Norwin no match for No. 3 North Allegheny

By: Nathan Smith
Friday, August 30, 2019 | 10:55 PM

Norwin football coach Dave Brozeski didn’t mince words after his team’s showdown with North Allegheny.

“NA is a heck of a team,” Brozeski said. “They beat us pretty good.”

Six players scored touchdowns for the Tigers as they rolled to a 42-0 win over the Knights in a Class 6A showdown.

No. 3 North Allegheny (2-0, 1-0) opened its scoring in the first quarter with a Ben Petschke 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brayden Prekop.

But from there, the Tigers used a ground-and-pound approach as they rushed for 359 yards.

In the second quarter, Princeton recruit Luke Colella took an end-around 24 yards to give North Allegheny a two-score lead. On the ensuing Tigers drive, Percise Colon pounded the ball into the end zone on a 4-yard run.

Colon finished with 122 yards on 14 carries in two quarters of work.

“He is a diverse back,” North Allegheny coach Art Walker said. “He is not afraid to run between the tackles and put his shoulder down. Once he gets to the open field, he can make you miss.”

Touchdown runs from J.P. Cantu (38 yards) and Ben Rohan (14) in the third quarter brought the mercy rule into effect.

Petschke finished with 67 passing yards for the Tigers.

While North Allegheny ran away with the win, Norwin (0-2, 0-1) struggled to gain traction. The Knights finished the game with 102 total yards compared to the Tigers’ 433.

Norwin has struggled with injuries to its offensive front. These setbacks led to tight end Jacob Merlin moving into a starting tackle role.

“That’s a sign of a team-first mentality,” Brozeski said. “Injuries are part of the game. I am proud of how some of our guys stepped up.”

But the Tigers defense was too much for the Knights, recording eight sacks. It also limited Norwin to six first downs. The North Allegheny defense has opened the season by keeping its first two opponents off the scoreboard.

“Two weeks, two shutouts,” Walker said. “They really stepped up against a great quarterback in Salopek. He threw some darts. He has a Division I arm. That kid has a bright future at the next level.”

Salopek, a Western Michigan recruit, finished with a game-high 108 passing yards. His top target was Connor Chrisman, who finished with 71 receiving yards.

Norwin’s most successful drive came in the second quarter. The Knights ran a flea flicker to perfection as Salopek hit Chrisman for a 53-yard gain. Despite getting a first down in the red zone, the Knights struggled to gain traction. A sack, a false start and two incompletions brought the drive to an end.

“We have to find ways to make plays,” Brozeski said. “Not just in the passing game but also in the run game. It comes down to each of us doing our jobs starting with myself and the staff. We need to get the players into position to make plays week in, week out.”

Tags: North Allegheny, Norwin