University Prep Claims Second City League Football Title

By: Bruce Markey
Saturday, November 2, 2013 | 5:41 PM

The University Prep Wildcats won their second Pittsburgh City League football championship in the three year history of the program with a 33-20 victory over the Allderdice Dragons Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium.

University Prep is a combination of that school, along with Obama Academy and Science and Technology for football, they have qualified for the title game all three seasons, besting Allderdice in 2011 and falling to Perry last season.

Junior quarterback Ronald Brown, the leading passer in Western Pennsylvania , threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Brown went over three thousand yards passing for the season. Marcus Johnson, the city’s leading receiver with 52 catches coming in, was held to four catches but the big one came with just over six minutes to play on a 30 yard score to give USO the lead for good.

Allderdice struck first, Marquis Martin scored on a one yard run after a 7 play 75 yard drive. University Prep took the lead into the half on a Brown 59 yard pass to Stehon Hawthorne-Clark, who was named the MVP of the game with five catches for 112 yards, and a Abner Roberts one yard run.

Roberts put USO up by two scores on a 15 yard run midway thru the third quarter but turnovers and misfortune would plague University Prep for the remainder of the frame. Allderdice cut the lead to six after punter Joel Macklin mishandled a snap, giving the Dragons the ball inside the 30 yard line. Sophomore quarterback James Jackson hit Jamir Powell for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 19-13. On the next possession, Brown threw a bad pass into the wind. Timothy Jackson picked it off and returned the football again inside the 30.

The Dragons capitalized on the interception 85 seconds into the fourth, Martin scored his second touchdown on a yard run, he finished with 34 carries for 117 yards. The Dragons held a 20-19 lead following the conversion and hopes were bright for the first City League title for Allderdice since 1967.

But it was all University Prep from that point. Brown hooked with Johnson for the score to put USO back on top. Allderdice was forced to punt after a grounding call, the snap sailed over punter Alex Hahn’s head and into the end zone where Robert Andrews wrestled the ball away from Hahn for the touchdown and a 31-20 lead. USO added a safety on the final play when Jackson was taken down in the end zone.

University Prep remains unbeaten at 9-0 and put up 378 yards of offense. Brown was 17 of 37 with one interception. USO will host Somerset in a Class AAA PIAA subregional playoff game Friday night at 7.

Allderdice falls to 5-5, the Dragons will take part in the PIAA playoffs as well in two weeks.

University Prep Wildcats  0 – 13 – 6 – 14 = 33

Allerdice Dragons  7 – 0 – 6 – 7 = 20

Scoring Summary:
1ST QUARTER:
A:  Marquis Martin 1 run (Alex Hahn kick)

2ND QUARTER:
USO:  Stephon Hawthorne-Clark 59 pass from Ronald Brown (Joel Macklin kick)
USO:  Abner Roberts 1 run (run failed)

3RD QUARTER:
USO:   Roberts 15 run (run failed)
A:  Jamir Powell 17 pass from James Jackson (kick failed)

4TH QUARTER: 
A:  Martin 1 run (Hahn kick)
USO:  Marcus Johnson 30 pass from Brown (pass failed)
USO:  Robert Andrews fumble recovery in end zone (run failed)
USO:  Safety, James Jackson tackled in end zone