Allderdice downs Brashear to win 1st City football title in 50 years

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 4, 2017 | 7:12 PM

Finally — the drought is over for Allderdice.

The Dragons won their first Pittsburgh City League football title since 1967 and only the second overall by dominating Brashear, 35-7, Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium.

Quarterback Azi Humber threw for 106 yards, and senior receiver Raquan Caldwell earned the Grayson MVP award with three touchdowns, while the Allderdice defense held the Bulls to 21 net yards and a single first down in the first half.

The Dragons finished the season at 7-4. Other Class 6A teams as part of a regional play-in for the PIAA tournament were ranked higher than Allderdice.

Brashear, seeking its third City title in four seasons, finished at 5-5.

The win also ended a frustrating decade for the Squirrel Hill school. Allderdice lost the City title by one point in 2007 and came up short four times in the last six seasons.

“I was tired of hearing about the 50 years, but it didn't wear on me,” Dragons coach Jerry Hazlett said. “I was 3 years old in 1967 so I don't remember anything about that. But with the community and the news media bringing it all up, as a school and a program, yeah, we were tired of hearing about it.”

Allderdice took a 7-0 lead with 2 minutes, 20 seconds left in the first quarter when Humber slipped past two Brashear defenders near the goal line and scored on a 14-yard run.After a field goal attempt his the crossbar, the Dragons held and forced a Brashear punt. Caldwell took it up the middle, skirting numerous Brashear tacklers and tallied on a 51-yard return.

“We came out here to do one thing, and that was to dominate,” Caldwell said. “I didn't know how far it was, I just knew I needed to score for my boys. We rely on one another like a brotherhood.”

“Raquan's run three or four punts back and three or four kickoffs back this year already,” Hazlett said. “He's pretty dynamic when he gets a hold of it.”

A 31-yard pass from Humber to Rashawn Harvey set up a 6-yard run by Tyrell Minnifield to give Allderdice a 20-0 lead at the half.

The Dragons' defense held Brashear to 21 net offensive yards and one first down in the half, tackling the Bulls for losses on six plays.

“I've coached defense in high school football for 31 years,” Hazlett said. “I've been a defensive coordinator except for the last couple of years. I came back to the defense this year and we ran the stuff we ran before, and the kids bought into what we were doing. We have some pretty good athletes”

Allderdice took the second half kickoff and needed just four plays to go 70 yards, with Humber passing 47 yards to Caldwell to score again.

After Humber was shaken up when driven out of bounds at the Bulls' 20 early in the fourth quarter, Dalen Dugger came in a tossed a 19-yard pass to Caldwell to put Allderdice ahead 35-0.

“The third touchdown was more like icing on the cake,” Caldwell said. “After I saw the quarterback get injured, I knew I wanted this drive to count, and I told the coach to have (Dugger) throw it to me.”

Brashear drove 83 yards in four plays toward the end of the game as Keyshawn Towsond threw to Tra Palmer for 40 yards and 26 yards to Daejon Bentley for the lone Bulls score.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

Tags: Allderdice, Brashear