Ryan Palmeri ran for 202 yards, threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for 2 more as 5A Pine Richland knocked off 6A North Allegheny 28-17.
On the first play of the game Logan Kushner was under pressure and made an ill advised throw while being tackled and got intercepted by Bryce O'Brien setting up the Rams at the North Allegheny 30 yard line.
Palmeri thought he opened up the scoring on a 10 yard option run for the touchdown but a holding penalty negated the touchdown and one play later Pine Richland would miss a field goal as the Tigers escaped the early interception unscathed.
Late in the first quarter Pine Richland opened the drive at the North Allegheny 44 yard line after just a 32 yard punt set them up in great field position. They moved the ball inside the 15 yard line setting up 3rd and 1 as the first quarter came to a close at a stalemate 0-0 tie.
North Allegheny finished the quarter with 2 yards on offense.
On the first play of the second quarter Palmeri took a 12 yard option run into the end zone as Pine Richland drew first blood 7-0 with 11:54 to play in the first half.
North Allegheny was penalized for a 15 yard personal foul, so they were forced to punt at their own 15 yard line on 4th and 16 and ran a fake punt as Rourke Kennedy picked up a first down for the Tigers on a 17 yard run to extend the drive.
After a 15 yard personal foul late hit on Pine Richland, North Allegheny had the ball inside the Rams 20 yard line. On second and 12 from the 16 yard line Kushner found a wide open Dan Sellers for the 16 yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7 with 6:52 to play in the half.
Palmeri busted a 36 yard run to the Tigers 45 yard line with 19 seconds in the half. On the next play Palmeri threw a jump ball to Brad Gelly but Gelly didn't jump for the ball, it just landed right in his arms in between two defenders at the 18 yard line with 12 seconds in the half.
On the next play, Palmeri threw a strike across the middle to Andrew Mellis for an 18 yard touchdown as the Rams took a 14-7 lead into the half.
North Allegheny found some pep in their step in the third quarter as they opened up the run game to the right side as they ran the ball effectively into the red zone with under 6 minutes to play in the 3rd quarter.
The Tigers tied the game on an 18 yard touchdown pass from Kushner to Anthony Varlotta.
Pine Richland deep in their own territory ran a fake punt for a 39 yard gain from Ethan Pillar all the way to the Tigers 34 yard line. The third quarter ended tied at 14 as Pine Richland moved the ball inside the 15 yard line.
Pine Richland took the lead back on a 13 yard touchdown pass from Palmeri to Gelly with 11:06 to play in the game as the Rams went ahead 21-14.
North Allegheny extended their drive on a Kushner pass to Varlotta to the Pine Richland 36 yard line on 3rd down and 10 at the Tigers 47 yard line.
Down 7 points with under 6 minutes to play, North Allegheny's Nick Van Wickle split the uprights from 29 yards out, cutting the score 21-17.
Palmeri ground and pounded the football with run after run moving the ball into North Allegheny territory as he would bleed out the clock and then hit the Tigers with one final knockout punch as he ran a 17 yard touchdown with 1:32 to play in the game. He ran the ball 9 straight plays for 70 yards on the drive and took over 4 minutes off the clock as the Rams knocked off the Tigers.
