Domon-When Ryan Matsook resigned as the head coach of the Beaver Falls and handed over to Nick Nadone, Nadone said that he and his staff had a responsibility to continue the team And the winning tradition that the community has always enjoyed.

After winning the WPIAL 2A championship in 2020, the Tigers look ready to return to the top in 2021.

However, the 0-3 start has caused great concern whether the team can enter the playoffs.

Having said that, Nardone said that his team has united and strengthened since then, winning nine consecutive games, and the No. 5 Tigers (9-3) defeated the No. 1 seed Steel Valley Ironman 21-8 (11 -1) to win the chance to defend the WPIAL 2A championship.

"We are doing our best to keep our children in a winning position," Nardo said. "They came together. They are a team. They are a family, and this is how you win a football game."

Due to an injury, Steel Valley participated in the game on Friday. Their star running back NiJay Burt and their star receiver Matthew Marrone did not participate in the game.

Nonetheless, Nardone said that the Ironman team has a talented team that includes dangerous athletes. Therefore, he said the Tigers' game plan is to keep them as far away from the court as possible.

The Tigers did more than that in the first quarter, because they opened 65 yards in 15 games, 8:30 ahead of the clock, and scored in a one-yard touchdown from junior quarterback Jaren Brickner.

Steel Valley missed in the subsequent kickoff, allowing the Tigers to respond by passing the ball to the field, passing the ball to the end of the first quarter to the second quarter, in a one-yard touchdown by Quinton Adamson in the senior year. To score, he celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday night, leading 14-0.

Ganggu lost again in the subsequent kickoff, but was able to recover the Tigers' mistakes after two games.

At 10:20 in the second quarter, Steel Valley began to attack.

Without star players, the Iron Man had only 9 offenses for 40 yards in the first half. 

"Our game plan is to keep their offense and their special athletes away from the court," Nardo said. "With our way of defensive, forcing turnovers and the way we control the ball, we can keep them off the court."

The Ironman had been on the court at the beginning of the third quarter, but when senior Mecki Clark intercepted the Tigers pass, they came to a standstill.

Beaver Falls was able to take advantage of the short field and ran 38 yards in four games, scoring Brickner's two-yard touchdown, leading 21-0.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Ironman turned the ball over in a turnover.

Beaver Falls then intercepted a deflected pass; Steel Valley passed the ball after two turnovers, and the Tigers fumbled the ball to the back of the end zone on the goal line to hit back.

Ironmen will break the lockout at the end of the game and score in a one-yard touchdown from junior quarterback Cruce Brookins, allowing the Tigers to win 21-8 and enter the WPIAL 2A final. 

In the end, the Tigers limited the Ironman team to only 16 yards passing and 74 rushing yards, for a total of 90 yards that night. 

Nardone attributed the entire defensive coaching team to their preparation and game plan when dealing with Steel Valley.

Nardone said: "They let our children anticipate and know what will happen before things happen." "All of this prepares us for the game."

The Tigers did not have much success in pitching because Brickner only completed 4 of 11 passes for 75 yards and two interceptions.

Therefore, it depends on the running game to get the ball rolling in the offense, and seven players received a total of 193 yards of rushing.

Nardone said that their running competition has made great progress this season.

"In the first three games we lost, we didn't have a running race. We were really struggling," Nadone said. "But our line stuck to us. Our support has always been patient.

"We tried to get different people to get the ball in different ways, and it kind of worked for us."

Nardone admitted that he wants to play against a fully healthy Steel Valley team. Nonetheless, he said that his team has persisted throughout the season and said that the key to the championship game will be to continue what they have been doing during this victory-to play fundamentally healthy football with relatively impunity.

"Don't beat yourself, give yourself a chance in every game," Nadone said.

The fifth-ranked Tigers will now participate in the WPIAL 2A Championship at Heinz Field on Friday, November 26 at 5pm, against the sixth-ranked Sierra Catholic Eagles (12-1), which defeated the rankings 13-12 The first Tiger team won in the semifinals. The No. 2 seed Sto-Rox Vikings.

The winner of the competition will enter the PIAA 2A playoffs. 

Nicholas Vercilla is a reporter for Beaver County Times and Ellwood City Ledger. You can contact him at nvercilla@gannett.com.