Central Catholic avenges WPIAL title game losses with rout of North Allegheny
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Saturday, November 16, 2024 | 8:41 PM
Central Catholic’s Bradly Gompers pulls in a touchdown pass on the first play of the game against North Allegheny during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
Central Catholic’s Roman Thompson sacks North Allegheny quarterback Brady Brinkley during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
Central Catholic’s Elijah Faulkner beats North Allegheny’s Korry Pitts to setup a first-quarter touchdown during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Korry Pitts breaks up a pass intended for Central Catholic’s Xxavier Thomas during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
Central Catholic’s Maceo Watkins beats North Allegheny’s Korry Pitts for a first-quarter touchdown during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
Central Catholic’s Roman Thompson celebrates sacking North Allegheny’s Brady Brinkley during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
Central Catholic’s Xxavier Thomas (right) celebrates with Bradly Gompers after Gompers’ touchdown catch against North Allegheny on the first play of the game during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
Central Catholic’s Xxavier Thomas plows into the end zone through North Allegheny’s Liam Flaherty during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
Central Catholic’s Billy Lech kicks a 44-yard field goal against North Allegheny during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game Saturday at Norwin.
After two near misses here in the WPIAL finals, Central Catholic left no doubt this time.
The top-seeded Vikings scored on their first five possessions in a dominant first half and enacted the mercy rule early in the third quarter of a 45-14 victory over No. 2 North Allegheny in the WPIAL 6A final Saturday night at Norwin.
The title was the ninth for Central Catholic (10-2) and the first under coach Ryan Lehmeier.
North Allegheny (10-2) was the two-time defending champion, but any thoughts of a third straight title at Central Catholic’s expense vanished very quickly.
Central Catholic needed just one play.
Vikings quarterback Jy’Aire Walls connected with receiver Bradley Gompers for a 45-yard touchdown pass on their first snap, foreshadowing what laid ahead.
On their next three possessions, Walls scored with a 2-yard run and threw touchdown passes to Xxavier Thomas (13 yards) and Maceo Watkins (32 yards). When kicker Billy Lech make a 44-yard field goal on their fifth drive, Central Catholic led 31-0 with 8:34 left until halftime.
The Vikings scored twice in the third quarter to enact the 35-point mercy rule. An 8-yard touchdown run by Elijah Faulkner and a 1-yarder by Walls pushed the lead to 45-0.
North Allegheny scored 44 points in last year’s win. This time, the Tigers had trouble moving the ball.
In the first half, they managed only 13 yards and one first down on 26 plays. Central Catholic had rolled up 322 yards and 14 first downs by halftime.
With the clock running steady, North Allegheny broke the shutout with a couple of touchdown passes by backup quarterback Jackson Faila. The junior threw a 7-yarder to James Donaldson in the third quarter and a 76-yarder to Colman Craft in the fourth.
This story will be updated.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Central Catholic, North Allegheny
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