North Allegheny/Pine-Richland is back. As it has become tradition, the two powerhouses in 6A will face off in arguably the biggest rivalry in WPIAL football – especially coming off of last year, where Pine-Richland won at Newman Stadium, and to add insult to injury planted the Pine-Richland flag in the middle of the Tiger logo.

Yet, when it comes to the actual football being played on the field, these teams are both dramatically different this season. They all have many key players returning, but both teams have new quarterbacks and return less than half their starters from last year. It is honestly a game that can go either way.

Thus, here are the five keys to a North Allegheny victory:

1. Stop Pine-Richland’s Running Game

Well, Pine-Richland thrives off of the running game. They average around 350 yards per game, which is absolutely absurd. On the other end of the spectrum, their passing game as been suspect all season, as QB Cole Spencer has really not shown up in big games through the air. Last week against Seneca Valley he only had 23 yards passing, but he did have over 100 yards rushing. Spencer is a fast QB and they will get him in space with read options and other QB runs.

However, that is not the main issue with their running attack. Tyler King and Luke Meckler are absolute menaces out of the backfield. King, who is committed to Navy, is the big play threat out of the backfield, as he has over 14 runs that have gone for 20 yards or more, and adding on to that, he has seven touchdowns.

Meckler, on the other hand, has rushed for over 200 yards in quite literally every game. They use him on jet sweeps, wildcat formation, zone runs, and just about anything you can think of. He is a division one athlete that will shred you on the ground. What makes him so much harder to bring down is just how slippery the guy is. He has broken tackles all over the tape. He is the heart and soul of the Pine-Richland offense, so keying in on him will be key.

That means that Dante Caputo, Ethan Augustin, and Cade Hoke will all have to be on their best game. Help from Defensive Linemen such as Tyler Mangone would help, but the linebackers have to be play especially well in run defense this week. They have stopped elite RBs so far this season on the ground, but Meckler is the best they have seen.

2. Establish the Running Game

The North Allegheny offense is extremely erratic. But it all flows through the running backs. Specially Ben Maenza and Precise Colon will be two guys who will have to have huge games in order for NA to win this game. They have to hold onto the ball, and with 10 fumbles on the year, this run game as to not create turnovers for Pine Richland.

If there is any bigger area to win at, though, it would be up front. Guys like Elijah Boyd, Parker Titsworth, and Jake Lugg will not be facing easy matchups. Pine-Richland has Sophomore standout Miguel Jackson, who leads the WPIAL in Tackles for Loss, and Notre Dame commit, Andrew Kristofic on the defensive line. If NA can get outside and run in between the tackles to chew clock, it will be even more effective to winning the game.

3. Win the Turnover Battle

NA has only been in close games when they cough the ball up. Sometimes that is from interceptions, but usually it is on fumbles. The fumbles always seem to occur on big plays too, which makes this a bit more nerve wracking.

When they faced Central Catholic, NA had +5 Turnover differential against them, and so it is not a shock that they won 27-3 when their defense is that good. The Tigers defense is probably the best in 6A, but they have to create turnovers like they have all season. They saved the game against Seneca Valley where a total of 11 turnovers from both teams ended up with the Tigers have a +1 turnover differential.

NA wins due to playmaking ability on defense. They currently have a +19 turnover differential this season, which is best in 6A, but they have to play a clean game on offense in order to win that this week. It is of the utmost importance to a victory.

4. Spread the Ball Around

Having been a North Allegheny football at one point in high school, I for better or worse know their playbook. It is not my job to reveal any of that to the public, just as I will not, but something I do know is with what NA has shown so far, their passing game is capable of much more.

They have come out in about as many WR sets as you can think of. Bunch, trips, ace, duo, river, heck they even came out in monster package at times. They run everything from shotgun to pistol to under center plays. They have the personnel to do more than just power run the football.

Ben Petschke and Gunnar Fisher are two adequate throwers of the football. I liked that I have seen the playbook really open up against better teams. They have all the concepts you want in the playbook from a passing game perspective and they have shown them. With Joey Porter Jr., Corey Melzer, and Luke Colella all as options at WR, look for NA to expand this offense to more than just running the ball.

5. Limit Explosive Plays

Yes, I would love for NA’s defense to completely stonewall Pine-Richland for the whole game, but that is hard to do when the entire Rams’ offensive line are division one recruits. It does not help that Tyler King and Luke Meckler will also both be playing on Saturdays in prime time.

However, NA has very sparsely allowed explosive plays this season. They do a great job of taking out the opponent’s best player and sometimes just making them obsolete. Why? Because these ILBs are athletic and fly around the field. Dante Caputo has over 130 tackles and Ethan Augustin, even if he is small, is a missile that lays people out. Meckler is fast, but these LBs might just be as fast as him.

Through the air, I don’t expect it to be an issue. North Allegheny has not given up more than 100 yards through the air this season. Joey Porter Jr. will help that, but that is a testament to Luke Colella, Corey Melzer, Nikko Rankin, and all other members of the secondary.

NA themselves should get big plays with Precise Colon and Joey Porter, Jr. They are big play threats and getting them into space against the Rams’ defense is going to be a key part of the offense’s success.

It is arguably a game that could go either way. It is one of the best defenses in state in NA against one of the best offenses in Pine-Richland. There is one thing for sure — this game is going to be an absolute slugfest — and we will love it.