North Allegheny hosted the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils on Friday night at Newman Stadium in a Quad County Conference matchup. After falling to Central Catholic last week 21-6, the Tigers bounced back to defeat Mt. Lebanon 28-19.

You couldn’t have scripted a better start for NA as they received the opening kickoff. Korry Pitts returned the kick 81 yards to the house. Brady Brinkley found Cameron Kushner on the two-point conversion and North Allegheny led 8-0 just 14 seconds into the game.

Both teams traded punts before the Tigers got a fourth-and-one stop on the NA 40 to end of the first quarter.

The Tigers got the ball down to the Mt. Lebanon five-yard line on their next possession, but penalties and negative plays ultimately forced NA to punt on fourth-and-goal from the 38-yard line. After forcing a Blue Devil punt, the Tigers ran a trick play as Ben Kern hit Brinkley on a 64-yard completion to put North Allegheny on the five-yard line. NA couldn’t find the end zone, but Ethan Maravich cashed in on a 21-yard field goal to make the score 11-0. Mt. Lebanon wasted no time responding, scoring on a 40-yard passing touchdown on the first play of their next drive to make the score 11-7. North Allegheny responded with one of their best drives of the day, going 14 plays for 61 yards, but once again the drive stalled and Maravich kicked a 36-yard field goal to extend the lead to 14-7, which was the score at halftime.

Mt. Lebanon came out with momentum in the third quarter, getting the ball and driving 45 yards to score. There was a botched snap on the extra point and the Tigers clung to a 14-13 lead. It didn’t take long for the NA offense to respond when Brinkley hooked up with Pitts from 65 yards out to expand the lead to 21-13.

After a Blue Devil punt, the Tiger offensive line started to take control, marching 58 yards in 11 plays, all runs, finishing off with a Luke Rohan two-yard touchdown to make the score 28-13 going into the fourth quarter.

North Allegheny got the ball to start the fourth quarter and looked to be on the move, but Brinkley’s pass in the red zone was intercepted by Jacob Zaper, who returned it 100 yards for a pick-six to cut the Tiger lead to 28-19. NA responded with a 10-play, 52-yard drive, and even though they didn’t score, they took eight minutes off the clock, shortening the game. Mt. Lebanon responded with a 10-play drive of their own, but were stopped on fourth down at the Tigers’ 44-yard line.

Pitts was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game with 104 receiving yards and a touchdown, along with an 81-yard kickoff return touchdown.

Rohan led the Tigers in rushing with 132 yards and a touchdown. Brinkley was 14-for-27 with 188 yards and a touchdown.

James Harrison led the NA defense with six tackles. Eli Janowiak and Grant Girty each had four tackles while Declan Flaherty added three.

North Allegheny improves to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Mt. Lebanon falls to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in the conference. The Tigers will be back in action next Friday when they host Canon-McMillan at Newman Stadium at 7:30 p.m. This will be Senior Night and American Cancer Society Night. The game will be broadcast on the North Allegheny Sports Network.