WPIAL football: North Catholic ‘thought we had’ Avonworth for a moment, but Antelopes dash to 3A final

November 14, 2025 Last Updated: November 14, 2025 11:59 PM Sports

North Catholic quarterback Joey Felitsky (8) is tackled by Avonworth middle linebacker Bryce Metz (23) in a WPIAL Class 3A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at North Allegheny High School. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

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WEXFORD — Accustomed to leaving opponents feeble on the mat, Avonworth appeared to already be through with its work just over halfway into the first quarter of Friday night’s WPIAL Class 3A football semifinal.

North Catholic picked itself back up, however, and yanked the defending district champion Antelopes back into the ring, shaving down most of an early 14-point deficit.

The spirited surge was short-lived.

Top-seed Avonworth peeled off 24 straight points in the second quarter, leaving No. 5 North Catholic in its wake in a 44-24 win at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium.

“I thought we had them,” Trojans senior tailback/safety Logan Schade said. “I really thought it’d be different.”

The floodgates opened after Trojans (9-4) coach Chris Rizzo opted to punt on a fourth-and-1 from his own 31-yard line on the first play of the frame. His defense had forced the Antelopes (12-0) into a three-and-out during its last possession and stole the ball away via a fumble the one before that.

“You try and give yourself as much field to play,” Rizzo said. “We felt like, at that point, we had found a defense that was gonna try to stymie them a little bit. With a team like that, you don’t wanna give them a short field.

“Definitely not one that you wanna say you want back, but in the moment, it was like, ‘Make them play the long game.’”

Avonworth (12-0) was a willing participant.

Tailback Luca Neal raced in from 32 yards out four plays after North Catholic quarterback/punter Joe Felitsky pinned the Antelopes on their own 30.

A holding call and a sack hampered the Trojans’ next possession, which led to another punt and Avonworth’s Dimitri Velisaris breaking free for a 25-yard scoring sprint two plays later.

North Catholic strong safety Reid Rinker (1) tackles Avonworth running back Bryce Metz (23) in a WPIAL Class 3A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at North Allegheny High School. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Velisaris found pay dirt once more with 3:23 remaining before halftime, and Antelopes kicker Calder Mahan nailed a 40-yard field goal at the first-half horn. Avonworth entered the locker room with a 38-10 edge.

“They’re good up front — on both sides of the ball,” Rizzo said of the Antelopes, who are headed to their fourth consecutive WPIAL title game. “They do a really good job in the trenches. ... They’re comfortable in these games, and we have a couple of guys that this was their first soiree this deep into the playoffs.”

Avonworth heads into the WPIAL final having beaten its opponents by an average of 32 points. It will play No. 2 Imani Christian, a 48-0 winner over No. 3 Central Valley, on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Acrisure Stadium.

Schade defended Rizzo’s decision to punt.

“If they want to punt, then they want to punt. It’s not my call,” Schade said. “I have to trust my teammates and my coaches about it.”

After Neal barged in for an 8-yard touchdown to cap the game’s opening march — which covered 80 yards on seven plays, all on the ground — and Velisaris doubled the lead less than three minutes later, Felitsky floated a go-ball to junior Will Waskiewicz for a 65-yard strike.

Senior Trojans linebacker Nick Franco fell on a ball Neal coughed up three snaps into the next series, then North Catholic kicker hit a 35-yard field goal to make it a 14-10 fight.

“We really wanted it, but it just comes down to the little things at the end, and they executed (better) than we did,” Schade said.

Nearly midway through the third quarter, Antelopes quarterback Carson Bellinger and receiver Jaden Jones linked up for a 54-yard passing score. Schade ran for a 78-yard touchdown in the fourth, and Felitsky connected with Waskiewicz once more, for a 22-yard touchdown, with 3:54 to go.

North Catholic 10 0 0 14 — 24

Avonworth 14 24 6 0 — 44

First Quarter

A — Luca Neal 8 run (Calder Mahan kick), 8:34

A — Dimitri Velisaris 4 run (Mahan kick), 5:41

NC — Will Waskiewicz 65 pass from Joe Felitsky (Dylan Shantz kick), 5:31

NC — Shantz 35 field goal, 2:30

Second Quarter

A — Neal 32 run (Mahan kick), 10:11

A — Velisaris 25 run (Mahan kick), 6:47

A — Velisaris 8 run (Mahan kick), 3:23

A — Mahan 40 field goal, :00

Third Quarter

A — Jaden Jones 54 pass from Carson Bellinger (Mahan run failed), 6:17

Fourth Quarter

NC — Logan Schade 78 run (Shantz kick), 7:07

NC — Waskiewicz 22 pass from Felitsky (Shantz kick), 3:54

Individual statistics

Rushing: North Catholic, Logan Schade 9-88, Nick Wasielewski 3-18, Nate Swisher 4-5, Joe Felitsky 9-(-10), TEAM 1-(-22). Avonworth, Dimitri Velisaris 16-115, Luca Neal 8-94, Logan Krul 4-52, Abe Ferguson 6-15, Carson Bellinger 1-10, Jason Cervone 4-1, Jeremy White 1-(-1).

Passing: North Catholic, Joe Felitsky 16-23-255-1. Avonworth, Carson Bellinger 7-13-107-0.

Receiving: North Catholic, Will Waskiewicz 7-156, Preston Simko 2-43, Ryker Kennedy 2-28, Tommy Arth 2-11, Nate Swisher 1-9, Logan Schade 2-8. Avonworth, Jaden Jones 3-133, Luca Neal 2-28, Bryce Metz 1-5, Logan Krul 1-1.

North Catholic quarterback Joey Felitsky (8) prays on the sideline with teammates before a WPIAL Class 3A football semifinal game against Avonworth Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at North Allegheny High School. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

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North Cathlic free safety Peyton Book (21), free safety Louie Iaquinta (3) and tight end Tom Arth (3) bring down Avonworth running back Dimitri Velisaris (34) in a WPIAL Class 3A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at North Allegheny High School. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

North Catholic quarterback Joey Felitsky (8) passes the ball in a WPIAL Class 3A football semifinal game against Avonworth Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at North Allegheny High School. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown