NA Wins Second Straight Quad-A Title In Overtime Thriller Over USC

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 26, 2011 | 11:45 PM

North Allegheny’s Mack Leftwich scored the game winner in overtime and the Tigers defense held Upper St. Clair scoreless to win their second straight WPIAL Quad-A Championship with a 28-21 victory. Leftwich carried twenty times for 117 yards and threw for 148 yards on 10 of 16 to keep the Tigers on the Road to Hershey in defense of their PIAA title as well.

Upper St. Clair QB Dakota Conwell started the game for the Panthers, but was sidelined after the opening drive with complications from an injury.  The Panthers broke open a scoreless game when A.J. McGuire made his way to pay dirt on a two yard run with 11:30 left in the second quarter.  The Panthers took a 7-0 lead.

North Allegheny took over after the Panthers score at their own 34-yard line.  Tiger QB Mack Leftwich wasted no time, scampering 66 yards into the end zone, tying the game at 7-7 with 10:55 to go before the half.

The Panthers, on the ensuing possession, found themselves facing a 3rd and 9 when backup QB Pete Coughlin found a hole and picked up more than enough yardage for the first down.  Coughlin kept the momentum going with a 23-yard pass to Rory Blair, taking the Panthers to the North Allegheny 32-yard line with 7:50 to go in the second quarter.

Upper St. Clair was facing a 4th & 2 when Coughlin handed off to McGuire, who picked up four yards and the first down.  Unable to convert on their next three downs, the Panthers again faced a fourth down, needing nine yards to continue the drive.  Coughlin scrambled but was unable to get rid of the ball, losing seven yards and taking a hard hit as he went out of bounds.  North Allegheny took over at their own 26 yard line with 4:20 to go in the second quarter.

North Allegheny QB Mack Leftwich completed a 15-yard pass to Brendan Coniker, moving the Tigers to the 41-yard line, but were stopped there on a 3 & out.  The Panthers were hit with a 5-yard running into the kicker penalty, forcing the Tigers to rekick.  The punt was shanked out of bounds and North Allegheny took over on the 35 yard line with 2:51 remaining in the second quarter.

Coughlin wasted no time for the Panthers, tossing a 65-yard touchdown pass to McGuire.  The score put Upper St. Clair ahead, 14-7 with 2:39 to go in the second quarter.

North Allegheny received the kickoff and began the drive on the 22-yard line.  The Tiger passing game was sharp, with Leftwich converting two passes to Coniker and another to James Kleinhampl, taking them to the Upper St. Clair 23.  Leftwich’s next pass went 23 yards and found Coniker in the end zone for the score, despite the television replay showing the receiver coming down out of bounds.  The five-play, 78-yard drive tied the game at 14 with :27 remaining before the half.

Dakota Conwell again stepped on the field for the first possession of the second half, but was not seen in action for the remainder of the game.

The Tigers took over on their first possession of the second half.  Leftwich completed a 35-yard pass to Kleinhampl, moving North Allegheny to the Upper St. Clair 13-yard line.  RB Vinnie Congedo then took it into the end zone on a three yard run at the 8:14 mark of the third quarter.  North Allegheny led 21-14.

The Panthers were driving when North Allegheny’s Nathan Nachazel came up big defensively, sacking Loughlin on third down, forcing Upper St. Clair to punt with 8:38 to go in the fourth quarter.  Upper St. Clair reciprocated on defense, as Carleton Gibson intercepted Leftwich on the North Allegheny 38 at the 7:31 mark of the fourth quarter.

Coughlin took over, finding a gap and picking up 35 yards to the North Allegheny 5 yard line.  Upper St. Clair faced first & goal from the five.  After two unsuccessful runs and an incomplete pass to Mike Wilcox, the Panthers called a timeout to regroup and decide whether or not to for it on fourth down.  Coughlin pitched out to Wilcox, who found the end zone on a diving leap over a pile of North Allegheny defenders.  The game was tied at 21 with 4:36 to go in the game.

North Allegheny took over in a big way, with Leftwich completing a 25-yard pas to Kleimhampl, advancing the Tigers to their own 45.  The Panthers defense stepped up, sacking Leftwich on two consecutive downs.  Leftwich was unable to complete a pass to Coniker for a first down, and punted with 2:17 to go.

Running low on time, Couglin picked up 10 yards on a run and had a first down for the Panthers on their own 44 yard line.  Coughlin was forced to spike the ball on second down, with only :28 remaining on a rolling clock.  McGuire then took a handoff on third down, but gained nothing.  Going for it on fourth down, Coughlin was intercepted by Kleimhampl on the 23 yard line.  Time expired in regulation, tied at 21.

North Allegheny won the toss and elected to play offense first.  Leftwich, on first down, carried nine yards to the one yard line.  Passodelis went up the middle on second down, but was held to no gain.  On third and goal, Leftwich lined up in the shotgun and made his way into the end zone on the keeper for the go ahead touchdown.  The extra point was good, putting North Allegheny up 28-21.

Upper St. Clair took over from the 10.  Coughlin, on first down, pitched to Wilcox, who was immediately met by Anthony Peluso and dragged down for a seven yard loss.  On second & goal from the 17, Coughlin completed a pass to Austin Stephan, but North Allegheny’s Chas Smith made the tackle for only a three yard gain.  Coughlin lined up in the shotgun on third down, but was tackled for no gain.  The Panthers were then flagged for a motion penalty, which was declined by the Tigers, forcing a fourth down.  Looking for a last glimmer of hope in the end zone, Couglin was unable to find any open receivers, and was sacked again by Nachazel to end the game.

North Allegheny remains unbeaten at 13-0, the Tigers will meet State College in the first round of the PIAA Tournament next weekend. Upper St. Clair ends the season at 11-2, with both losses coming to the Tigers.

SCORE BY QUARTERS 1 2 3 4 OT F
UPPER ST. CLAIR 0 14 0 7 0 21
NORTH ALLEGHENY 0 14 7 0 7 28

USC: A.J. McGuire 2 yard TD run, Killian Mulkern kick.  USC 7 NA 0, 11:30 2nd Q
NA: Mack Leftwich 66 yard run, Jason Buchert kick.  USC 7 NA 7, 10:55 2nd Q
USC: A.J. McGuire 65 yard pass from Pete Coughlin, Killian Mulkern kick.  USC 14 NA 7, 2:39 2nd Q
NA: Brendan Coniker 23 yard pass from Mack Leftwich, Jason Buchert kick.  USC 14 NA 14, :27 2nd Q
NA: Vinnie Congedo 1 yard run, Jason Buchert kick.  NA 21 USC 14, 8:14 3rd Q
USC: Mike Wilcox 3 yard run, Killian Mulkern kick.  NA 21 USC 21, 4:36 4th Q
NA: Mack Leftwich 1 yard run, Jason Buchert kick.  NA 28 USC 21, OT