ELIZABETH TWP, Allegheny County — In the misty and, at times, downpouring rain at the venue in which its WPIAL Class 3A title hopes wilted last season, North Catholic enjoyed some poetic justice.

Almost a year ago to the day, Elizabeth Forward bounced coach Chris Rizzo’s team in the district quarterfinals on a last-second made field goal. A host of Trojans got their get-back Friday night as their team advanced with a 55-32 win over the No. 4 Warriors in the same round at Elizabeth Forward High School.

“We just all knew it couldn’t be the same result as last year,” senior quarterback Joe Felitsky said after a stellar night passing for five touchdowns. “We wanted this one so bad.”

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Fellow senior Logan Schade rushed for 183 yards and scored three total touchdowns for No. 5 North Catholic (9-3), including a 93-yard scoring sprint to cap his side’s output. Junior Will Waskiewicz picked off a pair of Ryan Messina passes, and senior Ryker Kennedy hauled in three aerial strikes.

“Football’s an interesting game in terms of, it’ll give you a chance to get redemption every now and again,” Rizzo said. “And being able to seize that opportunity, you could kinda feel it with those older guys.”

The Trojans led 21-17 at the midway point after Elizabeth Forward (9-2) kicker Luke Holdren, who split the uprights on last year’s game-winner, hit the mark on a 37-yard field goal at the first-half buzzer.

The Warriors, however, turned the ball over on three consecutive third-quarter possessions, and each time North Catholic cashed in. Felitsky skied a deep pass to Butler transfer Preston Simko for a 46-yard score one play after Ryan Messina coughed it up on Elizabeth Forward’s initial second-half series.

Messina fired an errant pass that Waskiewicz dove to get under on the Warriors’ next offensive snap, then Felitksy quickly hit Kennedy for the second time, from 36 yards out. Just over four minutes later, Schade powered in for a 10-yard rushing touchdown that put North Catholic up 24.

“I’m just happy that our guys were able to rally and kinda put the nail in the coffin when you get those turnovers,” Rizzo said. “You could absolutely feel it on the sideline, and on the field.”

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“(Last year) just gave us an extra motivation boost to go and kick them out of their own stadium,” said Schade, who’s been dealing with a prolonged lower-body injury and is playing through pain. “It was amazing, just to lose that way last year, and just to come back and, really, in the second half, just dominate on defense in a way that I feel like we’ve started to come together at the end of the season.”

Sophomore tailback Nate Swisher added to the group effort by plowing in from a yard out late in the second frame.

“That’s just the culmination of what it takes to win in November and ultimately, hopefully one day down the road, in December,” Rizzo said. “Eleven men doing their one-eleventh.”

The Trojans will get another crack at defending WPIAL Class 3A champion Avonworth, the top seed in the bracket, next week, the winner heading to Acrisure Stadium to battle for the crown. The Antelopes (11-0) downed No. 8 Freeport 56-7 Friday night.

“I just feel like now we’re on a roll,” Schade said.

North Catholic 14 7 20 14 — 55

Elizabeth Forward 7 10 0 15 — 32

First Quarter

NC — Logan Schade 53 pass from Joe Felitsky (Dylan Shantz kick), 7:51

EF — Ryan Messina 43 run (Luke Holdren kick), 5:32

NC — Ryker Kennedy 7 pass from Felitsky (Shantz kick), 1:27

Second Quarter

EF — Rocco Thompson 1 run (Holdren kick), 7:43

NC — Nate Swisher 1 run (Shantz kick), 2:48

EF — Holdren 37 field goal, :00

Third Quarter

NC — Preston Simko 46 pass from Felitsky (Shantz kick), 8:39

NC — Kennedy 36 pass from Felitsky (Shantz kick), 6:47

NC — Schade 10 run (Shantz kick missed), 3:15

Fourth Quarter

EF — Colton Stahl 28 pass from Messina (Brayden Kollar pass from Messina), 11:52

NC — Kennedy 57 pass from Felitsky (Shantz kick), 9:13

NC — Schade 93 run (Shantz kick), 3:18

EF — Messina 9 run (Holdren kick), 1:15

Individual Statistics:

Rushing: North Catholic, Logan Schade 10-183, Nate Swisher 10-76, Joe Felitsky 8-11. Elizabeth Forward, Ryan Messina 24-170, Rocco Thompson 6-25, TEAM 1-(-6).

Passing: North Catholic, Joe Felitsky 13-15-258-0. Elizabeth Forward, Ryan Messina 23-36-226-2.

Receiving: North Catholic, Ryker Kennedy 3-100, Tom Arth 4-56, Logan Schade 2-51, Preston Simko 1-46, Will Waskiewicz 3-5. Elizabeth Forward, Anthony St. Angelo 8-54, Brayden Kollar 3-50, Colton Stahl 2-36, Aaron Ulmer 4-35, Brendan Stroschein 4-32, Logan Rider 1-13, Rocco Thompson 1-6.