Live Friday night blog - North Allegheny defeats Gateway

Live blog from Friday night's showdown between No. 1-ranked and No. 2 Gateway at Gateway's Pete Antimarino Stadium. We'll have score updates and reports from other games around the area. If you have a score, tweet it with #WPIAL, or send email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For final scores, as we get them, check our high school page.

FINAL: NORTH ALLEGHENY 14, GATEWAY 3

Mack Leftwich with an 11-yard TD with 1:56 left.

So much for a shootout that a lot of people thought. I didn't. Defenses too good. And when Quad-A heavyweights get together, it's not high scoring. Those teams beat up on bad teams and score lot points against not-so-good teams. Incidentally, it seems there are more of those bad teams in Class AAAA this year than ever before.

Final stats: Gateway 242 yards offensively to 239 for Gateway. NA had 215 yards rushing to 112 for Gateway.

Big game for Alex DeDianctis for NA. His line was terrific in front of him also, especially after first quarter. He finished with 126 yards on 25 carries. Andre Martin had 95 yards on 18 carries.

Only 27 yards passing for NA. Mack Leftwich was 3 of 10 for 27 yards. Thomas Woodson for Gateway was 10 of 22 for 127 yards.

9:36 p.m. - Fourth-down pass incomplete. Chas Smith on the play for North Allegheny. NA ball at Gateway 22 with 2:19 left.

9:35 p.m. - Incomplete pass on third down. Fourth-and-13 coming up.

9:33 p.m. - Pass incomplete on first down. Woodson sacked on second down. Third-and-13 timeout with 2:26 left.

9:31 p.m. - Gateway takes ball at own 26 with 2:46 left in game. North Allegheny still leading, 7-3.

9:30 p.m. - Don Holl should be happy. Ha ha. Holding NA on third-and-four.

Mars defeats Uniontown, 44-0.

From Big Ben O. Bethel Park leading Penn Hills, 24-7, in fourth.

9:26 p.m. - Big call. Third-and-8. Deep pass to Elijah Zeise, who had step or two on defender. Ball underthrown a little. Interference on Gateway's Todd Jeter. NA first down at Gateway 48 with 4:30 left.

9:23 p.m. - On fourth-and-4 from the NA 31, Gateway goes for it. Runs a draw play. Didn't fool anyone. Darin Franklin stopped for 4-yard loss. NA line blew up the play.

Final Peters Township 42, Plum 0

Central Catholic beats Pine-Richland, 28-8

9:18 p.m. - Elijah Zeise just made TD saving tackle for NA. Gateway now at NA 41.

9:16 p.m. - North Allegheny tries 35-yard field goal. No good by Jason Buchert. Still 7-3 NA.

West Mifflin ahead of Eliz. Forward, 27-0

9:10 p.m. - Gateway goes for it again on fourth down in its own territory. This time, on fourth-and-one from the 35, Gateway's Thomas Woodson throws nice pass over middle, but Mileak Ford drops it. NA takes over at Gateway 35 late in third quarter.

9:05 p.m. - Ohhh. Gregg Garrity was just wide open. Would've been a TD. But Mack Leftwich didn't see him. Threw short underneath incomplete. NA punts away.

9:03 p.m. - NA defense has shored up some holes. No more power running right through line from Gateway. NA ball at own 34 with four minutes left in third quarter.

9:01 p.m. - Jeremy Gonzales big sack for NA. Kugler is good for NA, but so is Gonzales. One of best in WPIAL.

Seneca Valley 35, Shaler 0

From Dealin' Dylan Mitchell: North Hills 17, Fox Chapel 7 at half.

8:58 p.m. - Fourth-and-one from own 29. Terry Smith gambles. QB Thomas Woodson runs for first down to the 40 midway through third quarter.

Hopewell leads Ambridge, 10-6

Upper St. Clair leads Butler, 20-3

West Mifflin goes on top of EF, 14-0, on 88 yard TD pass from Derrick Fulmore to Marcus Martin.

8:51 p.m. - 20-yard pass from Leftwich to Gregg Garrity. Only second completion for NA.

8:48 p.m. - Love how Gateway PA announcer pronounces North "Allegheny."

Charleroi 10, Waynesburg 0

Bishop Canevin 20, Fort Cherry 9

Kiski Area 23, Norwin 8

In the City League, Allderdice leading University Prep, 15-8

Jordan Blackmon TD run and North Hills leads Fox Chapel, 17-7

Avella trying to go to 6-0. Leads Frazier, 13-12.

Oops. Correction. Rochester missed PAT. Neshannock still leads Rochester, 14-13.

Rochester comes back and ties Neshannock, 14-14, late in first half.

Beaver 40, Riverside 21

Woodland Hills 21, Baldwin 0

Half: Freeport 7, Burrell 0

Kittanning 10, Ford City 7

Kennell Washington 27-yard TD run and Ambridge leads, 6-3

Neshannock has taken a 14-7 lead on Rochester. What a win this would be for Neshannock. AT ROCHESTER. But you have to be a closer to beat Rochester.

HALFTIME: NORTH ALLEGHENY 7, GATEWAY 3

So much for a high scoring game. But I didn't think it would be. Only four total completions in first half. Mack Leftwich 1 of 4 for 4 yards. Gateway's Thomas Woodson 3 of 9 for 34 yards.

Running and offensive line play have been keys. Alex Deciantis 83 yards on 12 carries for NA. Andrew Martin 79 yards on 11 carries for Gateway.

8:21 p.m. - NA at own 41 with 29 seconds left in half.

Bishop Canevin leads Fort Cherry, 13-9

8:18 p.m. - With less than a minute left in half. Only three completions both teams combined.

8:15 p.m. - Mack Leftwich keeps ball and scores on third down. Caps 13-play, 93-yard drive. Jason Buchert kick. 7-3 NA with 1:01 left in half.

8:13 p.m. - Timeout. NA third-and-goal from the 1.

West Mifflin takes 7-0 lead on Elizabeth Forward. 9-yard TD run by Jim Wheeler. He now has 83 yards.

8:11 p.m. - Now it's NA offensive line flexing its muscle.

8:11 p.m. - NA now on Gateway 7.

8:09 p.m. - North Allegheny started to move it some. Now near midfield. Mack Leftwich, one of the top QBs, has thrown only three passes for NA.

From Canadian Curt: Mars machine continues to roll. 34-0 over Uniontown at halftime.

Freeport leads Burrell, 7-0. TD by Brendan Lynch.

Montour leading Char Valley, 28-0

8:03 p.m. - Gateway was going to go for first on fourth-and-4. Got delay of game penalty. Now punting.

This game changed quickly. Central Valley now leads Moon, 28-3

8:01 p.m. - Gateway beating NA up front right now.

7:59 p.m. - Gateway moving again. Into NA territory.

Penn Hills and Bethel Park tied at 7-7

END OF FIRST QUARTER: GATEWAY 3, NORTH ALLEGHENY 0

Andre Martin running right up the middle of NA defense. Has 73 yards on nine carries in first quarter.

7:55 p.m. - Andre Martin a workhorse for Gateway.

7:53 p.m. - Nice quick kick by NA's Matt Leftwich. Pins Gateway at own 4.

Big game at West Mifflin. Elizabeth Forward and West Mifflin scoreless after first quarter. This from Sarge Everett.

Josh Hulbert TD run. North Hills ties Fox Chapel, 7-7.

7:48 p.m. - Gateway gets holding penalty. Settles for 29-yard field goal by Chris Conti. Gateway leads, 3-0, with 4:31 left in first quarter.

Neshannock, the big turnaround story this year, leads Rochester, 7-0

Altoona leads Hempfield, 10-7.

7:43 p.m. - Gateway on NA 8. Martin just ran for 15. NA can't stop run.

From Dan the Man. Brandon Mitchell goes 80 yards on first play for Fox Chapel and Foxes lead North Hills, 7-0.

7:41 p.m. - Andre Martin running over NA defense right now. Power.

7:38 p.m. - Leftwich intercepted in end zone by Todd Jeter.

7:37 p.m. - Mack Leftwich gains 29 yards on NA first play.

7:35 p.m. - Gateway three and out on first possession.

Suprise here. Moon leads Central Valley, 3-0, after first quarter.

Pete Antimarino honorary captain tonight. Other honorary captain is Art Walker, father of NA coach Art Walker. The elder Walker wasn't a head coach at NA, but he was an assistant for his son. Art the dad was head coach at Mt. Lebanon and Shady Side Academy.

PREGAME

Great to see legendary former Gateway coach Pete Antimarino. The stadium is named after him. One of my all-time favorites. Coached Gateway from 1958-89.

"Hey Whitey," he said to me in the press box.

I asked Pete how he was doing.

"Good," he said. "I wish I was 20 years younger. I'd out there still kicking some butt."

Vintage Pete. Still spry and enthusiastic after all these years. Love that guy.

PREDICTION: I'll take North Allegheny by a touchdown.