December 16, 2012

In Convincing Fashion....

Brendan Coniker's State Championship Highlights
http://youtu.be/u-w0TRKpJV4

By Mike White / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If this was a finishing kick, then North Allegheny put two feet to Coatesville's head.

North Allegheny, one of the most dominant Class AAAA teams ever to come out of the WPIAL, won a PIAA title and finished a perfect season with a record-breaking, 63-28 victory against Coatesville Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium.

North Allegheny had talked about wanting to cap a terrific season with a strong finishing kick. After this performance, you can put the stamp of greatness right on North Allegheny. And after kicking Coatesville back to the Philadelphia area, the Tigers earned their stripes as one of the best teams from the WPIAL. In three PIAA playoff games, North Allegheny outscored opponents, 164-44.

North Allegheny 63, Coatesville 28

North Allegheny defeats Coatesville 63-28 in the PIAA Class AAAA state championship game in Hershey. (Video by Andrew Rush; 12/15/2012)

It was the second PIAA title in the past three years for North Allegheny, but the Tigers put 63 exclamation points at the end of this championship.

• The 63 points set a record for a PIAA championship in any classification.

HERSHEY — Two long fumble returns for touchdowns were part of a record-setting performance Saturday night for North Allegheny in a 63-28 victory over Coatesville in the PIAA Class AAAA championship at Hersheypark Stadium.

The Tigers‘ 63 points were the most scored in a PIAA championship, and it‘s fitting that their defense played a significant role.

Brendan Coniker returned a fumble 80 yards, and Kevin Edwards returned another 52, accounting for two of the Tigers‘ four first-quarter touchdowns. The 28 points were the most scored by one team in the first quarter of a PIAA final.

NA also became just the second Quad-A program to win multiple PIAA titles in a three-year span. Central Bucks West won three in a row from 1997-99.

“If you want to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time, you have to finish,” NA coach Art Walker said. “I don‘t think there‘s any question with this group of seniors that they‘ve got to be mentioned as one of the greatest of all time.”

December 14, 2012

State Championship, Live Broadcast

2012 PIAA Football Class AAAA Championship Game - North Allegheny vs Coatesville @ Hersheypark Stadium at 6:00pm EST, Saturday, December 15, 2012

The North Allegheny Sports Network will have all the action of this 2012 PIAA Class AAAA State Championship Game from Hersheypark Stadium as the WPIAL champion Tigers battle the District 1 champion Red Raiders.

MSA Sports - Internet Audio broadcast

http://www.msasports.net/broadcasts/2012-piaa-football-class-aaaa-championship-game-north-allegheny-vs-coatesville

Alternate sites

PIAA

http://www.piaa.org/sports/football/

PCN TV Schedule

http://pcntv.com/schedule/

Three-year starter plays pivotal role in Tigers return to PIAA final

Pittsburgh Tribune Review. An interview with Brendan Coniker.

By Kevin Gorman

Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012

Brendan Coniker is one of only two North Allegheny players (Patrick Kugler is the other) who started on the Tigers‘ 2010 PIAA Class AAAA championship team. The 6-foot, 190-pound senior, a Richmond recruit, has 20 receptions for 383 yards and five touchdowns, along with two interceptions this season. The Tigers are 44-2 in his three seasons as a starter.

Q: What‘s it been like to be a three-year starter at NA?

A: I definitely feel blessed that I‘ve been given an opportunity and was one of the two guys that‘s been able to start all three years. I definitely worked hard. Sophomore year, my first varsity start, I was nervous. I didn‘t know what to expect and was uncomfortable. Now I know what to expect, what‘s expected of me every game.

Q: On which side of the ball will you play in college?

A: Defense. I‘m definitely real comfortable with the cornerback position. I can cover the best receiver on the team. I can play the field. I can lock down on the other receivers. I know what to expect from playing the receiver position. I know what they‘re going to do sometimes.

Q: How often do you hear about your controversial catch in the 2011 WPIAL final at Heinz Field?

A: I hear about that a lot. People always joke about it. When we went back this year, people said they lined the field three more feet, just for me. Last year, there were definitely a lot of comments after the game. It wasn‘t my call. I saw the replay and how I was clearly out of bounds. I kept my mouth shut. It wasn‘t my fault the ref made a bad call. Fortunately, it was in our favor.

Q: What‘s it going to be like returning to Hershey?

A: It‘s definitely an unbelievable feeling, being my senior year and everything. It‘s nice to go there again. We know what to expect. We have to keep our focus and treat it like any other game now. That‘s our goal every year. Last year, we fell short, and we were angry about that. We wanted to make sure we got back this year. It‘s all about football. Strictly business. We‘re there for one thing and one thing only: We‘re there to play and win the game. We put aside all the distractions and focused on winning.

Q: Did you get to eat some chocolate in 2010?

A: I ate some after the game, when people were throwing Hershey‘s kisses. I was catching them and picking them up. Oh yeah, definitely, they tasted better because it was in Hershey, and we won.

December 9, 2012

PIAA Semifinals

North Allegheny (15-0), which has won 44 of its past 46 games, returns to the PIAA final for the second time in three years. The Tigers will play District 1 champion Coatesville (13-2), a 42-35 winner over LaSalle, at 6 p.m. next Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium.

Leftwich connected with Brendan Coniker on a 9-yard touchdown pass for a 21-7 lead. The Tigers took advantage of a turnover on downs at midfield with 17 seconds remaining in the second quarter when a 10-yard pass to Garrity was coupled with a roughing-the-passer penalty to set up Ben Ziolkowski’s 37-yard field goal with no time remaining for a 24-7 halftime lead.

Leftwich connected with Coniker again, this time on a fourth-and-2 at the Wilson 28, and the receiver stretched for the first down. Five plays later, Leftwich found Coniker for a 3-yard touchdown and a 31-10 lead.

“When we went for it on fourth down it was a huge momentum-builder for us,” Coniker said. “We definitely weren’t afraid of their defense.”

ALTOONA, Pa. -- The way they moved said everything you needed to know. Two quarters had been played. Two were left. This game wasn't over, but it didn't look that way.

Wilson's players walked slowly on the way to the locker room at halftime. North Allegheny's players were jogging. They were fired up. At halftime and by the end, this game was all about them, their physicality, their defense and their sharp execution on third and fourth down.

North Allegheny defeated Wilson of West Lawn, 45-10, Saturday at Mansion Park Stadium in a PIAA Class AAAA semifinal, advancing to the championship at 6 p.m. Saturday to face Coatesville (13-2) at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey.

North Allegheny (15-0) had a scare, sort of, in roughly the same time it did a week ago. As it did against Erie McDowell, North Allegheny fell behind after allowing an early touchdown.

Wide receiver Brendan Coniker had a 9-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, and Ben Ziolkowski kicked a 37-yard field goal with no time left in the first half.

North Allegheny added three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter -- a 3-yard pass to Coniker, another a 15-yard pass to Garrity (on fourth down) and a 13-yard run by running back Sean Idowu.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-football/piaa-football-all-right-moves-by-tigers-665524/#ixzz2EZUkBbst

December 1, 2012

PIAA Quarterfinals

North Allegheny's Brendan Coniker carries back an interception against McDowell in the PIAA quarterfinals.

CBS Local - Team Highlights