Season Narrative
The 2011 North Allegheny Tigers barely missed history. They became the fifth program to win back-to-back WPIAL championships in the 4A classification and had a legitimate chance to become the first repeat state champion in 4A since Mike Pettine’s CB West teams of the late 1990s, to that point, the only program to have won titles in consecutive years. But a gritty Central Dauphin team and some special teams disasters left the Tigers with a 24-21 loss in the Western Final and a bitter taste in their mouths for the offseason.
What impressed about the 2011 group was the about-face they made from their championship 2010 season. The ‘10 Tigers were one of the great grind-it-out teams of the state playoff era. They had a big offensive line, capable running backs, and a vicious defense that could wear teams out with a physical, punishing style. But after taking heavy graduation losses, the Tigers rebuilt themselves with transfer quarterback Mack Leftwich, whose father joined the staff of the Pitt Panthers in the offseason. Leftwich was a dual threat quarterback no doubt, but an accomplished thrower who added an entirely new dimension to the Tiger’s passing game. And while they still had a powerhouse offensive line, led by junior All State tackle Patrick Kugler, they also had a plethora of skill talent, as Leftwich posted the first 2,000 yard passing season in school history. Yet, while they were probably the best team in Pennsylvania in 2011, they did not get to add another trophy to their case.
The 2012 edition of the North Allegheny Tigers was loaded. Leftwich returned, as did wide receivers Brendan Coniker and Gregg Garity. Kugler was back for his third year as a starter on the offensive line, and was rated by recruiting services as the top center prospect in the nation. He was joined by FCS recruit Jeremy Gonzales at guard. Leading rusher Alex DiCiantis was also back after just missing the 1,000 yard mark as a junior. Kugler, Gonzales, and Zach Lyon returned on the defensive line, and while the linebacking corps cleared out, Coniker, Chas Smith, and Elijah Zeise all returned to one of the best secondaries in the state. Twelve starters back from a 14 win team certainly had heads turning statewide, as the Philly Inquirer, PA Football News, and the Pottsville Herald all had North Allegheny as a preseason pick to make it to state finals out of the Western half.
North Allegheny was not the top ranked team in the preseason AP poll, however. That distinction went to the returning champion Central Dauphin Rams, who welcomed back AP Player of the Year Zayd Issah as well as quarterback Brandon LaVia and state title game star Drew Scales. LaSalle earned the #2 spot in the state rankings, and were 48-8 with two finals appearances since joining the PIAA, and brought back nearly their entire defense from the 2011 Eastern finalists. North Allegheny, #4 in the AP poll, was looking up at WPIAL rival Gateway, who came in slotted at #3 with three year starter and four star recruit Thomas Woodson at quarterback, Pitt recruit Jaymar Parrish at tight end/defensive end, and superstar juniors Montae Nicholson and Ricky Rodgers as receiver/cornerbacks. #6 Upper St. Clair, North Allegheny’s opponent in the 2011 WPIAL championship game, was also in the state top 10 out of District 7. District 1 was represented at #5 by returning state finalist North Penn, who welcomed back 1,300 yard rusher Kyle Mayfield, and #9 Downingtown East, who featured future NFL quarterback Kyle Lauletta. The District 11 favorite was #7 Easton, who posted a surprising 11 win season and trip to the D11 championship game in what was thought to be a rebuilding year in 2011, and brought back a majority of their starters. Wilson West Lawn was ranked #8 after a three point loss to Central Dauphin in the D3 championship game in 2011 and welcomed back one of the state’s top defensive lines. Finally, the D6/8/10 favorite was #10 Erie McDowell, who hoped to strike gold in converting star pass rusher James Conner into their every down running back.
North Allegheny opened the season with next door neighbor and archrival Mount Lebanon, led by future NFL safety Troy Apke. And while the Blue Demons would strike first, and an Apke touchdown in the second quarter tied the game at 14, they were no match for the balanced offense of the Tigers. Leftwich threw for 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus ran for a touchdown in a 39-14 romp. Alex DiCiantis also chipped in 109 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
North Allegheny then stomped out their next four opponents. Leftwich threw for 298 yards and 4 touchdowns on just nine completions in a 48-7 win over Fox Chapel. The next week, the Tiger defense made 14 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in a 45-3 thrashing of an eventual 10 win Seneca Valley team. DiCiantis ran for 201 yards and Leftwich threw for 221 yards in a 35-3 win at Pine-Richland. And Leftwich threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns on just seven attempts in a 49-0 win over Butler, including a school record 94 yard strike to Elijah Zeise.
The five game winning streak set up a week six match up with Gateway. The Gators came in 5-0 and averaging 49 points per game in a match up of the #1 and #4 teams in the PA Football News rankings and #2 and #3 by the AP. Gateway quarterback Thomas Woodson was off to almost as hot of a start as Leftwich, throwing for 963 yards and ten touchdowns without an interception in the first five games of the season.
Gateway immediately drove down the field, gashing the Tiger defense with tailback Andre Martin for 74 yards down to the Tiger’s nine yard line. But a holding penalty put the Gators behind the chains, and a pass breakup by Brendan Coniker forced a Gator field goal. After trading punts, North Allegheny took over at their own seven and march 93 yards on thirteen plays over the majority of the second quarter, as Alex DiCiantis rolled off 73 yards on nine carries, and Leftwich followed Kugler in from one yard out to give North Allegheny a 7-3 lead with just one minute left in the first half. The Tigers dodged a bullet in the third quarter, when Gateway went with a surprise pass on fourth and inches from the Tiger 34, but Mileak Ford dropped a wide open pass over the middle to turn possession over to North Allegheny. The Tigers could not convert on the next drive, and a missed field goal gave the Gators the ball back still trailing 7-3. Terry Smith’s crew nearly popped a huge play, when Woodson hit Delvon Randall on a rocket screen and the speedster broke through the Tiger secondary, but was caught from behind by Elijah Zeise near midfield with a touchdown saving ankle tackle. That drive was thwarted with a fourth down sack by Patrick Kugler. Leftwich ran for an 11 yard touchdown with two minutes left to stretch the lead to an insurmountable 14-3. Although he only threw for 27 yards, Leftwich ran for 89 and two scores while Alex DeCiantis led all ballcarriers with 126 yards. Jeremy Gonzales dominated from his three technique spot with nine tackles, five for loss, and three and a half sacks. Woodson threw for 126 yards and was sacked a season high six times.
The following week, North Allegheny welcomed a young but dangerous Pittsburgh Central Cathlic to Newman Stadium for homecoming. While the Vikings were 5-1 on the year, things got off to an inauspicious start when Mack Leftwich capped a 65 yard drive with a 38 yard touchdown pass to Elijah Zeise the first time the Tigers touched the ball. The Tiger defense stifled the Vikings for the rest of the first half, but the Tigers did not get on the board again until opening the second half with a 63 yard touchdown drive, where Alex DeCiantis ran for 49 yards, including a nine yard touchdown. DeCiantis would add two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to finish the day with 157 yards and three scores, while the Tigers outgained the Vikings 405 to 133 in a 28-0 win. Leftwich continued his monster season with 142 yards passing and 70 yards rushing.
The final two games were laughers for North Allegheny. Alex DeCiantis scored three first half touchdowns as the Tigers raced out to a 48-0 lead over Shaler at the break in a 55-7 win. North Allegheny gained 510 yards and did not punt, though the defense did give up their first touchdown in 25 quarters when Shaler scored from a yard out with 4:30 to play. It was more of the same the following week as the TIgers went up 42-0 at halftime over North Hills, with Leftwich completing 12 passes for 241 yards and five touchdowns and Gregg Garrity set school records with 10 catches for 216 yards and four scores.
The Tigers finished the regular season as the #1 team in the AP Poll and had wins over three of the teams in the top ten. St. Joseph’s Prep, who knocked off previous #1 LaSalle in their regular season Philly Catholic League match up, had ascended to the #2 team, while LaSalle dropped to #4 with a 9-1 regular season. Gateway finished ranked third, with their lone loss coming to North Allegheny. Seneca Valley at #7 and Mount Lebanon at #9 were also top ten teams that had a defeat from the Tigers. Upper St. Clair at #8 was the fourth WPIAL representative in the top ten. Downingtown East was the top seed in District 1 after a 9-0 regular season and Chesmont Championship, while #10 Ridley won the Central League and was also undefeated headed into the playoffs. Harrisburg was the favorite out District 3 team in the mix at #5 with just an overtime loss to defending champ Central Dauphin and a 21-20 season opening defeat from 3A #1 Bishop McDevitt.
The Tigers opened the WPIAL playoffs with 16th seeded Altoona. On the Tigers first two possessions, Mack Leftwich tossed a pair of touchdowns, connecting with tight end Zach Lyon for 19 yards and wideout Elijah Zeise for 78 yards in the first quarter. Josh Bergman scored three second quarter rushing touchdowns to put the game into the mercy rule at halftime. The Tigers outgained the Mountain Lions 430-109, with Leftwich throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the 42-14 win. The following week, the Tigers would romp over Bethel Park in the WPIAl quarters by an identical 42-14 score. Leftwich threw for 132 yards and ran for 91 yards in the blowout.
The win over Bethel Park earned the Tigers a rematch with Seneca Valley in the WPIAL semifinals. The Raiders had rattled off eight straight wins since losing to North Allegheny in week three, including playoff victories over Pittsburgh Central Catholic and a dominant 32-13 win over Mount Lebanon. North Allegheny flexed their muscles immediately, with Mack Leftwich going over the top to Elijah Zeise for a 64 yard touchdown twelve seconds into the game. After a Seneca Valley field goal, North Allegheny put the game away in the second quarter, with Leftwich pitching a nine yard TD to Skylar Cox, a 27 yard TD to Gregg Garrity, and a 63 yard strike to Zeise, then Leftwich ran for a 14 yard TD to to go up 33-3. Leftwich added a TD run and a TD pass in the fourth quarter for a dominant 47-17 win. The Tigers gained 514 yards of total offense, with Leftwich throwing for 360 and five touchdowns, and rushing for 79 yards and another two scores. Gregg Garrity, Zach Lyon, and Elijah Zeise all went over 100 yards receiving. The win advanced the Tigers to their third straight WPIAL title game and gave them a shot at being the first 4A school to win three straight WPIAL titles.
The WPIAL Championship Game pitted North Allegheny against seventh seeded Woodland Hills. While the Tigers looked to make history with a third straight WPIAL title, the Wolverines were looking for history of their own with a shot at a sixth WPIAL championship, which would make them the outright all-time leader. Woodland Hills shocked the state with a 17-14 quarterfinal win over Gateway, as freshman running back Miles Sanders ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns and a Thomas Woodson pass was batted down in the end zone in the final seconds. Woodland Hills then forced six turnovers in a 42-20 win over Upper St. Clair to complete their Cinderella run to Heinz Field. Unlike other years, the Wolverines had a strong passing game, with quarterback Cody McClelland throwing for 1,648 yards and 20 TDs headed into the finals.
North Allegheny struck first. Facing a third and 20 on the game’s opening drive, Leftwich hit Zach Lyon on a tight end seam route down the middle for a 44 yard touchdown. Not to be outdone, Miles Sanders ripped off a 47 yard run on the following drive to set up a McClelland to Tom Green touchdown pass to tie the score. After pinning the Tigers deep, All State linebacker Alex Beasley ripped the ball out of Alex DeCiantis’s hands at the six yard line, then Sanders scored on fourth and goal to give the Wolverines a surprising 14-7 lead in the second quarter.
Mack Leftwich took over the rest of the first half. On the ensuing drive, he marched the Tigers 64 yards in 12 plays, hitting Lyon for his second touchdown of the day to tie things back up at 14. Then, after a three and out, Leftwich hit Elijah Zeise for a 50 yard completion down the sideline, then rifled a 32 yard TD strike to Gregg Garrity over the middle to take a 21-14 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Tigers forced three Woodland Hills turnovers, including an interception at the ten yard line in the fourth quarter. They also posted a goal line stand when Woodland Hills had a first and goal at the two to hold onto their 21-14 lead. After Sanders gained 84 yards in the first quarter, the Tigers held him to just 15 yards on 13 carries the rest of the game and forced him to fumble twice. Leftwich finished with 220 yards passing and three touchdowns. Sophomore linebacker Layne Skundrich was the star defensively, with 19 tackles and a sack.
The Tigers were the first team to win three straight WPIAL 4A titles and ran their WPIAL winning streak to 31 games. They were the decided favorite headed into the state tournament, though the District postseason had not been kind to favorites. It started in District 1, where top seeded and undefeated Downingtown East was shocked by Wissahickon in just the second ever 16 vs 1 upset in the playoffs. That upset opened things for eighth seeded Coatesville and their track star offense to explode through the D1 playoffs. They beat Wissahickon 42-21 the following week, then dominated Neshaminy with a 63-28 win the D1 semis. That set up a D1 final with Spring-Ford, who knocked off Pennridge 35-24 in the semis.
The other eastern quarterfinal pitted Parkland against LaSalle. The Trojans avenged a regular season loss to LVC champion Easton with a 42-7 throttling of the Red Rovers, then survived a 49-41 shoot out with Delaware Valley and future FCS All American Bryan Schor, with Jarel Elder rushing for 226 yards and three touchdowns in the win. LaSalle meanwhile, defeated PCL regular season champ St. Joseph’s Prep in a thrilling 28-27 overtime game with Chris Kane throwing four touchdowns and 338 yards, including the game winner in overtime to Sean Coleman, who had 13 catches for 133 yards. A bad snap on the St. Joseph's Prep extra point in the first stanza proved the difference in OT. The following week, LaSalle went up 37-0 in a mercy rule win over Philly Public League champ Frankford in the D12 title game.
In the western half, Wilson West Lawn beat Governor Mifflin 21-14 in one D3 semi while Harrisburg avenged their regular season loss to Central Dauphin and sent the defending champs home with a 27-21 win.
North Allegheny’s opponent in the state quarterfinal was Erie McDowell. McDowell, a 42-0 winner over State College in the D6/8/10 subregional final, was led by Pitt commit and future Pittsburgh Steeler James Conner at running back and defensive end. Conner was approaching 2,000 yards on the season. McDowell hoped they could use Conner to control the clock with their triple option and keep the explosive North Allegheny offense off of the field.
Things looked good in the first quarter, as the Trojans took nearly twelve minutes off of the clock on their opening possession, running 14 plays and scoring a touchdown to start the game on the right foot. But North Allegheny blocked the extra point and rattled off 56 straight points from there. Upset was not to be had. Mack Leftwich was 14 of 15 for 284 yards and five touchdowns, with Gregg Garrity catching a pair of scores amongst his 7 grabs for 128 yards. After the opening drive, Erie McDowell only gained 90 more yards, and Conner was held to a season low 36 yards on 10 carries. The 56-6 win catapulted the Tigers to their third straight Western Final.
In the eastern half, Coatesville won their first District 1 title since 1989 with a 59-28 throttling of Spring-Ford. Quarterback Emmett Hunt threw for 172 yards and four scores, plus ran for a touchdown, while tailback Daquon Worely ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns. They became the first Chesmont school to win a District 1 title since Downingtown in 1996. LaSalle continued their dominance over District 11 opponents with a 28-7 win over Parkland. The Explorers sacked Parkland a state playoff record twelve times and forced 11 punts in a dominant defensive effort.
North Allegheny’s Western Final opponent was Wilson West Lawn. The Bulldogs beat Harrisburg 39-14. Speedster Jimmy Brooks returned a kickoff and punt for a touchdown, plus rushed for 101 yards and two scores in the win. Brooks, who went on to win a state title in the 400 and take 4th in the 100 that spring, earned PA Football News Defensive Player of the Year honors following the season and had seven interceptions in addition to six return TDs on the year. He was joined on the Bulldogs defense by All State lineman and future NFL defensive tackle Junior Joseph and FCS recruit Matt Rothrock at defensive end. They held future NFL running back Robert Martin to just 53 yards in the D3 win, which was Wilson’s first since 2008.
North Allegheny tried to neutralize Brooks by kicking away from him to start the game. However, the plan backfired as fellow track star Jesse Poore took the kick back 85 yards to give Wilson West Lawn a 7-0 lead in the first ten seconds of game time. But a short Wilson West Lawn punt on their second possession and a big Gregg Garrity return set North Allegheny up for a 16 yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7. The next two Tiger drives also ended in touchdowns, with Mack Leftwich scrambling in from five yards out, then hitting Brenadn Cnoker for a nine yard touchdown. The Tigers added a field goal as time expired in the first half to take a 24-7 lead into the break. And while Wilson West Lawn kicked a field goal to open the second half, Leftwich threw a pair of touchdowns on the next two Tiger drives to put the game out of reach.
The North Allegheny defense was the star, holding Wilson West Lawn to 103 yards of offense, including a paltry 17 yards passing. Layne Skundrich made 11.5 tackles with a sack, and the North Allegheny defensive line was in the Bulldog backfield all afternoon. Jimmy Brooks finished with just 40 yards of offense, while Leftwich threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns and Alex DeCiantis ran for 111 yards and a score in the 45-10 win.
In Downingtown, Coatesville earned their first state finals trip with a 42-35 win over LaSalle. The mighty Explorer defense had serious trouble with the perimeter speed of the Coatesville Red Raiders, as Emmett Hunt threw for 234 yards and Daquon Worley ran for 146 as Coatesville posted a shocking 514 yards of offense. The Red Raiders led 42-21 before two late touchdowns closed the final margin for LaSalle.
Coatesville started the season 2-2, with tight losses to Inter-Ac champion Malvern Prep and Chesmont champ Downingtown East, but had rattled off 11 straight wins. Senior quarterback Emmett Hunt came into the state final with 2,982 yards passing and was tied with Leftwich for the state lead with 43 touchdown passes. A bulk of those touchdowns went to wideout Chris Jones, who led the state with 1,485 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. Dre Boggs averaged nearly 25 yards per catch as the second wideout option, and Syracuse recruit Tyler Burke was a dual threat at tight end. Running back Daquon Worley was also dangerous, as the Penn State recruit had 1,599 yards and 29 touchdowns on the year. Defensively, they were led by Maryland-recruit Burke at inside linebacker, but also had state champion wrestler and future NC State heavyweight Mike Boykin on the defensive line and Syracuse recruit Jay Stocker at safety as big time defensive players.
North Allegheny opened their third trip to Hershey with a 72 yard touchdown drive, capped by an eight yard touchdown pass from Leftwich to Skyler Cox. On the next play, Layne Skundrich stripped Dre Boggs on a screen pass and Brendan Coniker recovered the fumble and ran it back 80 yards for a defensive touchdown. On the following drive, Zach Lyon strip sacked Hunt and Kevin Edwards scooped the fumble and ran it back 45 yards for a second defensive touchdown in the first quarter and a 21-0 lead. The teams traded touchdowns on the next two drives and the 28 point first quarter for North Allegheny set a state playoff record.
The second quarter was no less eventful. Alex DeCiantis ripped off a 22 yard touchdown run to put North Allegheny up 35-7. The Tigers then were driving to put the game into the mercy rule when Tyler Burke forced a fumble at the Coatesville 10. One play later, Daquon Worely bounced outside for a 90 yard touchdown run. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Hunt drove Coatesville down the field and snuck in for a one yard TD to cut the lead to 35-21. But Leftwich hit Garrity for a 21 yard touchdown on the next drive, then Kevin Edwards intercepted a Hunt pass and returned it into the red zone, where DeCiantis capped the short drive with a touchdown to go up 49-21. In the fourth quarter, DeCiantis ran for a score, then reserve fullback Nick Cully broke a dive 60 yards for the final touchdown to put an exclamation point on a 63-21 win for the Tigers.
North Allegheny’s 63 points set a state finals record. Leftwich finished his high school career by throwing for 199 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 90 yards and a score. DeCiantis ran for 117 yards and three touchdowns. He spread his passes around to seven different receivers, led by Zach Lyon who caught four passes for 54 yards and added two sacks and a forced fumble on defense. The state title was the third for head coach Art Walker, who joined Mike Pettine as the only 4A coaches with three championships.
The postseason honors flooded in for the Tigers following their dominant title run. Mack Leftwich was a unanimous selection for AP 4A Player of the Year and finished his career 30-1 as a starter. Gregg Garrity, Patrick Kugler, and Zach Lyon all earned AP All State nods on offense, while Brendan Coniker and Jeremy Gonzales were picked on the defensive side of the ball. It was the second straight All State selection for Leftwich, Kugler, and Coniker. The six AP All State picks tied a record in the state playoff era. PA Football News also picked Leftwich as their Offensive Player of the Year, and Garrity, Kugler, Lyon, Coniker, and Gonzales were all first team picks while Alex DeCiantis was selected as a third team running back and Elijah Zeise was an honorable mention defensive back. Patrick Kugler was selected to the Under Armour All American game for the best high school players in the country. The Tigers finished the season ranked #4 in the country by USA Today.
Leftwich committed to UTEP, where his father was hired as the offensive line coach after two seasons at Pitt. He was pulled from redshirt during his first year on campus and started the final six games of the season for the Miners. Leftwich then started the first seven games of his sophomore season before a serious concussion ended his year. A torn labrum in his shoulder the following spring ended his football career as a player. However, Leftwich immediately hopped into coaching, first as the offensive coordinator at Lehman High School in Texas, then as the quarterbacks coach at FCS Incarnate Word, where he led the #3 passing offense in the nation in 2018.
Patrick Kugler committed to Michigan in the summer before his senior season. He was a two year starter at guard and center for the Wolverines and was an All Big Ten pick in 2017. After a year as a graduate assistant at Michigan, he was brought on by Brady Hoke as an assistant at San Diego State. Jeremy Gonzles initially committed to Pitt and spent a year with the Panthers before transferring to UTEP. Gregg Garrity also played at the FBS level, joining Penn State’s “run on” program as a preferred walk on and earned time returning punts as a senior. Brendan Coniker went on to play at Richmond, where he was a four year starter and all CAA pick at safety and made three straight trips to the FCS playoffs, including a national championship game appearance in 2015. Nick James was a three year starter at tackle for Georgetown. Taylor Nikithser was a two-time Division II All American at California (PA) and earned the Division II Rimington Award as the top center in the country in 2017. He is currently the tight ends coach at Ohio Wesleyan University. Layne Skundrich was a four year starter at Clarion. Jack Henderson joined Conniker at Richmond.
Elijah Zeise returned as a senior and earned All State honors with 50 catches for 942 yard and earned a Big 33 nod. He was a three star recruit and committed to Pitt, where he spent two years as a wide receiver before bulking up to linebacker where he was a two year starter. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers and spent a year in the NFL.
Alex DeCiantis was also a standout wrestler, who earned an All American finish at Fargo the summer before his senior year then was a Pennsylvania state medalist at 182 pounds as a senior. He wrestled at Drexel where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier at 184 pounds. Zach Lyon was a three year starting linebacker at Case Western.
Art Walker Jr. is still the coach at North Allegheny. Although he has not been back to the state tournament, the Tigers have been a consistent winner with Walker Jr. at the helm. Walker Jr. has a career record of 207-60, including a 146-37 stint with North Allegheny. His Tigers have won nine section titles in his sixteen years at the helm. Overall, he’s won five WPIAL championships - three with North Allegheny and two at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, which leaves him one shy of tying father Art Walker Sr. for fourth place on the all-time list. He remains the only coach to win state championships at multiple schools, and his three titles trail only Mike Pettine and Gabe Infante for the most in the largest classification.
