Alle-Kiski Sports Weekly

03/10/2020

03/10/2020

Alle-Kiski Sports Weekly Friday Night Football Game of the Week Sponsored by BUFFALO BILL'S ROADHOUSE

Dickerson Lifts North Hills to Win Over Kiski

By WILLIAM WHALEN

There was no pomp and circumstance that Kiski fans have grown accustomed to under the coach Sammy Albert's tenure. No white smoke, loud music or stampede of Cavaliers emerging from the 15-foot Kiski blow-up helmet. But, the award winning Kiski Cavalier Band did get to put on a show during pregame but had exit the field once they were finished with their routine.

When it comes to high-school football, 2020 hasn't been kind to the Cavaliers. Kiski Area has been playing catchup before the season started having missed the first two weeks of the regular season due to COVID precautions.

The Cavaliers found themselves once again playing catchup to a team that was peaking at just the right time.

Backed by Robert Dickerson's four-touchdown performance, North Hills jumped on Kiski Area early and rolled to a 42-20 win in a Class 5A Northeast Conference matchup at Richard J. Dilts Field Friday night.

"We made mistakes and we just happened to make a lot tonight," said Albert. "You just can't, against a quality football team, make mistakes. And when you do, they'll score. It's that easy."

The win snaps a two game losing streak for North Hills (2-2, 2-0).

"We had been slowed over the last two weeks and we played two pretty good football teams," said North Hills coach Pat Carey. "We started to get down on ourselves a little bit as a group. It was good to get back on track a little bit."

The Kiski Area (1-2, 0-2) attack was hampered quite a bit as star running back Kenny Blake watched the game from the sideline with crutches. Blake, who just committed to Albany on Thursday, is nursing an ankle injury suffered last week at Penn Hills.

The absence of Blake showed right away. The Cavaliers received the opening kickoff and sputtered through a four-play drive before punting.

North Hills went right to work on its first drive. The Indians put together an eight-play drive that was highlighted by Liam Tracey's 44-yard run. North Hills broke the game open when quarterback Ethan Marker connected with tight end Tim Legler for a 19-yard touchdown pass to give the Indians an early 7-0 lead with 6 minutes, 56 seconds on the first quarter clock.

The North Hills defense held the Cavaliers to three-and-out and got the ball right back. Marker fumbled which was recovered by Jack Dilts to give the ball back to the Kiski Area offense. But, the Cavaliers were still trying to figure out how to move the ball without Blake and struggled for much of the first quarter.

The Indians scored again when Marker spotted Dickerson for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Dickerson was a problem all night for the Cavaliers defense; he finished the night with four catches for 93 yards and three touchdown receptions and 120 yards rushing and one touchdown.

"Robert Dickerson had a helluva game running around the edge," Carey said.

The Cavaliers got on the board in the second quarter when quarterback Logan Johnson spotted wide receiver Brock Wilkins for a 19-yard touchdown pass to cap off a 10-play, 70-yard drive and cut into the North Hills' lead at 14-7.

But three plays later, Dickerson struck again with a 86-yard touchdown run to extend the Indians' lead to 21-7 and steal any momentum the Cavaliers had captured.

"That's a quality football team," Albert said.

Kiski seemed to be finding its stride. The Cavaliers were moving the ball though the air. Johnson put Kiski on the board again when he found Calvin Heinle for a nine-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 21-13 after the failed extra-point attempt just before the half.

"We were worried about that team," Carey said. "They are big and physical."

Kiski Area came out of the halftime and played some inspired football. Junior James Pearson fell on fumble on the first play of the second half to set the Cavaliers offense up at the North Hills 12-yard line. Kiski Area managed to move the ball down to the Indians 3-yard line before a series of errors and penalties kept Kiski Area out of the end zone.

"That's just disheartening," said Albert. "That's big if we score and we made mistakes offensively."

Two plays later, Liam Tracey rolled for a 15-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 28-13 with a 7:51 remaining in the this quarter.

Dickerson and Marker hooked up for two fourth-quarter touchdowns of 14 and 30 yards to close out the Indians' scoring.

Johnson connected with Heinle for a 33-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.

"It's evident that we're behind as far as no camp, even conditioning-wise," said Albert. "We made mistakes tonight that are just mistakes. I'm proud. I'll never fault their effort."

Scoring summary
NH: Tim Legler 19 pass from Ethan Marker (Lebryn Smith kick)
NH: Robert Dickerson 65 pass from Marker (Smith kick)
KA: Brock Wilkins 11 pass from Logan Johnson (Cody D***s kick)
NH: Dickerson run 86 (Smith kick)
KA: Calvin Heinle 9 pass from Johnson (kick failed)
NH: Liam Tracey run 15 (Smith kick)
NH: Dickerson 14 pass from Marker (Smith kick)
NH: Dickerson 30 pass from Marker (Smith kick)
KA: Heinle 33 pass from Johnson (D***s kick)

Top performers
Rushing
KA: Logan Johnson 19-81
NH: Robert Dickerson 6-93 1TD

Passing
KA: Logan Johnson 11-25-165 3TDs 2 INTs
NH: Ethan Marker 5-6-119 4TDs

Receiving
KA: Calvin Heinle 6-101 2TDs
NH: Robert Dickerson 3-120 3TDs

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 42, Kiski Area 20 FINAL

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 42, Kiski Area 20 3:38 4thQ. KA: Logan Johnson to Calvin Heinle for a 33 yd catch.

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 42, Kiski Area 13 6:31 4thQ. NH: Dickerson 30 pass from Marker.

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 35, Kiski Area 13 7:06 4thQ. NH: Dickerson 14 pass from Marker.

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 28, Kiski Area 13 END 3rdQ.

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 28, Kiski Area 13 7:51 3rdQ. NH: Liam Tracey scores on a 15 yd run

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 21, Kiski Area 13 HALF.

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 21, Kiski Area 13 35.5 2ndQ. KA: Logan Johnson to Calvin Heinle for a 9 yd TD pass. PAT failed.

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 14, Kiski Area 7 8:17 2ndQ. KA: Logan Johnson to Brock Wilkins for an 11 yd TD pass.

03/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 21, Kiski Area 7 6:402ndQ. NH: Robert Dickerson rolls for a an 86-yd TD run

02/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 14, Kiski Area 0 54.5 1stQ. Ethan Marker to Tim Legler for a 65-yd TD pass.

02/10/2020

Class 5A Northeast Conf.- North Hills 7, Kiski Area 0 6:56 1stQ. Ethan Marker to Tim Legler for a 19-yd TD pass.

02/10/2020

The Alle-Kiski Sports Weekly’s Friday Night Football Game of the Week Sponsored by BUFFALO BILL’S ROADHOUSE.

Here at Kiski Area where, after a strange start to the regular season, the Cavaliers will take the field in front of their home fans for the first time this season. Kiski Area (1-1, 0-1) will face Class 5A Northeast Conference rival North Hills (1-2, 1-0). Pads start cracking here at 7 pm.

26/09/2020

Friday Night Football Game of the Week Sponsored by The Rehab Centre.

AIR SHOW
Fello and Fitzroy Lead Apollo-Ridge to Win Over Burrell

By WILLIAM WHALEN

APOLLO-- After a few years of some tough luck, the Apollo-Ridge faithful got themselves a team that's going to take them for a ride. And if the rest of the WPIAL Class 2A hasn't noticed yet, they better take note. The 2020 Apollo-Ridge Vikings are for real.

Last week, bruiser Logan Harmon led the way. This week, well, it was through the air. Backed by Jake Fello's five-touchdown passing performance, Apollo-Ridge laid it on thick to its long-time rival Burrell Bucs with a resounding 56-8 rout Friday night in a non conference matchup at Owens Field.

"I think, the scary part is, that we still are really messing things up," said Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba. "If we were real clean, it could get really ugly, I think, early (in the game)."

Burrell (1-2, 1-1) coach Shawn Liotta reached right into his bag of tricks when he called a surprise onside kick to start the game. Problem is, Apollo-Ridge (3-0, 1-0) was ready.

"We missed on the onside kick," Liotta said. "We had a great shot at it and we didn't get it but we held and we played great defense."

The Bucs defense did hold as the Vikings attacked sputtered a little bit out of the gate and was forced to punt on its first possession.

The Bucs responded with what turned out to be its best drive of the night. Burrell began on its own 10-yard line and put together a 12-play drive. Problem is, the drive ended when senior defensive back Dom Reiter stepped in front of an Alex Arledge pass to kill Burrell's momentum. It was all Apollo-Ridge the rest of the way.

Three plays later, Harmon blasted through the Burrell defensive line and rolled for a 19-yard touchdown run to give Apollo-Ridge the lead at 7-0, with four minutes, 32 seconds remaining on the first-quarter clock.

"We jumpstart ourselves really well," Skiba said.

That was about as much daylight Harmon would see the rest of the night. The Bucs were focused on the 5-foot-9, 219-pound Harmon; he finished the night with 58 yards on 10 carries.

"We loaded the box up," Liotta said. "We weren't gonna let No. 44 (Harmon) beat us."

Playing the run left Burrell vulnerable to the pass and Fello took full advantage. Fello threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Klay Fitzroy to "jumpstart" the passing game and give the Vikings a 14-0 lead late in the opening quarter. Both Fello and Fitzroy had big nights. Fello finished 17 of 22 for 285 yards, while Fitzroy hauled in 10 receptions for 192 yards and three touchdowns.

"The line blocked really well tonight," said Fello. "Klay made plays, Keighton (Reese) made plays, and all my wide receivers made plays tonight."

Fello hooked up with Fitzroy for a nine-yard touchdown pass to extend the Vikings' lead to 21-0 with 5:14 remaining in the first half.

"We have the skills all around and we have the line this year," said Fitzroy. "It's just great to be on this team."

Fello connected with sophomore running back Dom Curci for an eight-yard touchdown pass right before the half and extend Apollo-Ridge's lead to 28-0 at the break.

"They'll be tough out for anybody in (Class) 2A," said Liotta. "They're athletic. They're big. They're balanced. They can run and throw, well coached and are senior heavy. They're a good football team."

The aerial assault continued in the second half. Fello connected with Reese for an 11-yard touchdown pass and then found Fitzroy deep down the Apollo-Ridge sideline for a 41-yard catch and score to put the game away at 42-0 and start the running clock.

Caden DiCaprio put Burrell on the board early in the fourth quarter with a 41-yard touchdown run to avoid the shutout. DiCaprio finished the night with 78 yards on 19 carries.

"We had some kids step up and learn tonight and do some things," Liotta said.

For Skiba and his Vikings, what is currently taking place is the result of three years of hard work.

"It's the same kids and they are so much more mature and nasty and tough and understand it," Skiba said. "It's been a fun group."

Score by quarters
B: 0 0 0 8-- 8
AR: 14 14 14 14-- 56

Scoring summary
AR: Logan Harmon run 19 (Gavin Cole kick)
AR: Klay Fitzroy 57 pass from Jake Fello (Cole kick)
AR: Fitzroy 9 pass from Fello (Cole kick)
AR: Dom Curci 8 pass from Fello (Cole kick)
AR: Keighton Reese 11 pass from Fello (Cole kick)
AR: Fitzroy 41 pass from Fello (Cole kick)
B: Caden DiCaprio run 41 (Justin Ulizio catch)
AR: Karter Schrock run 8 (Cole kick)
AR: Alex Wurmb return 30 (Cole kick)

Top performers
Rushing
AR: Logan Harmon 10-58 1TD
B: Caden DiCaprio 19-78 1TD

Passing
AR: Jake Fello 17-22-285 5TDs
B: Alex Arledge 12-32-173 2INTs

Receiving
AR: Klay Fitzroy 10-192 3TDs
B: AJ Corrado 9-162

Photo Credit: CAMERON WHALEN

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 56, Burrell 8, FINAL

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 56, Burrell 8, 4:03 4thQ. Alex Wurmb intercepts Burrell backup QB and returns it 30 yards the other way for the

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 49, Burrell 8, 4:57 4thQ. Back up QB Karter Schrock scores on an 8-yd TD run.

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 42, Burrell 7, 9:05 4thQ. Caden DiCaprio puts the Bucs on the board with a 41 yd TD run.

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 42, Burrell 0, END 3rdQ.

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 42, Burrell 0, 1:08 3rdQ. Fello to Fitzroy for a 41-yd TD pass.

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 28, Burrell 0, 9:48 3rdQ. Reese 11 pass from Fello on the Vikings first possession of the second half.

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 28, Burrell 0, HALF

26/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 28, Burrell 0, :21.8 2ndQ. Fello to Dom Curci from nine yards out.

25/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 21, Burrell 0, 5:14 2ndQ. Fello to Fitzroy’s for a 9-yd TD pass. ALLLLL Vikings here.

25/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 14, Burrell 0, END 1stQ.

25/09/2020

WPIAL nonconference Apollo-Ridge 14, Burrell 0, 1:38 1stQ. 57 yd TD pass from Jake Fello to Klayton Fitzroy

25/09/2020

nonconference Apollo-Ridge 7, Burrell 0, 4:32 1stQ. Logan Harmon with a 19 yd TD run through the heart of the Burrell defense. Drive set up by a Dom Reiter INT.

25/09/2020

The Friday Night High-School Football Game of the Week Sponsored by The Rehab Centre.

Here at Owens Field for nonconference matchup between Class 2A Apollo-Ridge (2-0, 1-0) and Class 3A Burrell (1-1, 1-1). Pads start cracking here at 7 p.m.

23/09/2020

Middle-school football: McGuffey at Highlands

20/09/2020

Here’s the results and updated standings following yesterday’s Allegheny Youth Football League’s slate of games. Note: RYFO played nonconference rival Plum.

19/09/2020

Alle-Kiski Valley Top Performers Week No. 2

RUSHING
154 yards- Logan Harmon, Apollo-Ridge
119- Brock White, Highlands
101- Keagan Fraser, Knoch

PASSING
238- Ryan Hubner, Plum
169- Justin Rice, Fox Chapel
162- Jake Fello, Apollo-Ridge
130- Dylan Cook, Leechburg

RECEIVING
164- Logan Brooks, Plum
123- Benjamin Wilk, Fox Chapel

19/09/2020

Alle-Kiski High-School Football Scoreboard Week No. 2
Class 4A-Greater Allegheny Conference
Plum 48, Indiana 10
Greensburg Salem 13, Knoch 12
Mars 12, Highlands 7

Class 3A-Allegheny Seven Conference
Derry 31, Deer Lakes 7
East Allegheny 35, Burrell 14
North Catholic 51, Valley 7

Class A-Eastern Conference
Clairton 59, Leechburg 14

Nonconference
Apollo-Ridge 48, Freeport 14
Franklin Regional 42, Fox Chapel

19/09/2020

The Alle-Kiski Sports Weekly Friday Night Football Game of the Week Sponsored by Della's Frozen Custard.

Mercy, Mercy
Apollo-Ridge Uses Big Third Quarter to Break Game Open Verse Rival Freeport

By WILLIAM WHALEN

SOUTH BUFFALO-- There's nothing like digging up the past to spark motivation.

Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba did just that this past week when he dusted off the old film from his Vikings' 42-point loss to Freeport four-years ago.

It's safe to say those old wounds are still a little raw. Despite a slow and inconsistent first half, Skiba's Vikings put up 26 third-quarter points and downed nonconference rival Freeport, 48-14, at the Freeport Area Athletic Stadium.

"I was very irritated when we went in (at halftime) because the amount of mistakes we made was ridiculous," said Skiba. "We went in, I let them simmer for a while and we got after it."

The loss reminded Freeport coach John Gaillot of the matchup four years ago.

"Four years ago it was the other way around," said Gaillot. "They're just bigger and stronger up front; and, they're a veteran team."

Freeport (1-1, 1-0) got on the board first. After the Yellowjackets' defense forced the Apollo-Ridge (2-0, 1-0) attack to a turnover on downs on it's first drive. Gaillot pulled a rabbit out of his hat in the Yellowjackets' first play from scrimmage.

Setting up shop on the Freeport 44-yard line, sophomore quarterback Zach Clark pitched to Vinny Clark who then spotted a wide open Brady Stivenson deep down the field for a 56-yard touchdown pass and a quick 7-0 lead with eight minutes, 39 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

"We haven't done a trick play in the 13 years I've been here, so it was about time," said Gaillot.

That's all Freeport would get for a long while. The touchdown pass sparked the Vikings on both sides of the ball. Apollo-Ridge responded with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a Nick Curci 3-yard touchdown run to tie the game at seven.

The Apollo-Ridge defense swarmed Clark in the back field and stuffed standout out running back Ben Lane most of the game. Apollo-Ridge forced the Yellowjackets to a three-and-out and got the ball right back.

Six plays and 54-yards later, bruiser, Logan Harmon bulldozed across the goal line from four yards out to give the Vikings the lead for good at 13-7 after the blocked extra-point attempt.

"We were just ready to come out and play", said Harmon. "Our line just did a fantastic job blocking for us."

The second quarter was all the Vikings defense. The Freeport offense had two second-quarter drives and both were three-and-out.

Then, inconsistency hit the Vikings offense. Apollo-Ridge went to the air. And while it was effective because of the run game, too many miscues got in the way and the Vikings' drives stalled.

"It was a tough first half and we didn't play very well," Harmon said. "We came out in the second half ready to go, ready to fight as a team and play together and put up some points."

Apollo-Ridge did just that. The Vikings stuffed Freeport on the opening drive of the second half and went to work. Senior quarter Jake Fello's only pass of the second half came on a 32-yard touchdown to Klayton Fitzroy to start the Apollo-Ridge rout.

Harmon smashed his way for a 2-yard touchdown, Keighton Reese added another 10-yard touchdown run, and Harmon rolled down hill for a 14-yard score. The Vikings scored four touchdowns in the first 9:21 of the third quarter. The Vikings went smash mouth on Freeport. Apollo-Ridge rolled the score to 39-7 at the third-quarter horn.

"It was fun to watch," Skiba said. "We can out muscle them and we just line Logan up and get him going. When he gets going, it kind of steam rolls a little bit."

Harmon finished the night with 154 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns. Curci added 60 yards on eight carries.

"Everything was going well in that third quarter," Harmon said. "We were just storming them."

Curci tacked on a 17-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Lane sliced through the Vikings defensive line and out-sprinted the Apollo-Ridge defense for a 79-yard touchdown run to cut into the Vikings' lead at 46-14. Late in the fourth quarter, a high Freeport snap rolled out of the back of the end zone for a Vikings' safety to complete the scoring.

"The journey with these guys has been one of the greatest things ever," Skiba said. "I think (our confidence) is really high right now. I told them at the end that they can be really, really good."

Scoring summary
F: Brady Stivanson 56 pass from Vinny Clark (Parker Lucas kick)
AR: Nick Curci run 3 (Gavin Cole kick)
AR: Logan Harmon run 1 (kick blocked)
AR: Klayton Fitzroy 32 pass from Jake Fello (Cole kick)
AR: Harmon run 2 (Kick blocked)
AR: Keighton Reese run 10 (Cole kick)
AR: Harmon run 14 (kick failed)
AR: Curci run 17 (Cole kick)
F: Ben Lane run 79 (Vinny Clark kick)
AR: Safety

Top performers
Rushing:
AR: Logan Harmon 18-154 3TDs
AR: Nick Curci 8-60 2TDs
F: Ben Lane 14-72 1TD

Passing:
AR: Jake Fello 9-16-162 1TD

Receiving
AR: Keighton Reese 3-80
AR: Klayton Fitzroy 4-57 TD
F: Brady Stivenson 2-51 TD

Photo Credit: CAMERON WHALEN
*DM for photo files and reprints

19/09/2020

nonconference: Apollo-Ridge 48, Freeport 14 — FINAL