Tigers Manhandle Morgantown, 45-0, In Season Opener
By Drew Karpen
Head Coach Art Walker couldn’t have envisioned a better start to the 2017 football season for North Allegheny as the Tigers shutout visiting Morgantown, W. Va., 45-0, in the opening game of the second annual Western Pennsylvania Legends Classic on Friday at Newman Stadium.
In his first varsity start, senior Luke Trueman looked like a seasoned veteran, completing 9 of 16 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 56 yards on eight carries and another score. Trueman was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game for his outstanding performance.
The Tigers got the scoring going on the first drive of the game, marching 71 yards down the field in eight plays. Senior Turner White finished the drive off with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone. Junior Dom Falo tacked on the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
North Allegheny’s quick strike offense was back on attack later in the first quarter when Trueman connected with junior Corey Melzer for a 27-yard catch-and-run touchdown to make it 14-0.
The Tigers scored 10 more points in the second quarter to take a 24-0 lead into halftime. In the quarter, Falo connected on a 20-yard field goal attempt and Trueman scored on a 1-yard run with under two minutes left in the half.
The halftime break didn’t slow down the home team, as the Tigers came out with two more scores in the third quarter to implement the mercy rule. Early in the quarter, Trueman found senior Brennan McCauley from seven yards out to make it 31-0.
In his first game as a member of the North Allegheny football team, junior Joey Porter Jr. provided the spark a couple of minutes later with his 46-yard punt return to start the running clock.
Junior Ben Maenza finished the scoring with his 1-yard plunge in the fourth quarter to make it 45-0.
Not to be outdone, the defensive side of the ball had a stellar game for the Tigers, holding Morgantown to 83 yards of total offense and only five first downs. Senior Alex Hays led the defense with six tackles, one for a loss, and a sack.
The Tigers will be back in action on Friday, September 1, when they travel to Bethel Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Football Summary vs. Morgantown, 8-25-17
| GAME SUMMARY | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Morgantown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Allegheny | 14 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 45 |