West
Allegheny Too Hot for Perry, Advances to Hershey
By: Rick
Smith, Nauticom Sports Network
Photos
by Pete Gyrich
 |
West
Allegheny celebrates its first trip to
Hershey |
Appropriately
enough, it was Indian Summer this past Saturday
at Pittsburgh's South Stadium. Appropriate
because, following a 31-14 win over Perry
Traditional Academy, the West Allegheny Indians
(13-0) basked in the warmth of the feeling that
they had just earned their first-ever trip to the
PIAA Class AAA championship game. West Allegheny
will play Strath Haven (14-0) for the state title
Friday night at 7pm at Hersheypark Stadium.
 |
Spectacular
view of Pittsburgh from South Stadium |
Sophomore sensation Tyler Palko
led an offensive onslaught that produced a 31-0
Indians' lead early in the third quarter. The
6'2" 200 pound quarterback completed two
touchdown passes and ran for two more scores as
West Allegheny avenged a 1997 loss in the PIAA
Western final to the Commodores. Palko finished
the afternoon with 172 yards in the air while
completing 9 of 17 pass attempts.
 |
Tyler
Palko leaps for 2 point conversion |
"We learned a lot from the
'97 team about trying not to be satisfied (with
just a WPIAL title)," said Palko, "We
have our sites set on the state championship
game."
 |
 |
Bridge-eye
view |
Ready
for Hershey |
The West Allegheny defense came up
with yet another dominating performance. The
Indians, giving up an average of less than four
points per game this season, caused five
Commodores' turnovers and held Perry's
high-powered offense in check until the game's
outcome had already been decided. Chris Leonard
intercepted two passes and Kellen Campbell
intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble for
West Allegheny.
 |
 |
Allen
Miller |
Mike
Bracken |
 |
 |
Chaz
Coleman |
Eugene
Goodwine |
After
West Allegheny's Derek Javarone missed a 25 yard
field goal, Perry (9-4) appeared poised to take
the lead on its first chance on offense. O.J.
Macklin, a 5'10" 170 pound senior slotback,
broke off a 49 yard run that advanced the ball
inside the Indians' 20 yard line. But the West
Allegheny defense stiffened, aided by a sack that
occurred when Commodores' quarterback Damian
Cornish slipped to the turf, and the Indians took
over possession of the ball on downs.
It
was all West Allegheny for the remainder of the
first half.
|
 |
Perry's
band performs at halftime |
Allen
Miller got things started for the Indians as he
turned a missed tackle by a pair of Perry
defenders into a 73 yard catch and run for the
game's first tally. Perry immediately fumbled the
ball away to the Indians' Jamie Fitzgerald and
Javarone converted the opportunity into a 39 yard
field goal that gave West Allegheny a 10-0 lead
as the first quarter clock expired.
 |
Derek
Javarone |
Palko
scored from 7 yards out midway through the second
quarter to up the Indians' lead to 16-0. Unable
to find an open receiver as he rolled to his left
on third down and goal, Palko reversed directions
and outraced the Perry defense around right end
and into the endzone for the score.
 |
William
Graham |
Leonard's
first interception of the game set up a 13 yard
touchdown pass from Palko to Miller with 1:36
remaining in the half. Miller, running a fade
pattern, made a beautiful over-the-shoulder grab
for the score. Palko hurdled a Commodores'
defender for the two point conversion that gave
West Allegheny a 24-0 halftime cushion.
 |
Miller's
second TD catch |
Poor
tackling once again nailed the coffon shut for
the Commodores in the third quarter. On a fourth
down and one play from the Perry 45 yard line,
Palko sneaked for the first down and much more as
he broke free from the Perry defense and sprinted
into the endzone to extend the Indians' lead to
31-0 with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter.
 |
 |
Perry's
Brandon Pezzelle (42) |
Indians'
Jamie Fitzgerald (13) |
Perry
finally scored on a trick play with 1:39 left in
the third quarter. Macklin's 28 yard halfback
pass to Chaz Coleman, followed by a Macklin to
Cornish two-point conversion pass, trimmed the
West Allegheny lead to 31-8.
 |
 |
Chaz
Coleman scores |
Damian
Cornish adds two |
Following
the score, Perry kicker John Harris recovered his
own on-side kick to set up a 1 yard touchdown
sneak by Cornish for the game's final score.
 |
Fitzgerald
closes on Perry's Lamar Griffith |
West
Allegheny showed a very balanced offense during
the game, evidenced by the Indians' 170 yards on
the ground and 172 yards through the air. West
Allegheny did not commit a turnover on offense
during the contest.
 |
Nick
Allen (17) and Chaz Coleman |
The
state championship game will feature two teams
making their first trip to the finals. Strath
Haven lost 13-12 in the Eastern final last season
to eventual state champion Allentown Central
Catholic. History will not be on the side of West
Allegheny Friday night. A WPIAL team has never
won the Class AAA state crown.
"There's
a first time for everything," said All-State
candidate lineman and four year starter Mitch
Fedorko, "It's the big time now. We're going
(to Hershey) to prove we're #1 in the
state." .
 |
Mitch
Fedorko |
Back
|