Football News

The North Allegheny Athletic Department is proud to announce that Layne Skundrich and Meg Morningstar have been selected as the North Allegheny Male and Female Athletes of the Year for the 2015 senior class.

Skundrich is a three-sport athlete who helped the NA Football team to an 8-3 season and an appearance in the WPIAL quarterfinals. On the gridiron, the hard-hitting Skundrich was the team leader in tackles with 85 and also posted a team-best 8.5 sacks.  Skundrich was selected as a First Team All-Northern Eight Conference member for the second straight season.

Also a valuable member of the wrestling team, Skundrich helped the Tigers grapplers to 16-4 season and a showing in the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA Third Place Consolations. Additionally, Skundrich helped anchor an NA Lacrosse squad that reached the WPIAL title game and PIAA playoffs. Skundrich will continue his football career at Division II Clarion University next season.

Like Skundrich, Morningstar is also a multi-sport athlete who was selected by the USA Today as the Pennsylvania Gatorade Girls Volleyball Player of the Year this fall. The Notre Dame recruit was a two-time All-State selection and recorded 293 kills and 117 blocks this season. With her influence the Lady Tigers reached the WPIAL title game this season and won the WPIAL championship in 2013.

On the hardwood, Morningstar was picked as an All-Section 3 honorable mention and collected a team-best 36 blocks in the paint. Morningstar was a key contributor to a North Allegheny squad that reached the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals with a 24-4 record.  Morningstar averaged 10.2 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per contest. Morningstar concludes her North Allegheny career with a total of 626 points. The 6-2 standout rounded out her high school career with an MVP Award at the annual Rounball Classic at Geneva College, an all-star contest pitting the best in Quad-A against the best in Class AAA.

Congratulations to Layne Skundrich and Meg Morningstar for being named the 2015 North Allegheny Athletes of the Year for the 2015 senior class.

CLASS OF 2015 – TIGERS TO CONTINUE ON THE GRIDIRON IN COLLEGE

FRONT ROW:  Layne Skundrich (Clarion), Jon Sumpter (John Carroll), Clay Byerly (Clarion), and Paul Blendinger (Clarion).

BACK ROW:  Brian Mitchell (Grove City), Cole McKenry (Youngstown State), Cory Cavanaugh (Seton Hill), and Jeff Clemons (Clarion).

Randy Gore, the “Voice of the North Allegheny Tigers,” was nominated for two awards by the Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association this week.

Gore was recognized by the PAPBA for two news stories that aired on WJPA 95.3 FM in 2014 and is amongst the preliminary list of winners in the Spot News category.  The final list of winners will be announced at the annual PAPBA Awards Banquet on May 31 in State College, PA.

Randy Gore & Rick Meister at Heinz Field for the 2012 WPIAL Championship.

This is the second time in the last year that Gore has been recognized for his work. Gore, who also a part-time news reporter at WJPA and the “Voice of the Washington Wild Things” minor league baseball team, was awarded the Frontier League’s Commissioner’s Award of Excellence in September for his outstanding service to the community. Gore was instrumental in organizing the Wild Things Ovarian Cancer Awareness Night, which is now an annual event at CONSOL Energy Park.

In addition to 11 Associated Press awards, Gore is also a two-time recipient of the Frontier League’s Broadcaster of the Year Award, taking home the honor in 2008 and 2011.

With the North Allegheny Sports Network, Gore has broadcast numerous championship events and title victories for the North Allegheny athletic programs. You can find the current broadcast schedule for the North Allegheny Sports Network by clicking here.

Its National Signing Day and four senior members of the North Allegheny football team have penned their names to universities in the area to continue their playing careers.  Linebacker Layne Skundrich, defensive lineman and tight end Paul Blendinger, and quarterback Jeff Clemens have all signed letters of intent to play for Division II Clarion University.  Lineman Cole McKenry has inked his named to play at Youngstown State University.

Skundrich was an All-Northern Eight Conference selection for the second straight season has been the Tigers leading tackler for three consecutive seasons, posting 85 stops and a team-best 8.5 sacks last fall.

Blendinger was another All-Northern Eight Conference pick last season that can get his nose to football on defense and plow over a defender as a blocking tight end on offense.  Blendinger posted 42 tackles last season, nine for a loss, and 5.5 sacks. Offensively, Blendinger hauled in seven passes for 114 yards and five touchdowns.

Clemens sustained a leg injury late in the 2013 season but looked as good as ever in his return to the gridiron last fall. During his senior campaign in 2014, Clemens passed for 1,212 yards and 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions.  Additionally, Clemens was third on the team in rushing with 477 yards and five touchdowns.  The versatile quarterback rushed for 100 yards in a game twice during the season.

Providing some of the pass protection and run blocking lanes for Clemens and the Tigers running backs was McKenry who bowled over defenders all season long.

(Pictured above from left to right – Layne Skundrich, Paul Blendinger, Jeff Clemens, and Cole McKenry.  Standing – North Allegheny football coach Art Walker.)

North Allegheny senior lineman Aiden Dadey has been selected to appear on the Hines Ward show to be recognized as a Pittsburgh Positive Athlete. After undergoing two shoulder surgeries, Dadey continued to attend daily football practices and games, providing inspiration and support to his teammates. The Hines Ward Show featuring Dadey will be taped on Thursday, December 11 at 1 pm and will air on Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 pm.

For more information on the Hines Ward show and Positive Athlete program, visit http://pittsburgh.positiveathlete.org.

Congratulations to Aiden Dadey for his positive team spirit and his well-deserved recognition.

North Allegheny had 10 players selected to the Northern Eight All-Conference team, and six more received honorable mention distinction, following an 8-3 season and an appearance in the WPIAL quarterfinals.  Wide receiver Clay Byerly, defensive lineman Paul Blendinger and linebacker Layne Skundrich all received First-Team laurels.  All three were senior captains on this year’s Tigers squad.

Byerly was North Allegheny’s leading receiver with 27 catches for 405 yards and three touchdowns.  A menace to opposing offenses and a constant source of pressure up front, Blendinger collected 42 tackles, nine going for losses, and finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks. Earning his second straight First-Team All-Conference selection, Skundrich was the Tigers leader in tackles with 85 and also led the team with 8.5 sacks.

Named to the All-Northern Eight Second-Team were tackle Cole McKenry, guard Brian Mitchell, quarterback Jeff Clemens (also a senior captain), running back Josh Bergman, defensive lineman Eric Sprys, defensive back Riley Trueman and kicker Seth Mancuso.  Clemens was the starting quarterback for NA, racking up 1,212 yards through the air and 477 more on the ground, accounting for a total of 18 touchdowns. Bergman collected 534 yards rushing and seven rushing scores, and Mancuso connected on six field goals and totaled 51 points from the kicker position.

Clemens, Bergman and Mancuso were provided the space necessary to perform courtesy of an offensive line that was anchored by McKenry and Mitchell.  On defense, Sprys tallied 48 tackles, 14 for a loss, and 5.5 sacks.  The top thief in the defensive backfield, Trueman was the team leader in interceptions with five and added 39 tackles from his safety position.

Receiving honorable mention recognition were tight end Griffin Sestili, center Charles Sanders, guard Nick Burks, tackle Ryan Jelinek, multi-purpose back Michael Pope and linebacker Zech Nachazel.

For a complete look at the All-Conference Teams from all three Class AAAA conferences, click here.

North Allegheny and Penn-Trafford are regular opponents when it comes to preseason scrimmages, but in regards to playoff football a meeting between the Tigers and Warriors is as rare as you can find. Both teams are frequent visitors to the postseason with the Tigers winning three of the last four WPIAL titles and Penn-Trafford reaching the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons, and tonight the two will come together for a WPIAL quarterfinal clash at Fox Chapel High School.

While the Warriors have appeared often in the playoffs, their stays have typically been brief with many one and done performances. However, that’s changed in recent history as Penn-Trafford has posted two straight undefeated regular seasons and reached the WPIAL semifinals last year thanks to impressive wins over Penn Hills and McKeesport.  Those victories have helped PT not only grow in playoff experience, but also in playoff confidence.  Penn-Trafford is hoping to reach the WPIAL title game for the first time since 1997 when the Warriors were edged by Upper St. Clair, 28-27, at Three Rivers Stadium.

North Allegheny is hoping to become the second seventh-seeded team in the Quad-A playoffs to reach the WPIAL championship in the last three years. Just two years ago, No. 7 seed Woodland Hills played at Heinz Field and lost to North Allegheny, 21-14.

The Tigers have to feel good about their chances, riding a seven-game winning streak into tonight’s contest and seemingly peaking at the right time. The North Allegheny defense has punished opponents in recent weeks, including the Upper St. Clair Panthers in the first round of the playoffs en route to a 24-0 victory.  The Panthers managed only 78 yards of total offense.

The Tigers racked up five sacks last week, and one of NA’s sack masters this season has been senior linebacker Layne Skundrich with a team-high six sacks and team-best 71 tackles.  Skundrich, along with Jonny Sumpter (5 sacks), Eric Sprys (4 sacks), Vaughn Wallace (3 sacks), and Paul Blendinger (4.5 sacks), have been regulars in the opponent’s backfield this season.  The North Allegheny offensive and defensive lines will be facing one of its stiffest challenges yet and the line of scrimmage will be of paramount importance in the final outcome tonight.

Penn-Trafford had some trouble with Fox Chapel last week in the WPIAL first round and trailed at halftime, 13-10. The second-seeded Warriors found themselves in the second half with a 30-point outburst, led by senior tailback Devin Austin who rushed for 157 yards and scored three touchdowns, and trounced the Foxes, 40-13. Austin has been the lead warhorse for the Warriors with 1,266 yards and 15 rushing scores this season.   Running behind a big and burly offensive line, Austin and the Penn-Trafford rushing attack has been seldom stopped.  Standing at 5-9, 170 pounds, Austin is a tailback who runs much bigger than his size.

Fifth-year head coach John Ruane compliments Austin with an outstanding play-action passing game that is orchestrated by junior quarterback Brett Laffoon. Receiving interest from several Ivy League schools, Laffoon is an intelligent QB who rarely makes a mistake, throwing only two interceptions while heaving 19 touchdown passes.  Laffoon throws one of the prettiest deep balls in Quad-A, and his deep threat is the ultra-quick Timmy Vecchio.  An All-Foothills Conference selection a year ago, Vecchio has hauled in 32 passes for 775 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, averaging 24.2 yards per catch.

Penn-Trafford boasts the best scoring defense in Quad-A, allowing a paltry eight points per game. The Tigers offense, which averages 29 points per game, would prefer to run smash mouth against the Warriors with their myriad of effective backs.  Sophomore Michael Pope has rushed for a team-high 523 yards and four touchdowns, senior Josh Bergman has toted the ball for 473 yards and five touchdowns, and junior Nick Provenzano has rushed for 219 yards and one score.  Senior quarterback Jeff Clemens is another quality runner for the Tigers with 440 yards and five touchdowns, to go along with his 1,146 yards through the air and 12 passing touchdowns.

Tonight’s WPIAL quarterfinal meeting between North Allegheny and Penn-Trafford will kick off at 7:30 pm from Fox Chapel High School. The game can be heard live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network with the pregame show getting underway at 7:00 pm.  Tonight’s pregame show includes interviews with Penn-Trafford head coach John Ruane and North Allegheny head coach Art Walker.  Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here!

Following a third place finish in the Northern Eight Conference, the North Allegheny Tigers received the seventh-seed from the WPIAL steering committee in the Class AAAA bracket and will host the 10^th-seeded Upper St. Clair Panthers in the opening round of the playoffs. Friday night’s meeting between the Tigers and Panthers will mark the third time in the last four seasons that these teams have played each other in the postseason.  Last year, Upper St. Clair topped North Allegheny in the WPIAL quarterfinals, 41-23.  Earlier this season, the Tigers earned a measure of revenge with a 31-14 week four victory.  Friday’s game contest at Newman Stadium will kickoff at 7:30 pm.  The game will be broadcast live on the North Allegheny Sports Network. For a look at the entire Quad-A bracket, click here.

It’s a “Crucial Catch” night at Newman Stadium tonight and the North Allegheny Tigers (6-2) have their sights set on a crucial win against rival North Hills (6-2) in a Northern Eight Conference clash. Tonight is the 55^th meeting between these two schools and the victor in this contest will lay claim to third place in the conference and play host to a first round playoff game next week.  The loser will finish fourth and will assuredly play on the road in the opening round.

Part of the Crucial Catch program to raise breast cancer awareness in the month of October, the Tigers are donning specialty pink jerseys for this evening’s game. The jerseys will be auctioned off with the proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society. For more information about the jersey auction and the “pink out,” click here.

Emotions always run high when North Allegheny and North Hills hook up and tonight’s affair will surely be no different. The Tigers are riding a five-game winning streak and are coming off a 49-10 non-conference rout of Latrobe last week. In similar fashion, the Indians are coming off a blow-out victory, trouncing Shaler last Friday by a 44-0 decision.

As it has been in years past, defense is once again a staple for North Hills under second-year head coach Pat Carey. The Indians are a hard hitting and ball hawking group that capitalizes on opponent’s turnovers.  Amongst the leaders on defense is senior Brandon Wagner who has collected a team-high three interceptions.

The biggest improvement from last year’s North Hills team, which finished 5-5 overall, is on the offensive side of the football where a healthy Jake Bruder resides at the quarterback position. Bruder suffered an ankle injury in week three a year ago, but is healthy and as mobile as ever in 2014.  A terrific running quarterback, Bruder is most effective on rollouts and throwing while in motion.  The challenge for the Tigers defense is to keep Bruder under containment in the pocket.  The senior signal caller has passed for 756 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding another 280 yards on the ground and three scores. A multi-sport athlete, Bruder is also a shortstop on the North Hills baseball team.

Other key figures of the North Hills offense include speedy tailback Nick Santucci who has rushed for 592 yards and six touchdowns, slotback Andrew Bly who is a rushing and receiving threat on the jet sweep, and senior Kindahl Taylor who is the top receiving target with 17 catches for 300 yards and two touchdowns. A talented athlete, Taylor filled in for the injured Bruder at quarterback last season.

The Tigers will be challenged to control a North Hills offense that averages 25 points per game. NA’s defense has limited opponents to 14 points per game and is led by senior linebacker Layne Skundrich who tops the team with 59 tackles and five sacks. Zech Nachazel (55 tackles) and Jonny Sumpter (53 tackles and three sacks) are additional forces on the NA defense.  Amongst the front four, senior Eric Sprys and junior Vaughn Wallace have pillaged pass pockets for three sacks apiece.

The North Allegheny offense, which averages 29 points per game, goes up against a North Hills defense that yields 14 points per contest. The Tigers are directed by senior quarterback Jeff Clemens who has passed for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.  Also a threat to run the football, Clemens has toted the ball 80 times for 340 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers leading ground gainer is senior Josh Bergman with 385 yards and four touchdowns, followed by sophomore scat back Michael Pope with 316 yards and three scores.  Junior Nick Provenzano has started the last two weeks at halfback and checks in with 159 yards and a touchdown.  North Allegheny’s biggest receiving threat is senior Clay Byerly with 23 receptions for 366 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

North Allegheny leads the all-time series with North Hills, owning a 28-26 record against its Quad North foe. The Tigers have won three straight against the Indians by a combined score of 90-0.

Kickoff for tonight’s game is slated for 7:30 at Newman Stadium. The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast the game live via the internet with the pregame show, including an interview with Tigers coach Art Walker, getting underway at 7:10. Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call. To listen to tonight’s game, click here.

For the first time since 2007, the North Allegheny Tigers (5-2) will pay a visit to Memorial Stadium in Latrobe to face the Latrobe Wildcats (1-6). Tonight’s non-conference game pits two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum.  North Allegheny has won four straight and has already locked up a playoff berth out of the Northern Eight Conference.  Latrobe has dropped five in a row, and while still mathematically alive in the Foothills Conference, will likely miss the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.  The last time the Wildcats made the playoffs in 2009 they were granted an early exit, accepting a 47-0 opening round beating that came courtesy of North Allegheny at Newman Stadium.

The 2014 campaign has been a rebuilding year for first-year head coach Jason Marucco and the Latrobe football program. Marucco has reinstalled the ninth-grade team and has concentrated his attention on building numbers in the program. After spending 18 years as an assistant at other area schools, Marucco has employed a Wing-T offense at Latrobe this season, the same offense he used with great success as an offensive coordinator at Mt. Pleasant for the past five years. Senior fullback Nick Aiello is the leading ground gainer for Latrobe with 291 yards and one touchdown.  Quarterback Craig Stevens is the conductor in this Wing-T orchestra, accounting for 267 yards on the ground and seven rushing touchdowns.  The junior signal caller has also passed for 456 yards and two scores while throwing three interceptions.

A problem for the Wildcats offense has been plays for negative yardage on first and second downs. North Allegheny’s defensive line and linebackers will hope to shoot the gaps and penetrate the Latrobe line to continue that trend. Senior linebacker Layne Skundrich is the team leader in tackles with 53 stops and four sacks. Zech Nachazel and Jonny Sumpter have 50 and 48 tackles, respectively.

Another major issue for Latrobe this season has been allowing big plays versus the run, yielding 221 rushing yards per game. This plays out well for the Tigers, a team that likes to set the tone with the rushing attack.  North Allegheny averages 181 yards per game on the ground with senior Josh Bergman leading the team with 385 yards and four touchdowns. With Latrobe giving up large chunks to running backs, it may be tough for the homestanding Wildcats to contain sophomore Michael Pope who is a big play waiting to happen.  Pope has rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, and averages 9.3 yards per carry. Not to be outdone, senior quarterback Jeff Clemens adds another 334 yards on the ground and 801 yards through the air to the NA offensive attack. Clemens has rushed for three scores and has thrown for seven.

The last time North Allegheny played the Wildcats in Latrobe, the Tigers claimed a 27-10 win back in 2007. NA was led by running back Carl DeCiantis who torched Latrobe for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

Kickoff for tonight’s game at Memorial Stadium is set for 7:30. The pregame show will begin at 7:10 pm and will include an interview with Tigers head coach Art Walker. Broadcasters Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here!

The North Allegheny Football Team (4-2) will try to make it four wins in a row tonight as the Tigers host the Fox Chapel Foxes (3-3) on Homecoming Night at Newman Stadium. The Tigers welcome in a Fox Chapel squad that has already won more games this season than it did in all of 2013. The Foxes are coming off a 43-10 win over Shaler last week, marking the first time since 2009 Fox Chapel has won back-to-back games. The Foxes also defeated Canon-McMillan in a non-section game two weeks ago.

North Allegheny most recently blanked Butler, 21-0, and held the Golden Tornado to 143 yards of total offense. The Tigers special teams opened the scoring last week on a 65-yard punt return touchdown by Michael Pope, and the NA defense sealed the deal with a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ijhad Bonner in the fourth quarter.

Bonner and the Tigers defense will try to slow down the Foxes offensive attack, led by senior running back Carrington Vaughn. Vaughn is a Division I recruit who has totaled 415 yards on 74 carries and has totaled four touchdowns. The starting quarterback for Fox Chapel is two-year starter Billy Urso, an outstanding athlete who also plays on the Foxes basketball team. Urso has thrown for 915 yards and seven touchdowns, but has also tossed 10 interceptions.  Ball hawks like NA defensive back Riley Trueman, who has four interceptions this season, will certainly be looking to pluck one of Urso’s passes if the senior quarterback gets sloppy with the football.

The Tigers hosted Fox Chapel last season and pasted the Foxes by a 42-7 decision. NA quarterback Jeff Clemens threw for two touchdowns and Josh Bergman tallied a rushing score in the victory over a year ago.

Tonight’s contest between North Allegheny and Fox Chapel will get underway at 7:30 pm from Newman Stadium. Live pregame coverage, including a pregame interview with Tigers head coach Art Walker, will begin at 7:10 pm. Randy Gore and Andrew Heck will have the call on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here!

After disposing of the Shaler Titans in convincing fashion last week for a Northern Eight Conference win, 55-14, the North Allegheny Tigers (3-2) will face another conference foe with a visit to Butler to take on the Golden Tornado (2-3) tonight. The Tigers have won 10 straight against the Golden Tornado with the vast majority of those victories coming in lopsided affairs. Last season, NA defeated Butler on the road by a final of 58-3.

The winds of change have brought a new head coach to Butler this season, but also more victories and a new-found winning attitude. Head coach Rob Densmore has instilled a new mindset amongst his players by preaching fundamentals, defense, and run blocking. It’s a simple approach but one that has seen Butler double its win total from a year ago and play competitive football even in its losses.

Densmore comes to Butler after spending the previous 15 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Pine-Richland. A defensive minded coach, Densmore has given the Golden Tornado a more aggressive identity with plenty of blitzes and pressure on the opponent’s front line. Senior linebacker Jeremy Hanford leads the Tornado in tackles with 23, and lineman Eric Hindman has a team-best four sacks.

On offense, gone is the Wing T/Option offense of years past as Butler is now utilizing a base I-Formation. Junior running back Damien Pickett is the team’s leading rusher with 468 yards and three touchdowns. In week two, the Baldwin Highlanders could not withstand Pickett’s charge as the Butler tailback tallied 276 yards, which is believed to be a single-game program record. Aside from Pickett, the Golden Tornado have three other rushers with at least 100 yards or more in this ground-heavy offensive attack.

In a week four win against Shaler, 42-7, the Tornado did not attempt a pass, mainly because they didn’t need to. North Allegheny’s defense would love to win first and second down to force Butler into a position that don’t want to be in, throwing the football.  The Tigers statistical leaders on defense are linebacker Layne Skundrich with 37 tackles and four sacks, and defensive back Riley Trueman with three interceptions.  Butler quarterback Jamison Smith has thrown five interceptions and only two touchdowns.

Offensively, North Allegheny is far from one dimensional but prefers to move the ball on the ground. Over the past two weeks, the one-two punch of Josh Bergman and Michael Pope has emerged into a knockout blow in back-to-back wins over Upper St. Clair and Shaler.  Bergman, who’s been a varsity contributor for the last three years, is tied for the team’s lead in rushing with 321 yards and four touchdowns.  The senior tailback torched Shaler last week for 132 rushing yards and two total scores.

The straight ahead style of Bergman is complimented nicely by the jitterbug moves and speed of Pope. The sophomore has averaged 11.7 yards per carry on 13 attempts, good for 152 yards and a touchdown. Joining Bergman with 321 rushing yards is quarterback Jeff Clemens who has achieved that total on 68 carries.  Clemens has also completed 40 of 86 passes for 536 yards with three touchdowns to just one interception.

With two teams who like to run the football, and a weather forecast that is projecting evening rain, winning the line of scrimmage in tonight’s game will be paramount. This Northern Eight Conference tilt between North Allegheny and Butler will get underway at 7:30 tonight.  The pregame show on the North Allegheny Sports Network hits the air at 7:10, including a pregame interview with Tigers head coach Art Walker.  Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call from Butler High School.  To listen to the broadcast, click here!

North Allegheny (1-2) renews one of the fiercest non-conference rivalries in Class Quad-A tonight when the Tigers host the Upper St. Clair Panthers (1-2) at Newman Stadium. Once upon a time these teams were both members of the Quad North Conference, but while the teams moved into separate conferences in 2006 they have remained regular foes in the regular season and in the playoffs. It was Upper St. Clair who ended North Allegheny’s season last November with a 41-23 defeat in the WPIAL quarterfinals.  Prior to that, the Tigers met the Panthers in the 2011 WPIAL Championship with NA coming away with a 28-21 overtime victory.

Like North Allegheny, Upper St. Clair has a proud winning tradition and has reached the WPIAL semifinals three straight seasons. However, the Panthers lost 21 of 22 starters from last year’s playoff team, including eight all-conference selections. The lone returning starter is senior linebacker Jesse Slinger who leads the Panthers in tackles with 25.  On the offensive side of the football, fullback Marcus Galie has the most experience as a reliable fullback.  Galie has rushed for 83 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns this season.  His season high in 2013 came against the Tigers in the quarterfinals as Galie rushed for 65 yards.  While Galie is a strong runner, the leading ball carrier for USC is sophomore Thomas Vissman who has toted the ball for 250 yards and one score.

The starting quarterback for Upper St. Clair this season is senior Dan Trocano who has completed 25 of 40 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns. Without having thrown an interception, Trocano is an efficient QB that is complimented by red zone signal caller, Gunnar Lund.  Don’t let his first name fool you, Gunnar is the runner of this QB duo and has rushed for 35 yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries.  Lund gives head coach Jim Render an added wrinkle to the offense when the Panthers are inside the 20-yard line. Render, in his 36^th year at Upper St. Clair, has the most wins in the WPIAL with 376.

North Allegheny head coach Art Walker is no stranger to victories himself with 154 over his coaching career and five WPIAL titles. After running the early-season gauntlet of Seneca Valley, Pine-Richland and Central Catholic in the first three weeks, Coach Walker and the Tigers look to rebound from a 1-2 start tonight against the Panthers.

North Allegheny’s offense has been paced by the right arm and the legs of starting quarterback Jeff Clemens who has thrown for 333 yards and rushed for 288 more and three touchdowns. Clemens is complimented by junior signal caller Riley Trueman who has rushed for 49 yards and two touchdowns.

At tailback, senior Josh Bergman is a straight-ahead runner who has plowed his way to 116 yards and four scores on 32 carries.  When the Tigers take to the air, the receiver of choice is senior Clay Byerly who has reeled in 15 passes for 210 yards. Tight ends Paul Blendinger and Griffin Sistilli will also see targets in the passing game.  Blendinger pulled in a 2-yard touchdown catch from Trueman last week against Central Catholic.

Tonight’s meeting between North Allegheny and Upper St. Clair is the 14^th since 2002.  Despite falling to the Panthers in last year’s playoffs, the Tigers have taken 3 of the last 5 from USC. Kickoff for tonight’s game is set for 7:30.  The pre-game show for tonight’s internet broadcast on the North Allegheny Sports Network begins at 7:10.  Randy Gore and Rick Meister have the call.  To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

The North Allegheny Football Team invades Highmark Stadium on the South Side for a prime conference clash with the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (2-0) tonight. After dropping a heartbreaker in overtime last week to Pine-Richland, the Tigers (1-1) hope to rebound against the reigning WPIAL champions on the road. Kickoff for tonight’s conference tilt is slated for 7:30 pm.  The pregame show on the North Allegheny Sports Network gets underway at 7:15 pm as Dave Floyd and Rick Meister have the call. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

Following a rousing 14-0 victory over Seneca Valley last week, the North Allegheny Tigers will open their home schedule with a tough Northern Eight Conference meeting with the Pine-Richland Rams tonight at Newman Stadium.

The Tigers defense forced six turnovers last week, including three Riley Trueman interceptions, to blank the high-powered Raiders.  Tonight the Tigers will face another team that boasts a wealth of experience and talent on offense at the skill positions. Quarterback Ben DiNucci is a good decision maker with a quick release who tossed four touchdown passes last week, two each to Mike Merhaut and D’Ondre Gastion.  Merhaut reeled in seven passes for 169 yards.  On the ground, the attack is powered by hard-nosed tailback Connor Slomka who rushed for over 1,100 yards last season.  Slomka has committed to Army to play football next season.

Like North Allegheny, Pine-Richland’s defense is also coming off a shutout with a 42-0 pasting of the Shaler Titans last Friday night.  The Rams defense will have to contend with a Tigers offense that’s operated by quarterback Jeff Clemens.  The senior signal caller accounted for 107 yards on the ground and another 167 through the air in NA’s win over Seneca.  Complimented by change of pace QB Riley Trueman who will press the edges, the Tigers can attack in between the tackles just as effectively as the edges of the defense. Senior tailback Josh Bergman is back to full health and eager to carry the load against the Rams tonight.

North Allegheny hosted the Rams last season at Newman Stadium and held off Pine-Richland in an exciting 29-28 victory.  A 40-yard field goal attempt by Pine-Richland’s Ben Engel with six seconds remaining, fell just short of the cross bar in last year’s narrow win for the Tigers.  North Allegheny looks to dash the hopes of the high-octane Rams tonight with kickoff set at 7:30 pm.  The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Lee Mohn and Rick Meister will have the call starting at 7:15 pm with the pregame show.  To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

The North Allegheny Football Team opens the 2014 campaign with a road contest against Northern Eight Conference rival Seneca Valley tonight from NexTier Stadium in Harmony, PA. In years past, the Tigers have opened week one with a non-conference opponent but this season NA will dive head first into Northern Eight play against the eighth-ranked ranked team in the state.

The Tigers had a number of key players graduate from last year’s playoff team that finished 7-4 overall and reached the WPIAL quarterfinals. However, expectations at North Allegheny always remain high and the Tigers will turn to senior quarterback Jeff Clemens to lead the offense.  Clemens threw for over 1,000 yards last season and 13 touchdowns, but had his season cut short by a knee injury in the regular season finale at North Hills. With Clemens back under center, the Tigers have an experienced signal caller to direct the offense.

Another player who dealt with off-and-on injuries last season was tailback Josh Bergman.  The senior returns to carry the load in the backfield after rushing for 303 yards on 63 carries in 2013.  Bergman will run through the holes opened by senior linemen like Cole McKenry and Brian Mitchell.  At receiver, Clay Byerly and Brian Coniker are expected to be two of the top targets for Clemens in the passing game.

The Tigers will be anchored on defense by linebacker Layne Skundrich who has led the team in tackles the past two seasons and is one of the top players in Class AAAA at his position.  Byerly returns to play defensive back as the only other every-down returning starter on defense.

Tonight’s opponent, the Seneca Valley Raiders, is coming off a 9-2 finish in 2013 and returns several key cogs to the offense and defense.  Namely, quarterback T.J. Holl is back to run the show for Seneca, a versatile athlete who accounted for over 2,500 yards of offense last season. Holl, the son of head coach Don Holl, passed for 1,804 yards last year and led the team on the ground with 723 yards on 168 carries.  Another top player for the Raiders is 6-5, 285 pound lineman Tyler Hudanik who has received several Division I scholarship offers.

Week one will be the first of a tough opening half of North Allegheny’s schedule which sees the Tigers take on Pine-Richland, Central Catholic and Upper St. Clair in the first four weeks of the season. Despite the rugged schedule, head coach Art Walker will have the Tigers primed and ready for the task at hand. Coach Walker begins his 10^th season as NA’s head coach with an overall record of 153-45 in 17 seasons, including his tenure as head coach at Central Catholic.

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 pm tonight with live coverage from NexTier Stadium getting underway at 7:15 pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Lee Mohn and Rick Meister will have the call from Harmony, PA. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here!