The McKeesport offense is as predictable as rain when you forget your umbrella -- but the results are downright torrential.

Last night, North Hills (0-1) got rained on as visiting McKeesport (1-0) rolled to a 36-14 win, racking up 358 rushing yards in a WPIAL Class AAAA non-conference game at Martorelli Stadium.

Using its calling-card flexbone, triple option attack, the Tigers ran through the middle, around end and pretty much at will. McKeesport senior running back Marvase Byrd had 153 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries, quarterback James Eckels, in his first game as a starter, rushed for 114 yards and junior fullback Nico Price accumulated 74 yards.

All the preparation in the world couldn't offset the main variable the North Hills defense had to deal with.

"No, you cannot simulate their speed in your practices," North Hills coach Jack McCurry said. "Now, they block well and they really blocked our outside linebackers and defensive backs, but that speed is very tough to deal with."

McKeesport shot to a 29-0 halftime lead, scorching the turf for 267 rushing yards. North Hills had just 72 total yards.

In the opening half, Eckels hit receiver Shadrea King with a 13-yard scoring strike. That was the Tigers' only pass of the game. Eckels also scored in the first half on a 1-yard run and Byrd had scoring runs of 55 and 7 yards to help McKeesport coach George Smith, who watched from the press box because he wasn't feeling well, feel a little better.

Just 20 seconds into the second half, Byrd scored from 26 yards to up the advantage to 36-0.

"You cannot teach what he does," Smith said of Byrd. "His vision out there and the way he cuts back isn't something you teach, but it is just something he has."

North Hills quarterback Justin Heinauer scored both North Hills touchdowns, bulling in from 5 yards and then 1-yard, in the final 3:19.

But those scores came against McKeesport's second-team defense, as the outcome was determined by halftime.

"I knew we could do this," said Byrd, who has committed to Akron. "I think people might have doubted what [Eckels] would do as our quarterback, but we showed a lot of people what we can do and how strong we are this year."