ALTOONA, Pa. — After waiting for 11 years, North Allegheny is finally headed back to play for the PIAA championship.
Led by quarterback Logan Kushner, the Tigers utilized a strong performance on the ground to defeat District 3 champion Harrisburg 24-12 in the Class 6A semifinals on Saturday at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona, sending North Allegheny to its first appearance in the state title game since 2012.
North Allegheny compiled 267 rushing yards on 53 attempts, with Kushner headlining with 165 yards and two scores on 26 carries. The Tigers attempted just six passes, with the only completion coming on a 47-yard seam to Khiryn Boyd in the second quarter.
Liam Flaherty and Tyree Alualu recorded 54 and 28 yards on the ground, respectively, with Alualu finding the endzone for the first score of the game. Only two of North Allegheny’s runs went for negative yardage, with both being 1-yard losses.
After both teams each went three-and-out on their first drives of the game, North Allegheny recorded its first of three consecutive scoring drives, helped by multiple 20-plus yard punt returns from Evan Lyons.
Alualu tallied an 8-yard touchdown run to put the Tigers ahead 7-0 with 3:29 left in the opening frame. Kushner then ran it in from one yard out and Peter Notaro booted a 42-yard field goal to give North Allegheny a 17-0 advantage at 8:41 of the second quarter.
Defensively, the Tigers held Harrisburg to just one first down through the Cougars’ first four offensive possessions. On the Cougars’ next drive, Tigers linebacker Dylan Langsdon intercepted Cougars quarterback Shawn Lee, setting up North Allegheny at the Harrisburg 43.
But, after a strong stretch of offensive play, the Tigers struggled going into halftime.
Kushner led North Allegheny down to the Harrisburg 1 yard line, but on fourth and goal, Kushner’s draw was stopped short of the line for a turnover on downs. Harrisburg capitalized just two plays later, as Lee found Quincy Bannon wide open down the left sideline for an 82-yard touchdown pass. The Cougars’ extra point failed, putting the Tigers ahead 17-6 with 4:05 left in the half.
North Allegheny then drove to the Harrisburg side of the field and again faced a 4th and 1, but a false start forced a punt. Raytel Bryant picked off Kushner on the Tigers’ final drive before the break.
Kushner scored for the Tigers to open the second half, getting into the endzone from nine yards out, as North Allegheny led 24-6 with 8:32 left in the third.
This would be all the offense North Allegheny would need, as Harrisburg mustered a punt and a turnover on downs in the second half before scoring on Lee’s 20-yard pass to Bannon with 3:45 remaining. The Cougars’ failed two-point conversion pass set the eventual final. The Tigers utilized the run game to take away the remaining time on the clock.
Overall, Harrisburg punted six times and turned the ball over twice on its 10 total drives in the game.
North Allegheny will face District 12 champion St. Joseph’s Prep, a 49-0 winner over Central Bucks South, in the title game next Saturday, December 9, at 7 p.m. at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. The Hawks have won eight PIAA state championships since 2013, including three of the last four.
St. Joseph’s defeated Harrisburg in last year’s championship game, 42-7.
