By MEL PERKINS

The Northgate Flames traveled to Dormont Stadium Friday night, where they ran into a well-oiled machine. That machine was the, WPIAL's #5-ranked, Crusaders from Bishop Canevin.

The Flames showed a lot of heart against the Crusaders, but the Crusaders' disciplined and methodical style of football proved to be too much for the Flames to contain. When it was all said and done, the Crusaders would serve up a 42 - 0 defeat to the traveling Flames.

The Crusaders won the coin toss, and elected to receive. The Northgate defense held strong and forced the Crusaders to punt on their first drive of the night. However, in turn, the Crusaders' defense would be very stingy, and the Flames were forced to punt after they were unable to pick-up a first down.

The Crusaders would start their second drive from the Flames' 47-yard line. The Flames' penalties on defense would help to create a hole that the Steelers' defense would have had a difficult time fighting out of. After the Flames were called for being offsides twice, along with a face-mask penalty, a Chris Walko run set up the Crusaders for their first score of the night. With 6:59 left in the first quarter, the Crusaders would go up on the Flames 7 - 0, with a 22- yard touchdown pass.

The Flames' second drive was stymied by the Crusaders’ defense, and Northgate’s Jon Girvin couldn't buy any time as he was sacked twice. The Flames' only run play, before having to punt, netted a 3-yard loss. Again, the Crusaders would start in Northgate territory, with the ball on the Flames' 49-yard line.

The Crusaders' first play of the drive went for a loss as Flames' defensive end Rob Jones caught Walko in the Crusaders' backfield before the play could develop. However, on the very next play, the Crusaders struck again, and went up 14 - 0 on a 56-yard touchdown pass.

The second quarter started with Canevin in possession of the ball, and driving on the Flames' defense. The Crusaders gave the Flames a healthy dose of the run attack, and the Flames stubbornly gave up yardage as their defense swarmed to the ball. The long possession by the Crusaders would eventually take its toll on the Flames, and the Crusaders went up 21 - 0 on a 4-yard Walko run.

Northgate appeared to be gathering momentum, as they put together a 10-play drive that lasted just over five minutes. Girvin scrambled, ran, and passed to wide-outs Josh Douglass, J.D. Hoover and Mackenzie Quinn. The drive originated on the Flames' 26 yard line, but came to a disappointing end when Girvin, going for the score, fumbled into the Crusaders' end zone.

With 2:26 left in the first half, the Flames' defense stiffened. With .52 left on the clock, Cody Walter picked off a Crusaders' pass and returned it 19 yards to the Crusaders' 48-yard line, giving the Northgate offense another shot to get on the scoreboard. Northgate would get it to the 9-yard line, but the half would come to an end with the Flames down 21 - 0.

The third quarter started with the Flames' offense sputtering. After two unsuccessful possessions by the Flames, the Crusaders got the ball and orchestrated a drive that ate up a big chunk of clock, and put them up 28 - 0.

With the Northgate offense still struggling and the third quarter coming to a close, the Flames punted to the Crusaders, and returner Bobby Gustine went 56 yards for a Canevin touchdown, bringing the Northgate deficit to 35 - 0.

The fourth quarter started with Northgate running the Wildcat offense, and Walter taking the snaps. Two runs by Walter, and then an interception, gave the Crusaders possession of the ball at midfield.

The Crusaders ran on six consecutive plays, and then threw eight yards for a touchdown to bring the score to 42 -0.

Friday night, under the lights at Northgate's Alumni Field, the Flames (1-2) take on the Dynamos (2-1) from Springdale.