North Catholic football can’t contain Avonworth’s Luca Neal, Wildcat offense in Western Hills loss
McCANDLESS TWP — Sometimes you have to pull out the calculator.
North Catholic’s 42-10 Western Hills Conference loss to Avonworth football Friday night was one of those instances.
The Trojans came a tick shy of allowing the visiting Antelopes (9-0, 5-0) 600 yards of total offense, over half of which were recorded by senior receiver Luca Neal. Duke Johncour’s team scored touchdowns of 89, 70 and 64 yards at North Park’s J.C. Stone Field. Two more times, it hit pay dirt from 50 yards out.
Avonworth ramped up its attack while lining Neal up in a Wildcat package. The Antelopes piled up 372 rushing yards, going for nearly 11.3 yards per carry.
“When you play them and they get into that set, they control the football,” Trojans coach Chris Rizzo said. “The Wildcat set, it’s a numbers game. And their numbers are pretty good. We knew that was gonna be something that they came out in, but it was definitely something that they won in the trenches.”
Meanwhile, North Catholic’s ground game, which included banged-up senior Logan Schade, could only muster 27 yards on 21 tries, an average that was 10 yards fewer than Avonworth’s.
The Trojans (6-3, 3-2) entered putting up 48.2 points per game, but were held to their lowest output of the season.
Neal sprinted half the field on the first play of the Antelopes’ second offensive series. He powered in from 4 yards out the next one and then outraced the Trojans’ resistance 89 yards three minutes after that.
“I thought we came out and started really, really strong, but they’ve got a good package that they work out (of),” Rizzo said. “The Wildcat deal, they rode that thing all the way to the state finals and ended up coming up short by three points. That’s a good package. A lot of different things they do out of it.
“In that one, you’ve just kinda gotta get the guy down and you’ve gotta defeat blocks. And they were just creating holes. It’s tough.”
Neal also had a 50-yard touchdown reception from Carson Bellinger to finish off his team’s scoring with 1:52 to go in the third frame.
“He can light you up any which way,” Johncour said of Neal.
North Catholic had 46 yards from scrimmage in the initial 24 minutes and didn’t eclipse 100 until the last play of the third quarter. Sophomore tailback Nate Swisher managed 33 yards on 11 carries, getting more touches as Schade works back to full health. Johncour said he felt the Trojans tried to take to the ground believing his team would be focused on their aerial effort.
Senior quarterback Joe Felitsky found classmate Preston Simko for a 48-yard touchdown with 10:37 left, their team’s only one of the night. The Trojans didn’t touch the ball again after that, partly because of a running clock.
North Catholic has lost three of its last four after a 5-0 start to the campaign.
“They’re the (WPIAL Class 3A) champs until they’re no longer the champs,” Rizzo said. “Someone’s gotta go take that from them. ... We know that all roads go through the ’Lopes if you wanna go out and raise a trophy.”
Avonworth 7 21 14 0 — 42
North Catholic 0 0 3 7 — 10
First Quarter
A — Luca Neal 50 run (Calder Mahan kick), 5:00
Second Quarter
A — Neal 4 run (Mahan kick), 9:37
A — Neal 89 run (Mahan kick), 6:38
A — Jaden Jones 64 pass from Jackson Krul (Mahan kick), 4:07
Third Quarter
NC — Dylan Shantz 38 field goal, 4:09
A — Dimitri Velisaris 70 run (Mahan kick), 3:24
A — Neal pass from Carson Bellinger (Mahan kick), 1:52
Fourth Quarter
NC — Preston Simko 48 pass from Joe Felitsky (Shantz kick), 10:37
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Avonworth, Luca Neal 9-211, Dimitri Velisaris 13-149, Gavin McDowell 4-16, Logan Krul 3-3, Carson Bellinger 4-(-7). North Catholic, Nate Swisher 11-33, Logan Schade 4-13, Joe Felitsky 6-(-19).
Passing: Avonworth, Carson Bellinger 7-11-163-0, Jackson Krul 1-164-0. North Catholic, Joe Felitsky 11-21-163-2.
Receiving: Avonworth, Luca Neal 5-109, Jaden Jones 1-64, Cooper Scharding 1-27. North Catholic, Preston Simko 5-82, Ryker Kennedy 3-42, Will Waskiewicz 2-26, Tom Arth 1-13.
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North Catholic quarterback Joey Felitsky (8) fires a pass against Avonworth during a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Avonworth won 42-10. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth 42-10 during a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic receiver Preston Simko (17) stiff arms a defender for the score during a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Avonworth won 42-10. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic defenders Tom Arth (2), Dom McNelly (59) and Will Waskiewicz (6) take down an Avonworth ball carrier during a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Avonworth won 42-10. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic was defeated by Avonworth by a score of 42-10 in a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic defender Quinn O'Hara (0) takes down an Avonworth running back Carson Bellinger (3) during a football game Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at J.C. Stone Field. Avonworth won 42-10. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
