Football News

The North Allegheny Athletic Department is proud to announce the winners of the Male and Female Athletes of the Year for the 2013-2014 school year.  Football and Basketball player Elijah Zeise was named the North Allegheny Male Athlete of the Year.  Volleyball and Basketball player Danielle Wall was recognized as the North Allegheny Female Athlete of the Year.

Zeise, a Pitt recruit, produced a career year on the gridiron with 49 receptions for 952 yards and nine touchdowns. Also a talented defensive back, Zeise tallied 31 tackles and collected a team-best five interceptions. Amongst numerous accolades received this fall, Zeise was named to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Team. A testament to his character and drive, Zeise overcame a shoulder injury sustained in the final football game of the year to be a key contributor on the NA Boys’ Basketball Team. Zeise helped the NA hoopsters to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA second round, averaging 11 points per game and over six rebounds per contest. Zeise was the third leading scorer and second leading rebounder on a team that went 22-5.

Also a talented two-sport athlete, Wall helped the Girls’ Volleyball squad to a WPIAL championship and an appearance in the PIAA quarterfinals. Hammering opponents with a wicked swing from the outside, Wall helped the Tigers to a 20-1 record and was selected to the All-State Team as an outside hitter. On the hardwood, Wall provided the Lady Tigers with good size in the paint with her 5’11’’ frame. In large part to the talents of Wall, the NA Girls’ Basketball Team reached the WPIAL and PIAA semifinals, producing an astonishing 25-3 record. Wall was the second leading rebounder on the team, pulling down a total of 116 rebounds and averaging 4.8 boards per game.  The senior forward averaged nearly six points per game.

Congratulations to Elijah and Danielle and best of luck in their future endeavors!

(In photo above from left to right: Elijah Zeise, NA Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto, and Danielle Wall)

Above is a photo of North Allegheny football players who have committed to continuing their playing careers at the collegiate level.  Pictured in the back row are Elijah Zeise (University of Pittsburgh), Sean Idowu (undecided), Giosue Bochicchio (Susquehanna University), Nick James (Georgetown University), Zach Koegler (Capital University) and Cage Galupi (Marietta College). Pictured in the front row are Dario Denillo (Geneva College) and Isaac Weaver (Grove City).  Missing from photo is Reilly Sullivan (Slippery Rock). Congratulations and best of luck to all of our North Allegheny football players in their future endeavors.

Standout receiver and defensive back Elijah Zeise has been named to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Football Team.  As an All-State selection at wide receiver, Zeise was one of eight WPIAL players chosen from the WPIAL in Class AAAA.  Zeise, a Pitt-recruit, posted career highs at North Allegheny in 2013 with 49 receptions, 952 yards and nine touchdowns. Overcoming a shoulder injury in the final playoff game against Upper St. Clair, Zeise is on the hardwood contributing his skills to the undefeated North Allegheny Boys’ Basketball Team.

The North Allegheny Athletic Department has raised $3,418 for the American Cancer Society through the Crucial Catch program. On Friday, October 18 against the Shaler Titans, the NA Football Team donned special “pink” jerseys that were auctioned off, with the proceeds going toward Breast Cancer research and awareness.  Since that night, the North Allegheny Athletic Department is pleased to announce that $3,418 dollars has been raised through the jersey auction and a check was presented to the American Cancer Society.  Thank you to everyone involved who helped make this Crucial Catch Night at North Allegheny a success.

North Allegheny had eight players named to the Northern Eight All-Conference Team.  Earning First-Team All-Conference laurels was senior receiver Elijah Zeise, senior lineman Nick James, senior defensive lineman Zach Koegler (in photo), and junior linebacker Layne Skundrich. Ziese was the team’s leading receiver with 49 catches for 952 yards and nine touchdowns, James anchored the offensive line and was a team captain, Koegler posted 55 tackles with seven for a loss, and Skundrich was NA’s leading tackler with 97 stops and 17 tackles for a loss.

Named to the Northern Eight Second-Team was defensive back Nick Woytowitz, running back Isaac Weaver, and lineman James Delligatti and Nick Lewandowski.  The All-Conference Team was released to the public via the Quad-A Sports Website (www.quadasports.com) on Thursday afternoon.

North Allegheny senior Elijah Zeise has been selected to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s annual Fab 22 Team. Zeise, who gave Pitt a verbal commitment in July, had a career year in 2013 with 49 receptions, 952 yards and nine touchdowns.  On defense, Zeise tallied 31 tackles and a team-best five interceptions. The talented two-sport athlete was an integral part of North Allegheny’s 7-4 season and trek to the WPIAL Quarterfinals. Zeise is also a starter on the North Allegheny Boys Basketball Team.

If you missed out North Allegheny’s Crucial Catch Night last month when the Tigers took on the Shaler Titans, you still have a chance to take home a specialty Tigers jersey.  The following jersey numbers are still available: 49 (XL), 80 (2XL), and 93 (XL).  All jerseys are $75 with the proceeds going directly to the American Cancer Society. To acquire your specialty Tigers jersey today, please email North Allegheny Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at BBozzuto@northallegheny.org.

For the 13^th time since 2002, the North Allegheny Tigers (7-3) will battle the Upper St. Clair Panthers (10-0) in tonight’s WPIAL Quarterfinal match-up from Baldwin High School.  Of the previous 12 contests, the Tigers and Panthers have hooked up twice in the post-season. In 2006, Upper St. Clair claimed a 24-3 win in the semifinals en route to a WPIAL title.  In 2011, North Allegheny earned a 28-21 overtime win over the Panthers in the WPIAL Championship at Heinz Field.  Including regular season games, North Allegheny has won three in-a-row over Upper St. Clair and is hoping to extend that winning streak tonight.

The top-seed in the Quad-A bracket, Upper St. Clair has hardly been challenged this season, blowing out opponents on a weekly basis.  The Panthers’ tightest game was played in week one with a 16-10 victory over Woodland Hills.  Aside from the opener, USC has stampeded over anyone and everyone in their path, and started the playoffs with a 44-13 First Round victory over Kiski Area last week.

Bolstered by an air-tight defense, Upper St. Clair has yielded just 43 points all season and has posted six shutouts on the year. One of the key components to the defense is a line that is big in the middle and quick on the outside.  The muscle at defensive tackle is provided by Zack Morris and Ben Huss.  At defensive end, Rob Plummer and Pitt-recruit Rori Blair pressure the edge.  A tremendous athlete, Blair is just over a year removed from suffering a stroke that nearly took his life.  Healthy and fully recovered, Blair has helped crumble opposing pass pockets to the tune of a team-high 6.5 sacks.  At linebacker, Kyle Page is Upper St. Clair’s leading tackler with 73 stops and free-safety Morgan Lee has 46 tackles on the campaign. Owning good bloodlines, Lee is the younger cousin of Connor and Sean Lee of dominant USC teams of the past.  Sean Lee was a standout at Penn State and is currently a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.

On offense, there’s not much secret to what the Panthers want to do and that’s run the football.  Senior tailback Trevor Morrow is a 1,000 yard rusher and has scored a team-best 16 touchdowns on the ground. Fellow runners Stephen Mackowick and Mac Pope have combined for 657 yards and 18 touchdowns as well, although Pope missed last week’s game against Kiski. If Pope is unavailable again tonight, junior Marc Galie will get the start at fullback.  The passing game is led by senior quarterback Joe Repischak who’s thrown for 986 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.  His favorite target is Morgan Lee with 12 receptions for 212 yards.  With a dominant rushing attack that has hardly been slowed, Panthers head coach Jim Render is hoping to see USC impose their will against the Tigers tonight.

While the Panthers average 38 points per game this season, North Allegheny’s defense is coming off back-to-back shutouts against North Hills and Bethel Park. Similar to Upper St. Clair, both North Hills and Bethel Park are teams that heavily rely on the run and neither team amassed more than 176 yards of total offense against the Tigers. The North Allegheny defense is led by linebacker Layne Skundrich who’s posted 87 tackles for the year.  Skundrich is followed by Reilly Sullivan who has 77 tackles.  Skundrich, Sullivan and Eric Sprys all have two sacks apiece.  Cornerback and Pitt-recruit Elijah Zeise has a team-high five interceptions.

Making his first start at quarterback last week was senior signal caller Cage Galupi who helped the Tigers to a 28-0 opening round victory over Bethel Park. Galupi hit two key passes in NA’s first touchdown drive late in the second quarter and will hope to continue facilitating the Tigers attack against USC.  The leading rusher for the Tigers this season is senior Isaac Weaver who has toted the football 62 times for 467 yards and five touchdowns. Last week, Weaver put the game away in the second half with 120 yards and three touchdowns. If Weaver can run with similar effectiveness tonight, it could go a long way toward earning a trip to the WPIAL Semifinals. Scoring first in tonight’s game would certainly give the Tigers a big lift toward a victory. To accomplish that, North Allegheny head coach Art Walker believes his team needs to have a balanced effort.

Kickoff for tonight’s WPIAL Quarterfinal meeting between North Allegheny and Upper St. Clair is slated for 7:30 pm.  The pre-game show on the North Allegheny Sports Network will get underway at 7:05 pm from Baldwin, and will include pre-game interviews with USC head coach Jim Render and NA head coach Art Walker. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

The reigning three-time WPIAL Champion North Allegheny Tigers (6-3) open the Quad-A playoffs on the road tonight against the eighth-seeded Bethel Park Black Hawks (6-3).  Familiar foes in the post-season, the Tigers will battle the Black Hawks for the third time in the last four years and the fourth time in the last six.  The team that has won in the three previous meetings has gone on to win the WPIAL title.

Following an impressive 31-0 victory over rival North Hills in the regular season finale, the Tigers might be hitting their stride at the right time.  Forcing five turnovers and converting short fields into touchdowns, NA played their most complete game of the season in a hostile environment at Martorelli Stadium. Coping with the challenges of playing on the road, and also entering the game in a moment’s notice on NA’s first series, back-up quarterback Cage Galupi had a fantastic outing, throwing for 203 yards and two touchdowns.  With Jeff Clemens recovering from last week’s low leg tackle at North Hills, Galupi will make his first start for the Tigers in tonight’s First Round game.  With a vast knowledge of the offense, North Allegheny will be in good hands with Galupi under center this evening.

While the Tigers are without Clemens, Bethel Park will be without several players, including starting free safety and receiver Danny Emma.  Emma was injured three weeks ago at Upper St. Clair and has been ruled out for tonight.  In an injury riddled 2013 campaign, the Black Hawks have been minus several regulars throughout the year.  Even place kicker Danny Christenson had to miss a week eight game against Seneca Valley due to injury.

Despite the injury woes, Bethel Park boasts a big and burly offensive and defensive front that swallows up opponents on a weekly basis.  The offensive line weighs in at an average of 276 pounds and is anchored by Pitt Panthers recruit, Mike Grimm.  The 6-6, 308 pound senior is a mobile big body, reportedly clocking in a 5.0, 40-yard dash at a Pitt camp. Grimm is joined by returning starters Kevin Boyle and Ryan Sosnak on the O-line.  Sosnak, who stands at 6-3 and 290 pounds, is also a nose tackle on defense, leading the team in tackles with 37 stops. In the running backfield, junior Alex Minton is the leading rusher with 722 yards and seven touchdowns in a ground heavy, conservative attack.

A key for both Bethel Park and North Allegheny tonight will be staying in reasonable third down situations on offense and keeping the opponent to 3^rd and long on defense.  Setting up winning third down situations is something that both teams head coaches agree with.  (Click here to listen to BP’s Jeff Metheny, and click here to listen to NA’s Art Walker, both speaking about third down situations).

With Galupi making his first start at quarterback, the Tigers would love to pound the football with running backs Josh Bergman, Sean Idowu and Isaac Weaver.  The trio has combined to rush for over 900 yards and 12 touchdowns.  In the passing game, Elijah Zeise is the top target with 38 catches for 781 yards and eight touchdowns, having already bested his totals in all three categories from last season.  An impressive feat considering the Tigers played 16 games in 2012.

Tonight’s game marks the first time in eight years the Tigers have played a first round playoff game on the road. In 2005, North Allegheny traveled to the Wolverina and fell to Woodland Hills in a defensive struggle, 7-0. Having conquered an opponent in a road game with playoff–like atmosphere last week at North Hills, the Tigers are hoping to continue the momentum gained against the Indians in tonight’s affair in Bethel Park. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 pm with pre-game coverage getting underway at 7:05 pm.  The pre-game show will feature interviews with Bethel Park head coach Jeff Metheny and North Allegheny head coach Art Walker.  Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call on the North Allegheny Sports Network. Click here to listen to tonight’s broadcast.

The WPIAL football pairings were released on Monday night and the North Allegheny Tigers received the ninth-seed in the Quad-A bracket and will open the playoffs on the road against the Bethel Park Black Hawks.  Familiar playoff foes, the Tigers and Black Hawks will hook up for the fourth time in the last six years.  North Allegheny has won the last two post-season meetings with Bethel Park, including a 42-14 victory in the WPIAL Quarterfinals last season.  The Black Hawks last defeated the Tigers in 2008 with a 42-21 quarterfinal win.

Kickoff for Friday’s game is slated for 7:30 pm at Bethel Park. The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast the game live via the internet. 

For a look at the rest of the Quad-A brackets, click here.

With third place in the Northern Eight Conference on the line, the North Allegheny Tigers (5-3) visit the rival North Hills Indians (5-3) tonight at Martorelli Stadium. In a storied rivalry that has seen many significant games played over the years, tonight’s contest holds great importance as the winner will likely lay claim to a home game in the opening round of the WPIAL playoffs. In the current Quad-A format, two of the three third place teams will host a First Round playoff game.

Someone who has played and coached in many of the rivalry games between North Allegheny and North Hills, is Indians head coach Pat Carey.  In his first year as successor of long-time head coach Jack McCurry, Carey has led the Indians to a 5-3 record and 4-2 mark in the Quad North. Carey was a standout running back and defensive back on the Indians famed 1987 team that was ranked No. 1 by the USA Today, and has also been assistant coach at North Hills for the last 19 years.  The architect of the Indians defense for many seasons, Carey continues to coach the defense which has always been a strength for North Hills.  This year is no different as the Tribe has allowed just 13 points per game, the second lowest in the conference. Among several contributors, the NH defense is anchored by defensive back Kevin Koch and linebacker Corey Bopp.

On offense, North Hills remains predominantly a running team with Koch and Bopp seeing a lot of time in the backfield at tailback and fullback. Under Coach Carey, the offense has used less misdirection and utilizes a more traditional I-formation. Not to say that the Indians won’t throw in a trick play now and then either, especially with talented athletes like quarterback Kindahl Taylor touching the football.  Taylor took over the starting quarterback duties when a week three ankle injury ended the season for junior QB Jake Bruder.  Typically more of a runner than a passer, Taylor is amongst the top rushers on the team, along with Koch and senior Montae Frank.  In a critical 7-0 win over Pine-Richland last week, Taylor did all the damage necessary with his arm, tossing an 80-yard first quarter touchdown pass to junior receiver Brandon Wagner. Wagner and sophomore Shawndale Jones are regulars at the wideout position.

In tonight’s game, the line of scrimmage will be paramount. With the Indians propensity to stick to the ground attack, the North Allegheny defense will be challenged to slow them down.  Linemen Zach Koegler, Paul Blendinger, Eric Sprys and others, will look to gang tackle anyone who carries the football in a red jersey.  Leading tackler Layne Skundrich has 72 stops on the season, and is joined at linebacker by Reilly Sullivan and Jason Monper.  In the defensive backfield, ball hawk Elijah Zeise has a team-high four interceptions.  Zeise is paired with Clay Byerly at corner, with Nick Woytowitz and Riley Trueman seeing time at safety. Tonight’s game has the makings for a grudge match as the defenses and their ability to create turnovers could be a key factor in who comes out on top.

Plagued by injury throughout much of the season, the North Allegheny offensive backfield seems to getting healthy at the right time.  The Tigers are expected to have a full compliment of running backs tonight with Josh Bergman, Sean Idowu and Isaac Weaver all likely to see carries.  The trio has combined for 854 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. At quarterback, Jeff Clemens proved his ailing thumb was of no concern last week, completing 8 of 10 passes for 156 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-20 blowout of Shaler.  On the season, Clemens has thrown for 1,151 yards and 13 touchdowns as the junior has become more comfortable in the pocket as the season has progressed.  Zeise has caught 31 passes for 651 yards and seven touchdowns, already besting his 2012 total for receptions. Byerly is another reliable target with 14 receptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns on the year.  Zeise and Byerly are also threats in the return game, combining for three special teams touchdowns.

Playing in a hostile environment at Martorelli Stadium, tonight’s week nine match-up between North Allegheny and North Hills will certainly have a playoff atmosphere.  In a snippet of our pre-game conversation with North Allegheny coach Art Walker, Coach Walker talks here about the importance of tonight’s game. (The entire pre-game interview with Coach Walker can be heard during the pre-game show on the North Allegheny Sports Network, starting at 7:10 pm.  Click here to listen!)

North Allegheny leads the all-time series with North Hills, 27-26.  The Tigers have won the last two games in the series, trouncing the Indians last season, 42-0, at Newman Stadium.  Kickoff for tonight’s game at North Hills is slated for 7:30 pm.

On Senior Night, the North Allegheny Tigers (4-3) host the Shaler Titans (0-7) at Newman Stadium this evening.  Despite back-to-back losses, the Tigers have already clinched a playoff spot and have a chance to add another conference win to their tally against the winless Titans. Shaler enters tonight’s game having lost 20 consecutive games, including a 44-14 defeat to Pine-Richland last week. Their last win came back in October of 2011, a 41-28 triumph over Erie McDowell.

While the last two weeks have been tough on the Tigers, the last two years have been miserable for the Titans.  Shaler reached the playoffs in 2011 with a 5-5 record, but since then the Titans have been in the process of rebuilding.  Second-year head coach Chris Siegle, a former standout quarterback for Shaler in the late 1990’s, is pressed with the task of building numbers and constructing a foundation from the ground up.  Siegle uses a spread offense with his top playmaker being junior receiver Robbie Reinheimer who has hauled in 20 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns.  Reinheimer, who was the team’s leading receiver as a sophomore in 2012, had a big game against Butler in week two with six catches for 141 yards and two scores.  Reinheimer is joined by Zach Carney as the top receivers in the Shaler passing attack.  Carney has 10 receptions for 174 yards and three scores.

Senior Josh Crawford is the Titians starting quarterback and has completed 40 of 111 passes for 516 yards and three touchdowns. Tonight will be Crawford’s second start against North Allegheny as he filled in for the injured Brad Good last season.  In what resulted in a 55-7 win by NA over Shaler last year, Crawford was the lone bright spot, passing for a touchdown and running for another.  In the backfield, Louie Iezzi was the top running back a season ago for the Titans but has just 132 yards and touchdown this season.  Shaler’s leading rusher is fullback Tim Nickel who has toted the football 42 times for 223 yards and a touchdown.  Nickel is also a very good run stopper on defense and was a Second-Team All-Conference selection at linebacker in 2012. The Shaler offense averages just 12 points per game while their defense allows a whopping 45 points per game.

Hampered by turnovers and injuries in recent weeks, North Allegheny has a chance to get back on track against the struggling Titans.  Last week, the Tigers saw the return of running back Sean Idowu from a foot injury and the senior is expected to line up in the backfield tonight with fellow senior Isaac Weaver.  Idowu has rushed for 247 yards and five touchdowns this season, and Weaver is the team’s leading ground gainer with 300 yards and two rushing scores.  At quarterback, Jeff Clemens started last week and attempted to play through a thumb injury, but was relieved by senior Cage Galupi who completed 11 of 20 passes for 130 yards against a stout Central Catholic defense.  Clemens is hopeful to play tonight but Galupi could see snaps as well.  At receiver, Elijah Ziese is the team’s top target with 27 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns.  Zeise is joined by speedster Clay Byerly who has hauled in 13 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers offense averages 32 points per game this season.

Also returning from injury to play last week was linebacker Jason Monper.  The 5-9 senior made 5.5 tackles in his return with some impressive impact on opposing ball carriers.  Lining up with Monper at linebacker are the team’s leading tacklers, Layne Skundrich and Reilly Sullivan.  The duo of Skundrich and Sullivan has posted 72 and 58 tackles, respectively. Zeise is the leading thief in the defensive backfield with three interceptions and Eric Sprys has a team-high two sacks on the defensive line. North Allegheny allows 18 points per game on defense.

Kickoff for tonight’s game between North Allegheny and Shaler is slated for 7:30 at Newman Stadium.  The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network, with the pre-game show getting underway at 7:10 pm.  Join Randy Gore and Rick Meister for the call.  To listen, click here.

The North Allegheny Tigers (4-2) take to the road tonight to visit the top-ranked Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (6-0) in a Northern Eight Conference clash.  The nomadic Vikings finally have a home this season at Highmark Stadium on the south side and are hoping to sail on to the north side at Heinz Field in November.  Central Catholic has a chance to lock up at least a share of the Quad North title with a victory tonight.

The Tigers are the current conference champs, to go along with their reigning WPIAL and PIAA banners. North Allegheny will bring to Highmark Stadium an offense that averages 37 points per game, the second highest scoring team in Quad-A, to face a stingy Central Catholic defense that has allowed a scant 27 points all season, the second fewest in the WPIAL.  The Vikings D is a well-disciplined group that rarely makes a mistake and should be the most overall sound defense the Tigers will face to date.  Central Catholic is bolstered by all-conference linebacker Zack DeLuca, linebacker Niko Thorpe, cornerback Joe Tindal, and safeties Tre Tarpley and John Petrishen.  The Vikings defense has scored nearly as many times as their opponents as CC has returned three interceptions for touchdowns this season.

Both teams have been bit by the injury bug in recent weeks at the tailback position.  Central Catholic will be without leading rusher Luigi Lista-Brinza who is out with an ankle injury.  North Allegheny has been without junior Josh Bergman since week three and Sean Idowu since week five.  Lista-Brinza has rushed for 920 yards for the Vikings while Bergman and Idowu have tallied 467 yards combined.

Without Lista-Brinza the Vikings haven’t missed a beat thanks to junior Riley Redman who carried the ball for 223 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-14 win over Pine-Richland last week. Back-up running back Grant Foster, the son of former Steelers running back Barry Foster, is a capable ball carrier as well. Likewise, the Tigers running game has been in good hands with senior Isaac Weaver.  Weaver has posted back-to-back 100 yard rushing games against Butler and Gateway over the last two weeks.

Central Catholic utilizes a ground heavy attack but when they decide to pass, the Vikings have the privilege of turning to strong-armed J.J. Cosentino at quarterback. A Florida State recruit, Cosentino has thrown for 290 yards and four touchdowns and is more of a game manager in the style of offense that Central Catholic employs.  Using more of a balanced approach, North Allegheny quarterback Jeff Clemens has completed 53 of 100 passes for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns.

Something North Allegheny hasn’t experience much in recent years is playing as the underdog.  Against the top-ranked Vikings on the road, the Tigers will be considered as such.  However, playing as an underdog is a role the Tigers and head coach Art Walker don’t mind to be in.  (Click here for a sneak peak at tonight’s pre-game interview with Coach Walker and his thoughts on playing as the underdog).

Last season North Allegheny trounced the Vikings 28-0 at Newman Stadium.  In 2010, North Allegheny upset #1 seeded Central Catholic in the WPIAL Semifinals, 17-7. Considering the Tigers fell to Gateway last week, North Allegheny hasn’t lost back-to-back games since 2006.  Despite those back-to-back losses, the Tigers still won the Northern Five Conference title that season and reached the WPIAL semifinals before eventually falling to Upper St. Clair.

Kickoff for tonight’s game between North Allegheny and Central Catholic is at 7:30 from Highmark Stadium.  The game will be broadcast live by the North Allegheny Sports Network with the pre-game show getting underway at 7:10 pm.  Click here to listen!

When the North Allegheny Tigers (4-1) and Gateway Gators (5-0) go head-to-head, it typically ends in hair raising fashion. Last season, the Tigers outlasted the Gators in Monroeville in a knock-down, drag-out defensive battle that saw NA earn a 14-3 victory that was much closer than the score would indicate. In the playoffs in 2011, North Allegheny claimed an exciting 21-17 win over Gateway in the WPIAL semifinals as defensive back James Kleinhample picked off a pass in the waning seconds of the contest to secure a trip to Heinz Field.  In 2007, it was Gateway who prevailed in the WPIAL semifinals with a 28-27 overtime win, denying NA’s Geoff Greco on a two-point attempt at the goal-line to end the ballgame.  With so many memorable games between these two schools, tonight’s Homecoming Game at Newman Stadium has the makings of adding to lore of this series as the third-ranked Gators visit the fifth-ranked Tigers.

It may be a non-conference game, but tonight’s affair means a great deal to both teams involved, especially a Gateway team that believes it has unfinished business against the Tigers because of prior defeats. While the Gators are 5-0, they struggled on opening night againt a one-win Latrobe team and needed a last-minute touchdown to beat Hempfield last week, 22-16.  Regardless of the margin of victory, Gateway remains undefeated under first-year head coach Donnie Militzer.  Replacing long-time head coach Terry Smith who took an assistant job at Temple University, Militzer spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Carlynton High School. While the coaches have changed, the style of play remains the same as in years past with a hard-hitting defense and a spread offense.

The Gators boast six Division I recruits, including four in the receiving corps and secondary.  The headliner is senior Montae Nicholson who has hauled in 15 passes for 192 yards.  Nicholson, a PIAA Champion in the 110 meter hurdles, has scored five total touchdowns, including a fumble and interception return for a touchdown. Temple recruit Delvon Randall is the team’s leading receiver with 23 catches for 288 yards and five total touchdowns. Joining Nicholson and Randall as receivers, and in the defensive secondary, are West Virginia recruit Ricky Rogers and D-I prospect Anthony Davis.  Thanks in large part to his talented receiving unit, senior Jimmy Moore has settle in nicely in his first year as the starting QB, completing 69 of 132 passes for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns with no interceptions.  When the Gators rush the football, sophomore tailback Adam White has toted the rock 34 times for 220 yards.

In last season’s 14-3 win by NA over Gateway, the Tigers used six sacks to wrestle down the Gators offense.  North Allegheny’s defense will again be faced with the challenge of trying to stifle the Gateway attack. Junior linebacker Layne Skundrich is NA’s top tackler with 46 stops and one sack. Fellow linebacker Reilly Sullivan has 33 tackles and Isaac Weaver has chipped in with 31 tackles.  Senior defensive back Elijah Zeise has a team-high three interceptions and lineman Eric Sprys has notched a team-best two sacks.

Against Butler last week, the North Allegheny special teams scored two touchdowns, one on a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown by Clay Byerly, and another on a blocked punt and recovery by Jon Sumpter. The Tigers special teams will be crucial tonight in what could very well be a grudge match with the Gators. NA place kicker Seth Mancuso has converted 18 extra point tries this season and successfully booted an on-side kick two weeks ago against Pine-Richland. Punter Brandon Rossier averages 31.7 yards per punt.

Stepping in at tailback last week was senior Isaac Weaver who rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns in a 58-3 rout of Butler.  Weaver got the start in place of the injure RB’s Brandon Bergman and Sean Idowu and could very well see additional carries tonight, however the Tigers are hopeful of having Bergman and Idowu back in the fold this evening.

Kickoff for tonight’s non-conference clash is set for 7:30 pm at Newman Stadium with homecoming festivities commencing prior to kickoff. The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast the game live via the internet with the pre-game show getting underway at 7:10 pm, including a pre-game interview with Tigers head coach Art Walker. To listen to tonight’s game, click here.

Fresh off an exciting one-point victory over the Pine-Richland Rams last week, the North Allegheny Tigers (3-1) hope to pick up another conference win with a visit to Butler to face the Golden Tornado (1-3) tonight. The Tigers have won nine straight games over the Golden Tornado dating back to 2003 with many of those victories coming by large margins. In the last six head-to-head meetings, the Tigers have defeated Butler by a combined score of 248-14.

While the series between these two foes has been one-sided, the culture of Butler football has changed under three-year head coach Clyde Conti, especially after the Golden Tornado made their first playoff appearance in 15 years last season. However, things haven’t gone quite as easily in 2013. Following a dominating win over Shaler in week two, the Golden Tornado have been on the wrong end of back-to-back blowouts against Pine-Richland and North Hills, losing by scores of 49-19 and 49-0.

If the Golden Tornado hope to bounce back this week, they’ll need a strong rushing night from quarterback Thomas Jendesky and tailback Robert Burdine. Boasting a ground heavy attack, the Golden Tornado utilize a veer and midline option with the bulk of the success stemming from Jendesky.  The senior signal caller has rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown this season and serves as the facilitator of the offense. Burdine is Butler’s leading rusher with 238 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.  Along with Jendesky and Burdine, Lucas Dubyak is a two-sport athlete who has rushed for 142 yards and two scores.  The junior also plays for the Butler lacrosse team in the spring.  Senior wideout Chris Smith will see carries on the veer sweep and has toted the football for 111 yards on 22 carries this season. Smith is also Butler’s leading receiver with seven catches for 65 yards.  When Jendesky takes to the air, he’s completed 28 of 47 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.

When it comes to stopping the Butler ground game, the Tigers have a distinct advantage in size and experience. The Golden Tornado have no starters returning on the offensive line from last year’s playoff team, with only right-tackle Eric Hindman having seen action last year as a starting tight-end. NA run stuffer Layne Skundrich, the team’s leading tackler with 40 stops, will look to clog rushing lanes. Linebacker Reilly Sullivan is another player who gets his nose to the football, making 10 tackles last week against Pine-Richland.

On the offensive side of the football, North Allegheny will look to poke holes in a defense that has allowed 38 points per game. The Tigers have averaged 33 points per game, spurred on by junior quarterback Jeff Clemens who’s thrown for 615 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing for another 189 yards and one score. Getting the start last week for an injured Josh Bergman, senior Sean Idowu ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns against Pine-Richland and was a key component in NA’s narrow win.  For the season, Idowu has carried the ball 35 times for 253 yards and five touchdowns. Senior receiver Elijah Zeise is the top target in the passing game having hauled in 18 passes for 316 yards and two scores. Junior receiver Clay Byerly will also see some passes, and joins Zeise on the return teams and raced 92-yards last week for a kickoff return touchdowne against the Rams.

North Allegheny will look to continue their recent dominance over Butler when the two teams clash tonight. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 pm, with airtime on the North Allegheny Sports Network slated for 7:10 pm.  Join Randy Gore and Rick Meister for the call, including an interview with Tigers head coach Art Walker in the pre-game show.  To listen live or on archive, click here!

Following their first loss in almost two years, the North Allegheny Tigers (2-1) look to rebound tonight against Northern Eight Conference foe Pine-Richland (2-1) at Newman Stadium. The Tigers are coming off a 20-6 loss last week to Seneca Valley while the Rams bounced Butler last Friday by a 49-19 decision. Currently in third place in the conference, Pine-Richland is vying for their first playoff appearance since 2008.

Regulars in the post-season while in Class AAA under former head coach Clair Altemus, the Rams have fallen on hard times since bumping up to the Quad-A level five years ago. Under new head coach Eric Kasperowicz, the Rams have been rejuvenated this season with an offense that averages 41 points per game. Kasperowicz, a former standout quarterback at North Hills High School in the early 1990’s , has a team filled with youth, but also experience. The key figures in Pine-Richland’s youthful offense are a pair of juniors who were both starters last season as sophomores.  Quarterback Ben DiNucci is a smart decision maker who has thrown for 579 yards and five touchdowns.  Tailback Connor Slomka rushed for 1,000 yards last season and has already amassed 559 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013. Slomka is a two-sport athlete who has already committed to Ohio State University to play lacrosse.

For the Tigers, they’ll hope to slow down Pine-Richland with a hard-nosed defense that’s driven by linebacker Layne Skundrich, the team leader in tackles with 31.  Senior defensive back Elijah Zeise leads NA with three interceptions, including two picks last week against Seneca Valley. Reilly Sullivan is second on the team in tackles with 17.

While the Rams average 41 points per game on offense, the Tigers hope to exploit a Pine-Richland defense that has allowed 27 points per game.  Quarterback Jeff Clemens has passed for 469 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for another 178 yards and a score. His favorite target is Zeise who’s pulled in 14 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown.  The Tigers leading rusher this season is Josh Bergman with 214 yards on the ground and three scores.  He’s followed by Sean Idowu who’s toted the ball for 128 yards and three touchdowns.

North Allegheny and Pine-Richland will do battle at 7:30 pm tonight from Newman Stadium and the game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  The pre-game show is slated for 7:10 pm as Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call.

Not since over a decade have the Seneca Valley Raiders beat the North Allegheny Tigers.  The three-time WPIAL champions have won 12 straight games over Seneca Valley, including two wins in the WPIAL playoffs the last two seasons. In their last meeting, North Allegheny scored on the first play from scrimmage en route to a 47-17 win in the WPIAL Semifinals at Martorelli Stadium. (Listen to pxp clip here!)

For the players on field, a lot has changed since that playoff meeting in mid-November of 2012. North Allegheny (2-0) has only three returning starters from that game and Seneca Valley (2-0) has a completely new set of skill players on offense. With the graduation of quarterback Jordan Brown, Seneca Valley’s all-time leading rusher Forrest Barnes, and lightning quick receiver Jon Dorogy, the Raiders have lost more than 3,500 yards and 47 TD’s of offense.  That amounts to 94-percent of the offensive output from last year’s team.

Replacing that kind of firepower can be a daunting task, but the junior trio of T.J. Holl, Mason Dehart and Eric Mrkonja has been up for the challenge. Holl, the son of head coach Don Holl, takes the helm at quarterback. The 6-1, 205 pounder was a starter on defense last year, but this season leads an offense that has averaged 36 points through the first two games of the season. Holl has thrown for 327 yards and two touchdowns this year, and has also rushed for 102 yards. In the shot gun, hurry-up style of offense that Seneca Valley uses, the quarterback is a key figure in distributing the football or keeping it himself on option runs.

Among the weapons at Holl’s disposal is Dehart, a scat back who rushed for 78 yards and three touchdowns in the Raiders 43-25 win over Pine-Richland last week. Mrkonja caught two touchdown passes in that same game, and has hauled in three receptions for 89 yards for the season. A versatile threat, slot man Dom DiTommaso lines up in the backfield as well for the Raiders.  The senior swing man has accounted for 112 yards of total offense this season.

One of the keys to tonight’s game is the line of scrimmage where Seneca Valley will be a formidable foe.  The Raiders return 6-5, 285 pound junior Tyler Hudanick who protects Holl’s blindside at left tackle. Other returning linemen include seniors Steve Gaviglia and Dan Miller.  Defensively, Gaviglia led the Raiders in sacks last season and Miller plugged up the running lanes in the middle. Linebacker Tucker Van Dyke is another player with a good nose for the football.

For North Allegheny, the Tigers will counter with their own talented offensive front, consisting of senior Nick James, senior Nick Lewandowski, senior James Delligatti, junior Brian Mitchell and junior Cole McKenry. Juniors Paul Blendinger, who caught a touchdown pass in last week’s 42-7 win over Fox Chapel, and Layne Skundrich, will be on blocking assignments on two-tight end sets.  On defense, Skundrich is a shifty linebacker who leads the team in tackles with 13 so far this season.

Averaging 49 points in their first two games, the Tigers offense has not been slowed. Quarterback Jeff Clemens has completed 19 of 29 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns. The junior’s favorite target has been speedster Elijah Zeise who has pulled in 10 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown. In the running game, junior Josh Bergman is the team’s top rusher with 174 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. Helping put Fox Chapel away in the second half last week, senior Sean Idowu toted the ball for 83 yards and two scores against the Foxes. Idowu has 121 yards and three touchdowns for the season.

Owning an 18 game winning streak, the Tigers will take to the road for the first time this season and best be prepared for a hostile environment at NexTier Stadium in Harmony, PA.  North Allegheny hopes to continue their winning ways tonight with kickoff set for 7:30 pm.  The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network, with the pre-game show starting at 7:15 pm.  Click here to listen! 

Following a 55-7 drubbing of the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils last week, North Allegheny hopes to make it two in-a-row to start 2013 when the Tigers host the Fox Chapel Foxes tonight at Newman Stadium in their Northern Eight Conference opener. The Tigers are riding a 17 game winning streak heading into tonight’s game and have won 30 straight against WPIAL opponents. Standing in the Tigers’ way is a Fox Chapel squad that is short on numbers for a Quad-A team, but long on talent at the skill positions.

The Foxes are playing in their second season in the Northern Eight Conference and third season under head coach Eric Ravotti. The former Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker will lead the Foxes into Newman Stadium for the first time since North Allegheny handed Fox Chapel a 53-20 defeat in the first round of the 2011 WPIAL playoffs. The starting tailback for the Foxes that season was then-sophomore Nigel Garnett. Now a senior, Garnett remains one of the top ball carriers for a team that will focus on running on the football.

Garnett is one of several athletes, including his twin brother Chad, who will carry the ball for the Foxes out the pistol formation. Along with the Garnett brothers, junior running back Carrington Vaughn can be load to bring down at 6’2’’ and 220 pounds and led Fox Chapel with 62 yards last week in a 49-18 loss to Pine-Richland. The big play threat for the Foxes is all-around player Brandon Mitchell. The 6’6’’ senior is a versatile athlete that will line up in the backfield, at receiver, and even at quarterback. As a receiver, Mitchell can be a match-up problem because of his size and vertical leap. Also on the Fox Chapel Track and Field team, Mitchell took gold at the WPIAL Championships in the 300 meter hurdles and bronze in the 110 meter hurdles.

In the second half of last season, Mitchell saw increased playing time at quarterback but proved to be more of a running threat than a passer. Starting at quarterback earlier in 2012, and when North Allegheny met and defeated the Foxes in week two, 48-7, was Billy Urso. The junior saw the vast majority of snaps at QB in the season opener last week, throwing for 253 yards.  Urso will be the lead candidate to start tonight against North Allegheny with Mitchell being the top recipient of his passes. Senior wide-out Kevin Frankert is another target for Urso in the passing game.

Giving Urso time to pass, or opening holes for the rushing attack, will be a challenge for a Fox Chapel offensive line that returns only one starter and is missing a Division I recruit at tight-end, Chad Wirginis, who suffered a foot injury during an offseason practice.  Wirginis committed to Pitt a month before the mishap and will miss the entire 2013 season with a Lisfranc injury.  With depth an issue, especially at the line of scrimmage, the Tigers hope to command the game at the point of attack on both sides of the ball.

North Allegheny’s defense yielded very little against Mt. Lebanon last week and did not allow a touchdown until the Blue Devils finally found the end zone against the NA reserves late in the contest. After leading the Tigers in tackles last season, junior Layne Skundrich got his nose to the football immediately in 2013 by leading the team in tackles last week with five and will be looking to hunt down the Foxes ball carriers tonight.

Offensively, the Tigers will try to dictate the game with their rushing attack to take the pressure off junior quarterback Jeff Clemens. Making just his first varsity start at QB last week, Clemens was an efficient 8 for 10 for 184 yards and a touchdown through the air. With an impressive debut, Clemens will continue to grow at the position thanks to senior receiver Elijah Zeise who hauled in four passes for 129 yards and a host of different ball carriers that the plowed their way through the Blue Devils last week. Leading the charge was junior Josh Bergman who toted the ball 14 times for 120 yards and two scores. Bergman is supported by talented senior runners Sean Idowu and Andre Sumpter.  

While the Tigers are riding a hefty winning streak into tonight’s contest, the Foxes have lost five straight and 11 of their last 12 games dating back to 2011.  North Allegheny will look to extend both streaks tonight with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 pm at Newman Stadium. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network as Randy Gore and Rick Meister have the call. The pre-game show begins at 7:15 pm and features a pre-game chat with Tigers head coach Art Walker.  Click here to listen!   

As voted on by the fans of MSA Sports, North Allegheny senior defensive back/wide receiver Elijah Zeise has been selected as a member of the 2013 Kennywood – MSA Sports All-Star Preseason Football Team. Zeise will be a part of an awards presentation at Kennywood Park on Tuesday, July 30^th at 2:00 pm at the Kennyville Stage Area. The audio of the “arrow presentation” will be broadcast live on www.msasports.net.

Ziese, a Pitt recruit, helped the Tigers to a WPIAL and PIAA title last season with 41 tackles and three interceptions, including a pick-six against Erie McDowell in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. As a wide receiver, Zeise hauled in 23 passes for 677 yards and four touchdowns. Ziese is expected to be one of the senior leaders on North Allegheny’s 2013 squad.

After winning three consecutive WPIAL crowns and two state championships in the past three seasons, the North Allegheny Tigers are already on the national radar heading toward the 2013 season. The Tigers have been tabbed is the 23^rd ranked team in the country in the USA Today Preseason Super 25 Poll. Each week, the USA Today will unveil the next five teams in their poll and North Allegheny cracked the Top 25 with the release of teams No. 21 through No. 25. To check out the USA Today’s write up, click here.

North Allegheny’s Mack Leftwich threw three touchdown passes at the Big 33 Classic on Saturday night to help Pennsylvania defeat Maryland, 58-27. Leftwich, who will play collegiately at the University of Texas-El Paso, tossed a 16-yard first quarter scoring strike to Clairton’s Tyler Boyd to give Pennsylvania a 14-0 lead. The North Allegheny standout put the game on ice in the fourth quarter with another touchdown pass to Boyd and a 4-yard touchdown to Coatesville’s Chris Jones. Leftwich wasn’t the only Tiger at Hershey Park Stadium for the Big 33 Classic. North Allegheny head coach Art Walker coached the Pennsylvania squad to victory, returning to the site of the Tigers PIAA Championship win over Coatesville in December.