Football News

The North Allegheny football team had 12 representatives on the 2015 All-Northern Eight Conference team, including six who were First Team selections. Four more Tigers were chosen as Honorable Mention picks and head coach Art Walker was named the Northern Eight Conference Coach of the Year. For a look at the entire list of conference first team selections, click here.

Earning First Team laurels were wide receiver Matt Sell, guard Nick Burks, center Charles Sanders, defensive lineman Vaughn Wallace, linebacker Francis Duggan and defensive back Riley Trueman.

Second Team members included tackle Ryan Jelinek, tight end Griffin Sestili, running back Michael Pope, multi-purpose back Ethan Maenza, linebacker Ijhad Bonner and kicker Seth Mancuso.

Honorable Mention selections were tackle Josh Lugg, guard Nick Vuono, linebacker Alex Mesaros and defensive back Niko Mermigas.

The 2015 Tigers were co-champions of the Quad North, reached the WPIAL quarterfinals and rounded out the season with a 9-2 record.

For the second time this season, the North Allegheny Tigers (9-1) will take on Northern Eight Conference rival Pittsburgh Central Catholic (9-1) but this time with a trip to the WPIAL semifinals at stake. In week three, North Allegheny defeated the Vikings, who ranked No. 1 at the time, 24-17.  Tigers quarterback Riley Trueman scampered 28 yards for the game winning touchdown with 35 seconds remaining.

Since that contest in week three, Central Catholic has not lost and has won seven in a row, including a huge week eight triumph over reigning Quad-A champion Pine-Richland, 35-28. The Vikings are an impressive team that averages 42 points per game on offense and allows just under 10 points per game on defense.  Extremely conservative to start the season, the Vikings offense has opened up somewhat thanks to the maturity displayed by quarterback Troy Fisher. The sophomore signal caller has completed 69 of 122 passes for 1,030 yards, 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Despite the advancement of their quarterback, Central Catholic remains a run-first offense with Ronnie Jones and Vinny Emanuele carrying the football. Jones is a “home-run hitter” who rushed for 1,087 yards and 14 touchdowns while Emanuele has toted the ball for 705 yards and 10 scores. The offensive line tips the scales at an average of 279 pounds and provides the rushing lanes for Jones and Emanuele.

The ferocity and talent of the Central Catholic defense is well known at this point in the season, with eight D-I recruits. While the players remain the same, the Vikings have made some changes schematically since the week three game with the Tigers. Central Catholic likes to stack the box to stop the run, something that will likely be employed tonight against a North Allegheny team that wants to set the tone with the ground game.

Similar to the Vikings, North Allegheny possesses an explosive offense that averages 39 points per game and a bevy of ball carriers.  Senior Ijhad Bonner was added to the mix last week, rushing for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Junior scat back Michael Pope is the team leader in touchdowns with 10 to go along with his 609 yards rushing. Junior quarterback Ethan Maenza is the team’s leading rusher and passer with 705 yards and 732 yards, respectively, and 14 total touchdowns. Senior signal caller Riley Trueman has added 280 yards passing and four touchdowns, in addition to 341 yards rushing and five scores. North Allegheny’s leading receiver is Matt Sell who has hauled in 26 passes for 514 yards and four touchdowns.

Like it was in week three, the key component of tonight’s game will be the line of scrimmage. With two big and burly lines going head to head, the team that wins the battle of the trenches will likely advance to the WPIAL semifinals.

The last time North Allegheny and Central Catholic met in the playoffs, the Tigers earned a 17-7 win over the Vikings in the 2010 WPIAL semifinals at Fox Chapel. Running back Alex Papson rushed for 190 yards and a game-clinching 67-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Tonight’s game will be held at North Hills’ Martorelli Stadium with kickoff slated for 7:30 pm. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network with the pregame show starting at 7:05 pm. Tune in for pregame conversations with Central Catholic head coach Terry Totten and North Allegheny head coach Art Walker. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

The fourth-seeded North Allegheny Tigers (8-1) open the 2015 WPIAL playoffs at home tonight with matchup against the 13^th-seeded Norwin Knights (5-4).  The Tigers earned a co-share of the Northern Eight Conference title this season and enter the playoffs riding a seven-game winning streak. The Norwin Knights were the fourth-place finishers out of the Foothills Conference and dropped back-to-back games against McKeesport and Penn-Trafford to end the regular season.

Norwin is led by head coach Dave Brozeski who is in his second year as head coach after spending 17 years as an assistant with the Knights. Prior to taking over as head coach, the Knights had missed the playoffs three consecutive seasons and posted a record of 4-23 in that span. Under Brozeski’s tutelage, the program has turned around as the Knights are in the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

The starting quarterback for the Knights is senior Nick Amendola who has passed for 967 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 659 yards and 12 touchdowns. Amendola is a physical player who is also an All-Foothills Conference linebacker on defense. Running back Peyton Deri is another talented skill player for Norwin who has rushed for 803 yards and five scores. The passing game boasts the speed of junior receiver Anthony DelleFemine who has hauled in 23 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns. With plenty of talent at key offensive positions, the Knights also have a formidable offensive line that will be the biggest the Tigers have faced in recent weeks. Norwin averages 28 points per game.

A problem for Norwin is a leaky defense that has allowed 28 points per game. Facing a North Allegheny offense that scores 37 points per game, the Knights could find themselves playing catchup much of the night. With considerable size on the Norwin offensive line, the line of scrimmage will be key to tonight’s playoff opener. If the North Allegheny front of can handle the Knights linemen, the black and gold could be on their way toward the next round of the postseason.

Kickoff for tonight’s WPIAL first round contest is set for 7:30 pm at Newman Stadium. The pregame show will hit the air at 7:05 pm and will feature pregame interviews with Norwin head coach Dave Brozeski and North Allegheny head coach Art Walker. Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

The WPIAL football pairings were released on Monday night and the North Allegheny Tigers (8-1) received a No. 4 seed in the Class AAAA bracket and will host the 13^th-seeded Norwin Knights (5-4) this Friday at Newman Stadium.  The Knights were the fifth place finisher in the Foothills Conference with a 4-4 mark. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network. For a look at the entire Class AAAA bracket, click here.

Having already secured the 29th playoff berth in program history, the North Allegheny Tigers (7-1) can clinch a share of the Northern Eight Conference title with a win at rival North Hills (3-5) tonight at Martorelli Stadium. The rivalry between North Allegheny and North Hills has gone from sizzle to fizzle in recent years as the Tigers have won four straight. Not only do the Tigers boast a four-game winning streak against the Indians but NA has outscored North Hills 121-7 in that span.

The black and gold will try to extend their head-to-head streak against a North Hills team that locked up a playoff berth last week with a 35-7 win over the Shaler Titans. The Indians totaled 358 total yards against the Titans, with 346 of those yards coming on the ground. The focal point of the North Hills offense is junior running back Nick Santucci who rushed for 219 yards last week and three touchdowns. For the season, Santucci has totaled 545 yards and seven touchdowns. Also the team’s leading receiver, Santucci has hauled in 35 passes for 426 yards and four scores. There’s little doubt that the North Allegheny game plan on defense will center around trying to stop the fast and shifty Santucci.

Winners of six in a row, North Allegheny is coming off a 58-14 non-conference victory over the Latrobe Wildcats. In the win, the Tigers invoked the mercy rule for the fourth straight week and totaled 426 yards of offense. Junior running back Michael Pope was the top ground gainer with 138 yards and two touchdowns and has rushed for 426 yards and nine scores. Junior quarterback Ethan Maenza scored three touchdowns last week and has passed for 620 yards and six touchdowns, to go along with 617 rushing yards and six more scores. Pope and Maenza, along with senior quarterback Riley Trueman, will face a North Hills defense that has uncharacteristically struggled this season, allowing an inviting 25 points per game. The Tigers average 37 points per game on offense and will look to punch holes in the Indians defense.

Tonight is the 56th all-time meeting between these two schools. The Tigers picked up a 31-7 win over the Indians last season at Newman Stadium. NA’s last visit to Martorelli stadium resulted in a 31-0 pasting of North Hills in 2013. Kickoff for tonight’s game is set for 7:30 pm. The pregame show will begin at 7:10 pm, including a pregame interview with North Allegheny head coach Art Walker. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

Winners of five in a row, the North Allegheny Tigers (6-1) look to continue their winning ways with a non-conference meeting against the Latrobe Wildcats (0-7) tonight at Newman Stadium. The Tigers clinched a playoff spot last week with a 56-6 drubbing of the Fox Chapel Foxes and while tonight’s game won’t affect the Northern Eight Conference standings it will be a chance for the seniors to shine before the home crowd on Senior Night.

The struggling Latrobe Wildcats will make the long trip to Newman Stadium following a 62-12 loss to Hempfield last week. The winless Wildcats have lost 14 consecutive games dating back to last season. The last Latrobe win, a 50-27 victory over Kiski Area, came in week two last year. The Wildcats are an extremely young team, boasting only 10 seniors with 51 underclassmen on the roster.

Kickoff for tonight’s game is slated for 7:30 pm. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network with pregame getting underway at 7:10 pm. To listen to tonight’s game, click here.

In week seven of the high school football season, the North Allegheny Tigers (5-1) will visit the Fox Chapel Foxes (0-6) tonight in a Northern Eight Conference contest. These teams come from opposite ends of the spectrum as North Allegheny is riding a four-game winning streak while winless Fox Chapel has lost eight straight dating back to last season.

Head coach Tom Loughran has had a tough first-season at the helm of the Foxes. Coach Loughran comes to Fox Chapel from South Park where he’s won WPIAL and PIAA titles at the Class AA level. This year in Quad-A, Loughran’s Foxes have struggled mightily after reaching the playoffs last season under Eric Ravotti. In week five, Canon-McMillan snapped a 17-game losing skid with a 21-0 win over the Foxes.  Last week, Shaler earned a 14-9 victory at Fox Chapel.

In Fox Chapel’s loss to Shaler, quarterback Dimitri Spina completed 14 of 36 passes for 170 yards. The junior signal caller has thrown for 456 yards and two interceptions this season. Running back Thomas Smith went over the century mark with 120 yards rushing and a touchdown last week against the Titans. On the year, Smith has toted the football for 444 yards and averages 5.0 yards per carry. Spina and Smith will be the top two offensive players that Tigers have to be aware of.

Hired in March, Loughran used the summer to institute a new offensive and defensive system this season. On defense, the Foxes employ a “50 defense” which is essentially geared toward stopping the run and places seven men in the box. The Tigers rushing attack, which averages 250 yards per game, will try to break through this 50 defensive strategy with a bevy of runners. Quarterback Ethan Maenza is NA’s leading rusher with 503 yards and four touchdowns. Fellow signal caller Riley Trueman has run for 188 yards and three scores.  Tailbacks Nick Provenzano and Mike Pope have rushed for 275 and 259 yards, respectively, combining for seven touchdowns. Pope, who busted off a 65-yard punt return touchdown last week against Butler, is also a threat in the return game.

Last season, North Allegheny defeated Fox Chapel at Newman Stadium, 31-21. The Tigers look to earn another victory against the Foxes tonight with kickoff slated for 7:00 pm.  The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network. The pregame show, including an interview with Tigers head coach Art Walker, will hit the air at 6:40 pm. To listen to tonight’s game, click here.

The North Allegheny Tigers (4-1) host the Butler Golden Tornado (0-5) tonight on a homecoming evening at Newman Stadium. North Allegheny owns an 11-game winning streak over Butler, including a 21-0 shutout win over the Golden Tornado last season. In a defensive struggle on the road, linebacker Ijhad Bonner put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown. Mike Pope also had a 56-yard punt return in the victory.

The Golden Tornado have been struggling entering tonight’s contest and have lost eight straight games going back to last season. Most recently Butler dropped a 43-7 decision to Seneca Valley last Friday night on the road.

Kickoff for tonight’s game is slated for 7:30 pm. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network with airtime slated for 7:20 pm. Randy Gore and Rick Meister have the call. To listen to the broadcast, click here.

The North Allegheny Tigers (3-1) return to Northern Eight Conference play tonight with a visit to Shaler to face the upstart Titans (1-3). While the Tigers are coming off a 31-6 non-conference pasting of the Upper St. Clair Panthers last week, the Titans recently snapped a 34-game losing streak with a 30-20 victory over Butler last Friday night. The losing streak had been the longest in the WPIAL. The longest current losing streak in the WPIAL now resides with Albert Gallatin who has lost 19 in a row.

Shaler started the season 0-3 but also faced some of the toughest teams in Quad-A with losses to Pine-Richland, Central Catholic and Woodland Hills. Those games might have been just the tonic the Titans needed to propel them to a road win at Butler. Shaler scored on their first play from scrimmage against the Tornado on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jack Quinn to Killian Bozzo and led for the duration of the game. Quinn is a first-year starter at quarterback for Shaler and has thrown for 485 yards and four touchdowns this season. His top target is Nick Fugh who has reeled in 12 passes for 269 yards and three scores. On the ground, the Titans leading rusher is Jake Hartman with 202 yards and one touchdown.

Shaler is led by second-year head coach Jon LeDonne who has worked hard to change the culture of the Titans football program. Last week’s win will certainly make believers out of his players and they’ll hope to keep that momentum going against the Tigers tonight. Based on previous opponents, Shaler won’t be intimidated by the mere sight of North Allegheny. However, the Shaler defense will be hard pressed to stop the Tigers with a defense that yields 46 points per game.

North Allegheny is once again a well-balanced offense under head coach Art Walker and rolled to a 24-0 halftime lead at Upper St. Clair last week. The Tigers possess a two-headed monster at quarterback with senior Riley Trueman and junior Ethan Maenza. Trueman has accounted for 170 yards of offense and three touchdowns, while Maenza has thrown 409 yards and three touchdowns and has rushed for 430 yards and three scores. Paired up with the running duo of Mike Pope and Nick Provenzano at tailback, North Allegheny boasts a multi-faceted ground game. Pope has rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns and Provenzano has 210 yards and a 9.1 yards per carry average. In the passing game, Matt Sell is the leading receiver with 14 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown.

The Tigers defense allows an average of 19 points per game and has improved each week. NA’s leading tackler is sophomore Francis Duggan with 49 stops and 4.5 sacks. Sell, Maenza and senior linebacker Mark Alesantrino all have one interception.

Last season, North Allegheny dismantled Shaler in a 55-14 win at home. The Tigers last foray to Shaler earned them a 55-7 victory on October 19, 2012.

Kickoff for tonight’s contest is slated for 7:30 pm. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network with the pregame show hitting the air at 7:10 pm. Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

Following a dramatic 24-17 victory over the Central Catholic Vikings last week, the North Allegheny Tigers (2-1) will try to ride that wave of emotion to another victory tonight at Upper St. Clair (2-1). Despite playing in separate conferences, the Tigers and Panthers are familiar foes and have ended the other’s season in back-to-back campaigns. In 2013, Upper St. Clair defeated North Allegheny, 41-23, in the WPIAL quarterfinals. Last season, the Tigers got revenge with a 24-0 nothing blowout of the Panthers in the opening round of the WPIAL playoffs at Newman Stadium.

Last season’s 24-0 drubbing capped a disappointing 4-6 season for the Panthers, marking their first losing season since 1979. That year was also Jim Render’s first as head coach at Upper St Clair. Since then Render has amassed a total of 381 victories, the most of any coach in WPIAL history.

Two things you can be certain of when facing a Jim Render coached team, you’ll need to be prepared to stop the run and face a hard-hitting defense. Upper St. Clair has always based their offensive success on the running game and this year is no different. The Panthers have the luxury of possessing a big and strong offensive line that is anchored by right tackle Brandon Ford, a Pitt recruit, and left tackle Gabe Houy who is also getting some D-I looks. A challenge for the O-line in 2014 was simply to stay on the field together. Beset by injuries and illness, rarely did the USC regular starting offensive line take the field as a unit. That has changed this season as all five linemen are healthy and at full strength. Along with Ford and Houy, left guard Matt Fennell is a Robert Morris recruit and a 2^nd Team All-Great Southern Conference selection from a year ago.

The Panthers offensive line will attempt to open lanes for junior running back Thomas Vissman who has rushed for 287 yards and four touchdowns this season. Vissman was an all-conference honorable mention pick last year with 793 yards and six rushing scores. While Vissman is the bell cow of the USC offense, quarterback Jackson Geisler is the game manager. The senior signal caller has completed 12 of 28 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns.

While the Tigers enter tonight’s game following a big win, the Panthers were thoroughly beaten by Bethel Park last week by a 30-7 decision. Upper St. Clair was outgained 466-126 and allowed Black Hawks running back Terron Murphy to rack up 326 yards rushing and three touchdowns. North Allegheny was able to roll up 333 yards against the stingy Central Catholic defense last week and will try to exploit the Panthers run defense tonight. The Tigers had two 100 yard rushers last week in Ethan Maenza and Nick Provenzano. Maenza rushed for 122 yards and Provenzano added 103 more. Expect quarterback Riley Trueman and tailback Michael Pope to also see carries tonight against the Panthers.

Maenza is North Allegheny’s leading rusher with 300 yards on the ground, and has completed 20 of 42 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Matt Sell is his favorite target in the passing game with 12 catches for 235 yards. On defense, North Allegheny’s leading tackler is linebacker Francis Duggan with 35 stops and five sacks. The sophomore had a breakout performance last week with 16.5 tackles and three sacks against Central Catholic.

Including a 31-14 win over Upper St. Clair in week four last season, the Tigers have won the last two meetings between these two schools. The last time North Allegheny played at Upper St. Clair was on September 17, 2010, when the Tigers shutout the Panthers, 27-0. Alex Papson rushed for 233 yards and two touchdowns in that contest.

Kickoff for tonight’s game is set for 7:30 pm from Upper St. Clair high school. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network with the pregame show getting underway at 7:10 pm. Randy Gore and Rick Meister have the call. To listen to tonight’s broadcast, click here.

The 22^nd-ranked team in the country comes to Newman Stadium tonight as the North Allegheny Tigers (1-1) play host to the Central Catholic Vikings (2-0). A big reason why the Vikings have garnered so much recognition this season is because of a stingy defense that boasts eight potential D-I recruits. The individuals that make up the Central Catholic defense have received over 100 college offers, an astonishing total. Senior defensive back Damar Hamlin is the prize recruit, receiving offers from Notre Dame, UCLA, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State and Pitt.

A major key for the Tigers tonight against the much-ballyhooed Vikings defense will be protecting the football. North Allegheny has committed eight turnovers this season, including four in a 28-14 loss to Pine-Richland last week. Two of those turnovers occurred in the red zone and hindered lengthy drives.

North Allegheny certainly has the talent to make things interesting as the Tigers hope to capture an upset on their home field. Receiver Matt Sell looks to continue his momentum from last week after torching the Pine-Richland defense for seven catches, 186 yards and a touchdown. Junior Ethan Maenza started at quarterback last week and has thrown for 274 yards this season. The versatile Maenza has also rushed for 178 yards this year and has accounted for three touchdowns. At tailback is junior Mike Pope who’s toted the football 37 times for 139 yards and three touchdowns.

Central Catholic will try to hamper NA’s offensive attack with an aggressive, and sizable, defense that likes to fire through the gaps. The Vikings have a titanic defensive line that is tough to move, anchored by 370-pound junior defensive tackle Jamain Stephens. The son of a former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman by the same name, Stephens is joined by Pitt-recruit Rashad Wheeler (280 pounds), junior defensive end Kurt Hinish (280 pounds), and junior defensive tackle C.J. Thorpe (305 pounds). Central Catholic backs up that beef with a speedy secondary and one of the best linebackers in the country in junior David Adams. Adams is considered a top-five recruit at linebacker and is a rock in the middle of the Vikings defense.

On offense, Central Catholic possesses a conservative but extremely effective rushing attack that is spearheaded by running backs Vinny Emanuele and Ron Jones. At 5-9, Emanuele can be hard to find behind his big offensive line and equally hard to bring down, rushing for 251 yards and three touchdowns this season. Jones, a Toledo recruit, has carried the ball for 201 yards and two touchdowns. A big play waiting to happen, Jones burned Bethel Park with an 91-yard touchdown run and an 85-yard kickoff return in week one.

To give its offense a chance, the North Allegheny defense will need to make the Vikings work for every yard gained and prevent the quick strike. While he didn’t start at quarterback last week, senior Riley Trueman was able to play the majority of the game defensively at safety. Trueman, who led the team with five interceptions last season, is an extension of defensive coordinator Doug Brinkley on the field and is a pivotal part of the Tigers defense. The team leaders in tackles are Alex Mesaros and Francis Duggan who have collected 18 tackles apiece. On the defensive front, Jacquan Littlejohn and Charles Sanders have dropped opposing quarterbacks for one sack each. If the NA defense can also force a couple turnovers along the way, the Vikings could be ripe for an upset.

Tonight’s kickoff between North Allegheny and Central Catholic is slated for 7:30 pm at Newman Stadium. The game will be broadcast live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network with the pregame show starting at 7:10 pm. Randy Gore and Rick Meister will have the call. To listen to tonight’s game, click here.

Week two of the high school football season pits the North Allegheny Tigers against the reigning WPIAL champion Pine-Richland Rams tonight. The Tigers and Rams last two meetings have been decided by a combined five points with Pine-Richland winning the most recent contest, a 28-24 overtime classic at Newman Stadium last season. Tonight’s Northern Eight Conference battle will be played on the road at Pine-Richland.

The defending champions return only four starters from last season and have the task of replacing 4,000 yard passer Ben DiNucci. Third-year head coach Eric Kasperowicz has entrusted his offense with sophomore quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a talented two-sport athlete who led the Pine-Richland basketball team in scoring as a freshman. Making his first start on the gridiron last week, Jurkovec passed for 142 and rushed for 105 yards in a 63-7 pummeling of the Shaler Titans. Senior running back Donald Bryant added 94 yards and four touchdowns on the ground as the Rams showed no signs of a championship hangover.

While there are a bevy of new faces in the lineup this season, there is a bookend pair of experienced lineman at the tackle position with James Willard and Matt Hampson. Another player with considerable experience is senior receiver Anthony Battaglia who caught 43 passes for 683 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Battaglia was the third leading receiver for the Rams a year ago and was also a Second Team All-Conference pick at defensive back.

Like Pine-Richland, North Allegheny is also coming off a season opening win although the Tigers had to work a bit harder for theirs. Against conference rival Seneca Valley, NA rallied from 14-points down for a 34-24 triumph. The Tigers overcame four turnovers and an injury to starting quarterback Riley Trueman for the win. Ethan Maenza led the Tigers offense in the fourth quarter and finished officially with 117 yards rushing and 41 yards passing. The junior tossed a touchdown pass and ran in a score for the black and gold. Maenza is likely to get the call as North Allegheny’s starter QB tonight as Trueman will be a game-time decision.

Despite Pine-Richland’s blowout win last week, the Rams did allow Shaler’s Jake Hartman 133 yards on the ground. With North Allegheny’s ability to run behind a physical offensive line, perhaps this will be an area the Tigers can exploit. Junior running back Michael Pope joined Maenza in surpassing the century mark last week, rushing for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Pope, along with Nick Provenzano, could be called upon for a heavy workload tonight.

The last time North Allegheny played at Pine-Richland the Tigers throttled the Rams by a 35-3 final on September 21, 2012. The last two meetings have been played at Newman Stadium with the Tigers winning 29-28 in 2013, but falling overtime last season.

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