Dec 15, 2012 3 min read

HERSHEY – North Allegheny turned the marquee game of PIAA championship weekend into a black-and-gold party.

The Tigers (16-0) had two long first-quarter fumble returns for touchdowns to help build a 21-point halftime cushion in a wild 63-28 defeat of mistake-prone Coatesville to claim a second Class AAAA title in three years.

North Allegheny set a PIAA record for most points scored in any PIAA title game. Dunmore previously held the mark with 57 in 1989.

Alex DeCiantis ran for three touchdowns, but the Tigers defense set the tone early.

After defensive back Brendan Coniker returned a fumble 80 yards, linebacker Kevin Edwards followed with a 52-yard fumble return for a score on Coatesville’s next drive for a 21-0 lead at 3:56 of the first quarter.

The Red Raiders (13-3) could move the ball – when they held on to it. Daquan Worley rushed for an 89-yard touchdown for Coatesville.

Coatesville likely took little consolation in sharing another record with North Allegheny. The 91 total points set a record for most combined points in a championship game. Worley also made the record books after his second-quarter score set the Class AAAA mark for the longest touchdown run in a title game.

North Allegheny returned home to suburban Pittsburgh with the more coveted prize – the program’s third PIAA title and second since 2010.

The Tigers’ 28 first-quarter points were the most in the opening period of any PIAA title game dating back to 1988.

They opened the game with a methodical 12-play, 71-yard drive in 4:20, culminating in quarterback Mack Leftwich’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Skylar Cox, before Coniker and Edwards followed with their big defensive plays on successive Coatesville drives.

Edwards extinguished another Coatesville drive into Tigers territory after intercepting a short pass by quarterback Emmett Hunt and returning it 51 yards to the Red Raiders 25. DeCiantis scored on a 1-yard touchdown run three plays later to make it a 28-point game with 1:01 left in the third quarter.

The celebration started early.

By the fourth quarter, Hersheypark Stadium resembled Heinz Field after a playoff victory with several fans furiously waving Terrible Towels and others celebrating while bundled up in Steelers gear.

But it was the other black-and-gold team that took the spotlight Saturday night.

Speedy Coatesville, which averaged 40.1 points entering Saturday night, picked up the pace trying to rally in the second half.

Hunt’s second 1-yard TD plunge of the night on the opening drive of the second half got the Red Raiders within 35-21 with 8:53 left in the third quarter.

But Coatesville just couldn’t stop North Allegheny and overcome the costly turnovers that turned into touchdowns.