players that have a great nose for the football are Jack Henderson, Kevin Edwards, Mark Schulteis, and Chas Smith.  All four are tied for the team lead with 18 tackles, exemplifying the Tigers swarming defensive style.  NA’s top thief in the defensive backfield is Elijah Zeise who has pirated two enemy passes this season.

North Allegheny has the size and big game experience that surely gives them the edge, but Butler’s new found confidence could make them a pesky bunch in this home contest for the Tigers.  North Allegheny looks to extend their winning streak to nine against Butler with kickoff at Newman Stadium slated for 7:30 pm.  Tune in via the internet for all the live action with Randy Gore and Rick Meister, beginning with the pre-game show at 7:10 pm. 

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