WEXFORD, Pa. — Defending Class 6-A WPIAL champions North Allegheny are back and ready to build upon their successes last season. The Tigers started off their 2023 campaign with a bang, blowing out Allderdice 61-0 at Wright Stadium in Wexford on Friday.
The Tigers wasted little time in overpowering the Dragons, as they dropped 42 points in the first quarter alone. Three-star running back Tyree Alualu led the Tigers first quarter charge, rushing for two touchdowns and 60 yards.
Tigers’ quarterback Logan Kushner also had an impressive first quarter performance. The senior signal caller dominated in both the air and on the ground, posting both a rushing and passing touchdown in the first quarter.
The Dragons, meanwhile, struggled mightily on both sides of the ball. By the end of the first half, Allderdice only managed to pick up two first downs and 22 net yards.
Despite ending the game on top, the Tigers did not have a great start to the game. North Allegheny faced a major injury scare in the first drive of the game, as Richmond commit tight end Daniel Sellers went down with an apparent knee injury. Sellers sat out for a few drives before ultimately returning to action later in the first quarter.
Despite the injury scare, the Tigers still managed to find their rhythm. Midway through the first drive, Kushner managed to find open grass, sprinting downfield for an early 51 yard touchdown. On the next drive, three-star running back Tyree Alualu earned his first touchdown of the year, rushing down the field for a 26 yard score.
The Dragons could not find an answer to the Tigers early dominance. Following a forced fumble deep in Allderdice territory, Kushner connected with Tigers wide receiver Khiryn Boyd for a 25 yard touchdown to put North Allegheny up by 21. The Tigers continued to pile up points on their next two drives, as running back Liam Flaherty found the end zone on back-to-back drives to add 14 more to the already dominant North Allegheny lead.
Alualu then added another touchdown to his impressive 2023 opener. The senior running back battled through defenders, showing off his strength en route to a 10 yard touchdown. The Tigers ultimately led the Dragons 42-0 at the end of the first quarter.
With the game already practically decided, North Allegheny opted to take out their starters — but even the Tigers back-ups could not be stopped. On the first drive of the second half, Tigers running back Aidan Buggey made his presence felt, rushing into the end zone for a four yard touchdown.
The pace of the game drastically slowed down after the starters exited the game and neither team managed to score for the remainder of the half. At the end of the half, the Tigers headed to the locker room maintaining the 49-0 lead.
The Tigers ended ran out the clock for most of the second half and waltz into a 61-0 win. The tigers will hope to continue their winning ways next Friday when they will face off against Canon McMillian. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at North Allegheny.
Allderdice, meanwhile, will look to rebound against Altoona next Friday at 7 p.m.
Yea…..but Allderdice…..had all these so-called…..athletes.