North Allegheny expects to be in the title mix in Class 6A

By: Don Rebel
Monday, August 8, 2022 | 12:01 AM

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Editor’s note: Starting today, Trib HSSN will preview one WPIAL conference per day until the start of high school football season Aug. 26.

The bar is always set high at North Allegheny.

While most football coaches would be content with a younger team finishing 7-5 overall and reaching the district semifinals, Art Walker is not one of them.

“Losing in the semifinals, it stings,” he said. “The silver lining is we gave the eventual state champ the best game they got all season. Other than that, it was last year, and this year is a new beginning. If you don’t win the WPIAL title, we are not satisfied.”

With five returning starters on offense and four on defense, North Allegheny should once again be in the mix for its fifth district championship overall and first in 10 years.

“We are growing as a team and continuing to forge team chemistry,” Walker said as the team continues to prepare for Week Zero.

A young quarterback emerged for the Tigers in 2021. Logan Kushner completed 139 of his 191 passes for 1,481 yards and 12 touchdowns in his sophomore season.

“We expect Logan to play like a veteran quarterback,” Walker said. “He gathered a lot of playing time and experience after being named the starting QB in Week 5 of last season. He needs to lead our offense and put it on his shoulders.”

Another player who will look to put a lot on his very wide shoulders is running back and linebacker Tyree Alualu, son of Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Tyson Alualu and a member of the Trib HSSN preseason all-star team.

“He is athletic, smart and a great all-around football player,” Walker said.

He also may have a future as a tour guide as he and his teammates prepare for what the junior hopes is a special season.

“I like to think of it as our revenge tour,” Alualu said. “Losing to Lebo last year definitely was tough for us, but for sure we’re going to come back with vengeance.”

A top target for Kushner should be junior Khyrin Boyd, who Walker says is fast, dynamic and has big-play ability both at wide receiver and cornerback. Boyd led the Tigers in receptions last season with 32 catches for 501 yards and six touchdowns.

Another weapon at receiver and defensive back is senior Campbell Melzer.

“He’s athletic, deceptive and will help on both sides of the ball,” Walker said.

Junior Cameron Chmura is back to lead the NA trenches. The offensive and defensive lineman has all the tools up front. He’s big, physical, athletic and smart.

A familiar refrain sung by most coaches this time of year is trying to find quality depth for the injuries that will come in the next few months.

“As always, depth is a concern,” Walker said. “Injuries are a part of the game, and we need to stay healthy.”

While Class 6A in the WPIAL continues to shrink, down from eight to only five teams for the next two seasons, Walker feels all five teams will compete and the head-to-head battles should be exciting.

“We expect to compete each and every week,” he said. “Lebo is defending champs, Seneca Valley is huge, and Central will be good. Canon-Mac returns a lot of starters and should be very good as well. So it should be a very competitive race for the top spot come November.”

North Allegheny

Coach: Art Walker

2021 record: 7-5, 4-3 in Class 6A

All-time record: 437-254-14

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.26 Allderdice, 7:30

9.2 at Canon-McMillan*, 7

9.9 McDowell, 7:30

9.16 Baldwin, 7:30

9.23 at Central Catholic*, 7

9.30 at Pine-Richland, 7

10.7 Mt. Lebanon*, 7:30

10.14 at Norwin, 7

10.21 Penn-Trafford, 7:30

10.28 Seneca Valley*, 7:30

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Logan Kushner

139-191, 1,481 yards, 12 TDs

Rushing: J.R. Burton*

73-541, 6 TDs

Receiving: Khiryn Boyd

32-501, 6 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Art Walker begins his 25th season as head coach, the last 17 years at North Allegheny after seven years as head coach at Central Catholic. He has 220 career wins and five WPIAL championships. His father, legendary Mt. Lebanon and Shady Side Academy coach Art Walker, coached for 26 years and won six district titles.

• Since winning their last WPIAL football crown in 2012, the Tigers have gone 1-1 in the district playoffs in eight of the last nine years. The lone exception was in 2018 when after receiving a quarterfinal bye, NA lost its only playoff game, falling to Seneca Valley in the 6A semifinals.

• After Central Catholic failed last fall and Pine-Richland could not do it in 2019, North Allegheny is still the only WPIAL football team in the league’s highest classification to win three straight championships as the school celebrates the 10th anniversary of the 2012 title, which followed championship runs in 2010 and 2011. Wilkinsburg was awarded the first three WPIAL football championships in 1914, 1915 and 1916 and Penn Hills won the district crown in 1976 and 1978 but shared the title with Butler in 1977.

• With four of the five Class 6A teams qualifying for the WPIAL football playoffs, odds are good North Allegheny will be able to add to its streak of 18 straight district playoff appearances. The last time the Tigers missed out on the playoffs was in 2003 when they finished 3-7 overall and in sixth place in the old Quad North Conference.