In big-game atmosphere, North Allegheny forces 6 turnovers to defeat Central Catholic
By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 7, 2018 | 10:27 PM
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Joey Porter Jr avoids Central Catholic's Marco Marchionda during a punt return Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny and Central Catholic team captains watch the coin toss before the game Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Cade Hoke celebrates with Amosis Porrter after Porter's sack of Central Catholic's Dom Pieto Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Ben Maenza breaks into the clear for a long run against Central Catholic to help setup his first touchdown on the night Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Shuster cheer with the North Allegheny student section against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Amosis Porter drops Central Catholic's Nick Navarro for a loss Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny student section cheers as their team takes the field against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Gunnar Fisher get around Central Catholic's Amaar Allen (55) and A.J. Beatty Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny cheerleaders use their megaphones to cheer the student section on against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Isaac West throws a pass on a fake punt against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Dante Caputo pulls in a pass during a fake punt against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny head coach Art Walker Jr. urges on his team against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Luke Colella (4) and Dante Caputo celebrate with Joey Porter Jr. after Porter's interception against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Joey Porter Jr. pulls in an interception against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Amosis Porter (5) sacks Central Catholic's Dom Pieto Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Central Catholic's Gavin Thomson out jumps North Allegheny's Luke Colella for a pass Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Hayden Sheets celebrates with Liam Alker-Connelly (77) after Alker-Connelly recover a Central Catholic fumble Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Cade Hoke andCentral Catholic's Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Isaac West kicks one of his two field goals against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Luke Colella gets past Central Catholic's Jaishon Hawkins Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
North Allegheny's Joey Porter Jr avoids Central Catholic's Marco Marchionda during a punt return Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny and Central Catholic team captains watch the coin toss before the game Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Cade Hoke celebrates with Amosis Porrter after Porter's sack of Central Catholic's Dom Pieto Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Ben Maenza breaks into the clear for a long run against Central Catholic to help setup his first touchdown on the night Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Shuster cheer with the North Allegheny student section against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Amosis Porter drops Central Catholic's Nick Navarro for a loss Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny student section cheers as their team takes the field against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Gunnar Fisher get around Central Catholic's Amaar Allen (55) and A.J. Beatty Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny cheerleaders use their megaphones to cheer the student section on against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Isaac West throws a pass on a fake punt against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Dante Caputo pulls in a pass during a fake punt against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny head coach Art Walker Jr. urges on his team against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Luke Colella (4) and Dante Caputo celebrate with Joey Porter Jr. after Porter's interception against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Joey Porter Jr. pulls in an interception against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Amosis Porter (5) sacks Central Catholic's Dom Pieto Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Central Catholic's Gavin Thomson out jumps North Allegheny's Luke Colella for a pass Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Hayden Sheets celebrates with Liam Alker-Connelly (77) after Alker-Connelly recover a Central Catholic fumble Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Cade Hoke andCentral Catholic's Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Isaac West kicks one of his two field goals against Central Catholic Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
North Allegheny's Luke Colella gets past Central Catholic's Jaishon Hawkins Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 at Newman Stadium at Wright Field.
North Allegheny’s student section cheered, laughed and sang with Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was surrounded in a sea of gold shirts.
On the sideline, Penn State coaches James Franklin and Terry Smith strolled around Newman Stadium, a day before their matchup with Pitt.
It’s only Week 2, but this one had a big-game feel.
North Allegheny’s Ben Maenza rushed for two touchdowns Friday night and a dominant NA defense forced six turnovers as the second-ranked Tigers defeated No. 3 Central Catholic, 27-3, in an important early-season clash in WPIAL Class 6A.
“It’s early … but it’s got implications for seven weeks from now,” NA coach Art Walker said. “It’s an important win for us. It’s a huge win for us to try to control where we want to be.”
The win leaves North Allegheny (3-0, 2-0) undefeated atop the standings. The future “implications” Walker referenced are the perks awarded to the top two teams in WPIAL Class 6A this season. The first- and second-place teams earn first-round playoff byes and home games in the semifinals.
“It’s only Week 2 in the season and we already had a big game — one of our biggest,” said senior Joey Porter Jr., the recruit Franklin came to see. “We’re happy we got this one under our belt.”
Porter made NA’s first interception and teammate Corey Melzer added two more in a dominant defensive effort that held Central Catholic (2-1, 1-1) to 106 yards from scrimmage on 44 plays — a 2.4-yard average.
North Allegheny finished with 221 yards on 60 plays — a 3.68-yard average that was only slightly better than Central’s. But NA turned the football over only once one a fumble.
Central Catholic threw three interceptions and lost three fumbles.
“Our youth showed up for us tonight,” Central coach Terry Totten said. “I credit (North Allegheny), they had a good game plan. But one after another we kept shooting ourselves in the foot. We couldn’t get any long drives.
“Back to the drawing board.”
The first 12 minutes after halftime were particularly brutal for Central’s offense. The Vikings trailed 14-3 at half, but they held possession for only eight snaps in the entire third quarter. Of those, two were interceptions they threw and another was a fourth-and-long punt.
Two field goals by NA kicker Isaac West extended the lead to 20-3.
“Flat out defense won this football game for us, there’s no mistaking that,” said Walker, who praised defensive coordinator Doug Brinkley and his staff. “The defense played unbelievable. They played lights out. They took their best plays away. They swarmed to the ball. They stopped the run. They gave the quarterback issues. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Luke Colella led NA with 5½ tackles, and Cade Hoke had 4½. Three times the Tigers sacked Central Catholic quarterback Dom Pieto, who completed 4 of 17 attempts for 53 yards and three interceptions.
Porter shadowed Central’s top receiver, senior Gavin Thomson, who was held to 67 yards on seven receptions.
“I love that role,” Porter said. “It keeps me in the game. I love going against the best of the best.”
North Allegheny was struggling for offense until Maenza broke free for a 59-yard gain midway through the first quarter. Five plays later — all rushes — NA reached the end zone with a 5-yard run by Maenza to lead 7-0.
The senior rushed for 111 yards on 22 carries and scored on first-half runs on 5 and 10 yards to lead 14-0.
Almost all of North Allegheny’s yards came on the ground: 179 of 221. Walker continued to rotate quarterbacks with both junior Ben Petschke and senior Gunnar Fisher taking snaps, but neither found much success through the air. Fisher completed 1 of 3 attempts for 29 yards. Petschke went 1 for 9 with six yards.
Petschke left the game injured in the fourth quarter after a hard hit.
“They’re going to evaluate him,” Walker said, “but he was coherent and talking to me. He knew the play, knew what happened, so those are all great signs. Hopefully he’ll be back sooner than later.”
Central Catholic’s Johnathan Opalko kicked a 31-yard field goal just before halftime. West made kicks from 22 and 39 yards in the third quarter.
Melzer, who had two interceptions, caught a 29-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown from Fisher.
Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.
