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HUGE SECOND HALF HELPS TIGERS BEDEVIL MT. LEBANON, 39-14

Mack Leftwich threw for over 300 yards, Gregg Garrity enjoyed a career receiving night, and the North Allegheny defense pitched a second half shutout, as the Tigers won their season opener, 39-14.  Leftwich's performance earned him Wright Automotive Player of the Game accolades, leading the powerful Tigers offense after a sluggish start.

The contest began ominously for North Allegheny, as the offense fumbled away its first two possessions.  Mt. Lebanon took advantage, drawing first blood on quarterback Tyler Roth's 1-yard touchdown plunge for an early 7-0 lead.  The Tigers quickly answered with a scoring drive of their own, culminating with Zach Lyon recovering a loose ball in the endzone after Leftwich lunged for the goal line.  The touchdown was set up by a 52-yard bomb from Leftwich to Brendan Coniker.  On his route, Coniker split and outran a pair of defenders to catch a perfectly thrown Leftwich ball in stride.  After trading passing touchdowns to tie the score at 14, Jason Buchert added a 24-yard field goal to give North Allegheny a three point advantage at the halftime break.  Brett Neugebauer neatly fielded the snap, affording Buchert opportunity to put the Tigers up for good.

Following halftime, the defense clamped down, limiting the Mt. Lebanon offense to short passes and negating any semblance of a running game.  Patrick Kugler, Jeremy Gonzales, and Kevin Edwards had several punishing tackles.  In the secondary, Coniker, Elijah Zeise, and Jack Henderson blanketed the Blue Devil receivers.  While the unit did not record an interception, they effectively tipped away numerous potential completions.  After a touchdown reception by Garrity and a scoring scamper by Leftwich, Alex DeCiantis capped off the night with a 7-yard touchdown run.

North Allegheny will begin their section schedule next week at Fox Chapel.  The game will also be broadcast on the North Allegheny sports network.  Pregame will begin at approximately 6:45, while kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm. 

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 39   MT. LEBANON 14

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

NORTH ALLEGHENY

MT. LEBANON

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TIGERS TAKE TO THE ROAD FOR 2012 OPENER

Friday night, the North Allegheny football team will head south to Mt. Lebanon to take on the Blue Devils in their season opener.  North Allegheny enters the contest with a 29-2 record over the past two seasons.  The two schools have not met since the 2009 season.  That year, the Tigers won at Mt. Lebanon in Week 2 by a score of 28-7.  The Tigers are 3-0 in their last three meetings with the Blue Devils, including a 7-6 victory during the 2006 WPIAL Playoffs.

Last season, Mt. Lebanon finished 7-4, earning a playoff berth, but underwent a drastic transformation in the offseason.  After 17 seasons at the helm, Chris Haering accepted a assistant coach job at the University of Pittsburgh, causing Mt. Lebanon to tap Mike Melnyk to fill the vacancy.  Melnyk heads west after 13 years at the head coach at Mannheim Township (PIAA District 3).  In addition to head coach, the Blue Devils are left with unfamiliar faces throughout their lineup. 

Despite their senior status, both quarterback Tyler Roth and tailback Doran Graham will be first-year starters.  On the outside, junior Troy Apke returns as a go-to receiver.   A strength of Mt. Lebanon may be their offensive line, with several players listed over 250 pounds.  Their grit will certainly be needed in the newly created Southeastern Conference, a product of last year’s WPIAL realignment, which added Woodland Hills, Plum, and Penn Hills to the former Great Southern Conference. 

On the other side of the field, The two-time defending WPIAL champions have a plethora of experienced weapons at their disposal.  Offensively, dual-threat quarterback Mack Leftwich returns for his senior season.  Last year, Leftwich topped 2,000 yards passing, while ending the year with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games.  Receiving threats Brendan Coniker and Gregg Garrity also return for their senior year. In the backfield, Alex DeCiantis will lead a stable of runners in what is expected to be an extremely potent offense. 

The offensive line will have some new bodies opening up holes, thanks to graduating three of five starters.  Jeremy Gonzales and Patrick Kugler will be back, however, and expect to be a handful for opponents on both sides of the ball.  The defense should again by reliable, led by linebacker Kevin Edwards.  Along the outside, Coniker and Elijah Zeise will again have coverage duties.  Heading into week one, plenty of opportunity remains for several new faces to make an impact throughout the lineup.

Due to construction on the Mt. Lebanon campus, fans are encouraged to arrive early to the game.  Parking is limited in the high school lots, so carpooling is encouraged.  More information can be found on the main page of the North Allegheny athletics site. 

For those that do not make the trek to the south hills, but want to keep track of the action, be sure to tune in to the North Allegheny Sports Network radio broadcast.  Pregame coverage is scheduled for 7:15 pm, with kickoff set for 7:30 pm.

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TIGERS EARN NATIONAL RECOGNITION, RANKED 2nd IN STATE

(8/9/12) The reigning two-time WPIAL champions are ready to charge onto the field to begin the 2012 football schedule on August 31 and the North Allegheny Tigers are receiving some national recognition as one of the teams to beat in the state of Pennsylvania.  According to Rivals.com, the NA Tigers are ranked 69^th in the nation in their Top 100 poll.  Rivals considers the Tigers to be the top team in the WPIAL and second in the state behind last year’s PIAA title winners, Central Dauphin.  With a host of key returning players, including quarterback Mack Leftwich, offensive lineman Patrick Kugler, running back Alex DeCiantis and receiver/cornerback Brendan Coniker, North Allegheny hopes to battle their way through a rugged schedule to claim a Quad-A three-peat. 

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KUGLER RECEIVES PRESEASON HONOR

Before the Tigers have even stepped foot in Newman stadium to begin the 2012 season, North Allegheny senior offensive lineman Patrick Kugler has been named to the Kennywood - MSA Sports Preseason All-Star Football Team.  Kugler will be part of an awards ceremony at Kennywood Park on Wednesday, August 1 to receive the honor.  The senior anchors an offensive line that has bulldozed a path to back-to-back WPIAL championships the past two seasons, including a PIAA crown in 2010.   On defense, Kugler helped stifle opponents’ scoring chances with 36 tackles and two sacks last season.  Kugler will be part of a Tigers team that is vying for a WPIAL title three-peat in 2012.  

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