The Moon Area Tigers will go in search of their third straight Steelers High School Flag Football League championship Sunday but they’ll have to clear two hurdles to get there.
The Tigers conquered their first two opponents Saturday in the opening day of the two-day tournament, beating Aliquippa, 25-0, before edging North Allegheny, 6-0, on a last-minute touchdown.
Moon’s Julianna Corrado is congratulated on the sidelines after her catch for a huge gain in the Tigers’ first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Maddie Wilson gets ready to haul in a touchdown pass in the first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Addison Shazer gets tackled but not before crossing the goal line against Aliquippa in their first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Addison Shazer is congratulated after her first-half touchdown against Aliquippa in theor first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon quarterback Shalyn Brown moves ahead for yardage against Aliquippa in their first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Reese Keslar heads upfield against the Aliquippa defense in their first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Isabelly Rodrigues is ready to snag a touchdown pass against the Aliquippa Quips in their first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Lillian Snyder breaks up a pass intended for an Aliquippa receiver in their first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Sara Tavares fights for yardage against the Aliquippa Quips defense in in their first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School.. 
Moon’s Maddie Finnegan avoids being tackled by an Aliquippa defender in in their first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Lyla Beene has a huge run before being tackled by an Aliquippa defender in the first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Alyssa Diyanni heads upfield attempting to get around an Aliquippa defender in the first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Isabelly Rodrigues is tackled by an Aliquippa defender after a short run in the first-found flag football playoff matchup at Moon High School. 
Members of the Moon Tigers flag football team celebrate their first-round playoff win over the Aliquippa Quips at Moon High School.
Moon vs. Aliquippa - (Photos by Mike Longo Jr.)
Moon will battle Latrobe at 3 p.m. today at Highmark Stadium in one of two semifinal games. The Wildcats enter today’s game with a 12-1 record after posting wins over New Castle and Woodland Hills Saturday.
Shaler and Upper St. Clair will play in the other semifinal at 3 p.m. and the two winners will meet in the championship game at 4:15 p.m.
Moon had little trouble taking care of Aliquippa in Saturday’s first game, but the second game against North Allegheny was a different story.
The two teams locked up in a scoreless defensive struggle until the late going, when Moon’s Reese Keslar hauled in a short touchdown pass from Shay Brown to make it 6-0.
Moon’s Lillian Snyder then picked off a North Allegheny pass to seal the win for the Tigers.
“It was a defensive game,” Moon coach Mike Muraco said the Tigers’ win over North Allegheny. “There were a couple of interceptions and a couple of fourth-down stops.
“It was tight.”
It marked the third straight year that Moon and North Allegheny met in the league playoffs; the previous two years the two teams played in the championship game and Moon won both games.
Moon’s Lillian Snyder tackles a North Allegheny runner in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Maddie Finnegan tackles North Allegheny’s Maddie Williams in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Maddie Wilson hauls in a pass against North Allegheny in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon quarterback Shalyn Brown unloads a pass downfield against North Allegheny in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon quarterback Shalyn Brown is tackled by a North Allegheny defender in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Avery Pacheco tackles North Allegheny’s Luci Zagacki in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Lillian Snyder tackles North Allegheny’s Leah Skweres in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Lillian Snyder intercepts a pass intended for North Allegheny’s Luci Zagacki in the end zone. The Tigers battled the Tigers in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Reese Keslar and Sydney Ray break up a North Allegheny pass in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Maddie Wilson pitches the ball to a runner in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Reese Kelsar is mobbed by her teammates after catching the winning touchdown with under a minute to play against North Allegheny in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon ‘s Lillian Snyder intercepts a North Allegheny pass with under a minute to play to seal the win in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
Moon’s Lillian Snyder heads upfield after her interception of a North Allegheny pass with under one minute to play in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School. 
The Moon Tigers celebrate their 6-0 win over North Allegheny in quarterfinal flag football playoff action Saturday at Moon High School.
Moon vs. North Allegheny - (Photos by Mike Longo Jr.)
The two victories Saturday improved Moon’s record to 12-0-1, with the lone blemish a tie against Seton LaSalle.
Muraco didn’t know what to make of his team’s chances when this season started.
“We lost a lot of seniors – we were a little unsure at the beginning of the year who would step in,” he said. “But this group has really come together.
“Some girls who played last year became our staples this year and a few new girls started with small roles but really stepped up.”
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