Picture this: A stadium packed to the brim with passionate fans, each repping their teams colors, voices roaring in unison. This is exactly how it looks anytime North Allegheny battles Pine-Richland in football. Among the top football programs in Allegheny County, the Tigers and Rams have maintained a tradition of excellence for decades. This rivalry has been played in 14 of the last 16 seasons and is one of the most anticipated games each season.
The first meeting of the modern age took place on October 10th, 2008. North Allegheny traveled to Pine-Richland for their annual Homecoming game. Rams fans decked out for the whiteout and made sure their cheers could be heard. This game was a nail-biter, but the Tigers entered the 4th quarter with a 20-17 lead. Despite the lead, Rams senior Mitch Elliott scored just 15 seconds into the 4th quarter and led his team to a 24-17 victory.
The Tigers were hungry for revenge the following season, securing to a 40-7 demolition over the Rams in Tiger Country. The Tigers offense blossomed because of junior running back Alex Papson, who put up 213 yards and three touchdowns.
The historic 2010-11 season has to be mentioned. The Tigers once again travel to Pine-Richland, but this outcome was much different from the last time they were there. The Tigers handily won, 35-7, thanks to now-senior Alex Papson. NA went on to win the PIAA state championship that season.
Both the 11-12 season and the 12-13 seasons were complete with huge victories over the Rams, as well. The Tigers won 35-7 in 2011 and 35-3 in 2012. The 2012 victory was completed with an undefeated season and winning the PIAA state championship for the second time in three seasons.
The Rams were ready to fight back and balance the record in 2013. On September 20th, 2013, the Rams traveled to NA with something to prove. The game was pretty much even after three quarters, 22-21 Rams. The Rams struck early in the 4th with a touchdown, but they missed a costly extra point. Less than three minutes later, the Tigers scored a touchdown to take a 29-28 lead and eventually the victory.
The Rams took back the crown in 2014. The Tigers’ 4th quarter touchdown tied the game and sent it to overtime. However, that wasn’t enough to beat the hungry Rams that year. The Tigers were able to score a field goal during overtime, but the Rams scored a touchdown to prevail by a score of 28-24.
The Rams weren’t done quite yet. In 2015, they finally won big over the Tigers on their home turf. This was the first big loss to the Rams. The Tigers struggled all game to score and ended up losing, 28-14.
The Tigers, who lost back-to-back games against the Rams, were done fooling around. The 2016 matchup is one the Rams would surely like to forget. The Tigers walloped the Rams, 47-10, on their home turf. Let’s just say the Student Section was gone by halftime.
However, 2017 was the year of the Rams, as the Tigers lost to the eventual state champions. They hung around in the beginning, but eventually fell, 48-28, in the end. This was also the first time the two teams met in the playoffs, just two weeks later. After winning their first playoff game, the Tigers ended up struggling against the Rams again and lost, 49-25.
After two embarrassing losses in 2017, the Tigers were not planning on losing again. During the last game of the 2018 season, the Tigers started off slow and scored no points in the first half. It didn’t look promising, but they managed to score 27 points in the second half to win, 27-7.
The 2019 game looked promising for the visiting Tigers at first, but that soon changed. The Rams barely led after the first half 21-14, but they ran all over the Tigers during the 2nd half. Their performance led to a 42-14 victory, holding the Tigers scoreless in the 2nd half.
After all of those amazing games, the Tigers and Rams didn’t play in 20-21 or 21-22 because Pine-Richland dropped to the 5A division. However, the rivalry was resumed for the 2022 season. The Rams won this rematch 28-17 and handed the Tigers their first loss of the season.
Early last Friday evening, the rivalry was dead even at 7-7. Later that night, the Tigers had once again taken the lead in a commanding win, 45-10, at Newman Stadium on NA Homecoming night.