Football - Kiski Area vs North Hills

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Kiski Area Falls to North Hills 42-20 in Home Opener

In a season that was delayed in starting and put them on the road for their first two games, Kiski Area finally got to partake of some home cooking with their home opener against North Hills on Friday, October 2nd, at Richard J. Dilts Field. A capacity-controlled crowd watched the Cavaliers keep it close for the first half before North Hills pulled away in the second half to hand Kiski Area a 42-20 loss.

North Hills was first on the scoreboard with a 19-yard Ethan Marker to Timothy Legler touchdown pass at 6:56 to play in the first quarter. Damon Mickail, who was perfect on PAT kicks on the night, booted his first of six through the uprights for a 7-0 lead.

Kiski Area's Dylan Hutcherson returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to the 45 yard line and the Cavaliers offense went to work with good field position. But a fumble less then two minutes later turned possession back the the Indians. North Hills soon doubled their lead with 54 seconds left in the quarter as Robert Dickerson took a toss from Marker and rambled 65 yards to the endzone.   

Kiski Area got on the board in the second quarter after a pass interference call on a 4th-and-four from the 22 yard line gave them a new set of downs on the 11 yard line. A Logan Johnson to Brock Wilkins touchdown pass on the next play cut the Indians lead in half at 8:17 to play in the second quarter, with a Cody Dykes PAT kick. 

The Indians put the margin back into double digits with an 84-yard touchdown run by Dickerson with 6:40 left in the half. 

Kiski Area answered with their second touchdown as Johnson hooked up with Calvin Heinle from the 9 yard line with 35 seconds left in the half, but the PAT kicked hit the upright and was no good. The Cavaliers got the ball back again with 17 seconds left on a fumble recovery but they failed to turn it into points before the horn sounded for halftime with the score 21-13.

The Cavaliers looked like they would make a statement when they recovered a fumble on the first North Hills play from scrimmage after the second half kickoff. Kiski Area advanced to within spitting distance of the goal line but North Hills answered a 4th-and-2 from the 3 yard line with a 10 yard sack of Johnson, taking over possession on downs.

North Hills quickly made the Cavaliers pay, with an 88-yard drive that consisted of a pair of Liam Tracey runs of 73 and 15 yards for a 28-0 lead. 

The Indians scored twice in the fourth quarter. The first was a 12 play, 63-yard drive capped by a 14-yard pass from Marker to Dickerson with 7:06 remaining in the game. An interception 29 seconds later put the Indians on the Cavaliers 30 yard line, from which Marker found Dickerson in the endzone on the next play for a 42-13 lead.

Kiski Area added a 33-yard Johnson to Heinle touchdown pass with 3:38 left to play, and Dykes booted the PAT though the posts. 

The Cavaliers got the ball back 9 seconds later as new quarterback John Green lost a fumble on the first play after the kickoff. But the Cavs miracle comeback was not to be as Dickerson intercepted Johnson with 1:39 to go, and the Indians ran out the clock with Green in victory formation to end the game.

North Hills (2-2) hosts Penn Hills in a rare Thursday night game on October 8, while Kiski Area (1-2) travels to Fox Chapel on October 9. 

Watch this link for a full gallery of action photos available for purchase or sharing the day after the game. 

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