North Allegheny wins third straight WPIAL AAAA football title
Mack Leftwitch threw three touchdown passes to lead North Allegheny to a 21-14 victory against Woodland Hills in the WPIAL Class AAAA title game Friday at Heinz Field.
North Allegheny is the first Class AAAA team to win three consecutive titles since the WPIAL added a fourth classification in 1980. It's the fourth title overall for the Tigers, who also won in 1990.
Leftwich completed 13 of 23 passes for 219 yards. He connected with Zach Lyon on touchdown passes of 44 and 5 yards, and with Gregg Garrity on a scoring pass of 32 yards. All three came in the first half. Leftwich has thrown for 2,630 yards and 35 touchdowns for the season.
Woodland Hills scored twice in the first half, on an 11-yard pass from Cody McClelland to Tom Greene and a 1-yard run by Miles Sanders. The Wolverines drove to the Tigers two early in the fourth quarter, but were stopped on downs.
Sanders rushed for 97 yards on 17 carries for the Wolverines, but suffered an injury with 3:04 left in the game and was carried off the field on a stretcher.
The victory earns North Allegheny a third consecutive berth in the PIAA Tournament. The Tigers will face the winner of Saturday's game between State College (9-3) and Erie McDowell (6-5) in the quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined.
Woodland Hills --- 7 -- 7 -- 0 -- 0 --- 14
North Allegheny --- 7 -- 14 -- 0 -- 0 --- 21
NA - Zach Lyon 44 pass from Mack Leftwich (Ben Ziolkowski kick), 9:14 1st.
WH - Tom Greene 11 pass from Cody McClelland (Donald Cassidy kick), 6:20 1st.
WH - Miles Sanders 1 run (Cassidy kick), 8:23 2nd.
NA - Lyon 5 pass from Leftwich (Ziolkowski kick), 3:42 2nd.
NA - Gregg Garrity 32 pass from Leftwich (Ziolkowski kick), 0:45 2nd.
North Allegheny is the first Class AAAA team to win three consecutive titles since the WPIAL added a fourth classification in 1980. It's the fourth title overall for the Tigers, who also won in 1990.
Leftwich completed 13 of 23 passes for 219 yards. He connected with Zach Lyon on touchdown passes of 44 and 5 yards, and with Gregg Garrity on a scoring pass of 32 yards. All three came in the first half. Leftwich has thrown for 2,630 yards and 35 touchdowns for the season.
Woodland Hills scored twice in the first half, on an 11-yard pass from Cody McClelland to Tom Greene and a 1-yard run by Miles Sanders. The Wolverines drove to the Tigers two early in the fourth quarter, but were stopped on downs.
Sanders rushed for 97 yards on 17 carries for the Wolverines, but suffered an injury with 3:04 left in the game and was carried off the field on a stretcher.
The victory earns North Allegheny a third consecutive berth in the PIAA Tournament. The Tigers will face the winner of Saturday's game between State College (9-3) and Erie McDowell (6-5) in the quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined.
Woodland Hills --- 7 -- 7 -- 0 -- 0 --- 14
North Allegheny --- 7 -- 14 -- 0 -- 0 --- 21
NA - Zach Lyon 44 pass from Mack Leftwich (Ben Ziolkowski kick), 9:14 1st.
WH - Tom Greene 11 pass from Cody McClelland (Donald Cassidy kick), 6:20 1st.
WH - Miles Sanders 1 run (Cassidy kick), 8:23 2nd.
NA - Lyon 5 pass from Leftwich (Ziolkowski kick), 3:42 2nd.
NA - Gregg Garrity 32 pass from Leftwich (Ziolkowski kick), 0:45 2nd.
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