Aliquippa earns dominating win against Blackhawk

CHIPPEWA TWP. – Aliquippa High School head football coach Mike Warfield and his staff worked hard all week preparing the Quips for a Parkway Conference battle at former rival Blackhawk.

Then, the coaches had to work even harder overnight Friday night to find some teachable moments from the films after a dominating 54-3 win.

“Sometimes, you think you’re not going to find anything good on film after a bad game,” said Warfield right after the game. “Other times, you think everything went well until you saw the tape.

“I do know the kids played hard.”

And, the tapes likely proved, played well and well-rounded from the opening kickoff.

The Quips’ John Tracy, just a sophomore, returned the opening kickoff 83 yards. Blackhawk fumbled the ensuing kickoff and fellow sophomore Tiqwai Hayes scored on a 4-yard run two plays later.

After handling the kickoff, Blackhawk fumbled on its first play from scrimmage and, on the next play, junior Quentin Goode passed to junior Brendan Banks for the third score. The game wasn’t a minute and a half old yet … but Aliquippa was just getting warmed up.

On the second play after the kickoff, Blackhawk sophomore Stephen Knallay was crushed on a sack by 6-3 1/2, 341-pound senior Naquan Crowder. The ball came loose, and Crowder scooped, took a step into the end zone and scored.

“I got the sack and was ready to celebrate when I heard someone yell 'ball' so I looked for it,” said Crowder. “I grabbed it and made sure I got into the end zone.”

And how many career touchdowns does that give the veteran lineman, who spent time on the headsets in the second half “talking” defense with the coaches?

“That would be one touchdown,” said Crowder, obviously enjoying the moment.

Although that play ended Crowder’s touchdown memories, his teammates weren’t done. On the second play after the kickoff, the Quips forced their fourth turnover of the game and Hayes scored his second touchdown on a 17-yard run. The game was only 3:21 old and Aliquippa led 35-0.

“The kids came out early and were ready to play,” said Warfield. “They’re starting to understand the process and it was good to see the special teams come through.”

With the early seemingly insurmountable lead, Aliquippa wasn’t ready to take its foot off the gas. The offense scored on three methodical drives in the second quarter — two of 10 plays and the final one for six plays. Senior Dorius Moreland, Hayes, and senior Jonathan King did the scoring before the reserves finished out the game.

“We came out with a lot of energy,” said senior lineman Jason McBride, who had heard how these two teams had used to be rivals from his uncle Sherm, now the Ambridge coach. The two schools had played in different classes, though, for most of the past decades.

“We had been coming out slow but, defensively, everything is starting to click now. Every game we’re out to prove a point.”

The veteran line proved its point in the first half Friday. There were 54 points on the scoreboard at intermission and, defensively, the Quips had held Blackhawk to negative yards rushing.

“We hadn’t been as dominating yet as we thought we could be,” said senior lineman Neco Eberhardt. “But we don’t accept any excuses. We compete hard at every practice and do what we have to do.

“It definitely felt good to be up 35-0 early.”

With reserves playing on both sides and the clock running, the only score in the second half was a 31-yard field goal by Blackhawk’s Devon Thomas.

Maybe that will give Warfield something to talk about from films.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Blackhawk unable to fend off Aliquippa offensive onslaught