Highway to Hershey: Aliquippa, Blackhawk seeking first state titles since mid-2010s
The paths to the PIAA championship games were rather different for the Aliquippa boys' basketball team and the Blackhawk girls' basketball team, but the end goal is the same, regardless: bringing a state championship back home for the first time since the mid-2010s.
Aliquippa, which reached the PIAA Class 3A title game last season, hasn't won a state championship on the hardwood since 2016. Blackhawk, was last on the big stage in the state championship game in 2015, the last time the Cougars' program won a PIAA title.
That can all change Friday and Saturday at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
The Quips, the WPIAL Class 2A champions, will take on Lancaster Mennonite at 2 p.m. on Friday at Aliquippa's second home in sports at this point, that being Hershey. The Cougars, runner-up in WPIAL Class 4A, are riding high following a stunning 45-40 win over North Catholic in the PIAA semifinals and will match up with Lansdale Catholic on Saturday at noon, the state runner-up in 2022.
Game Information
Time and place: 2 p.m. Thursday at the GIANT Center (Hershey, PA)Radio: Beaver County Radio (1230 AM & 1460 AM / 99.3 FM & 95.7 FM)Television: PCN Sports (Online stream also available)
Scouting Aliquippa (24-6)
Head coach: Nick Lackovich (sixth year)
Key players: Donovan "DJ" Walker, Cameron Lindsey, Quentin Goode
PIAA titles: 5 (1949, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2016)
Highway to Hershey: defeated Karns City, 65-33; defeated West Branch, 84-29; defeated Bishop Canevin, 67-56; defeated Otto-Eldred, 56-28
The scoop: Aliquippa is back in the state championship game for the second straight season, this time in 2A after being in 3A last season. PIAA championship games and Aliquippa: what else is new? This is the fifth time in school history that the football and basketball teams have made the state championship in the same season. It's been done just 19 times in state history. An experienced group that reached the state title game last season before coming up short to Devon Prep, the Quips rolled through the regular season, winning the WPIAL championship in convincing fashion over Northgate and really haven't been challenged in the PIAA playoffs. Star guards DJ Walker and Quentin Goode have shared the scoring load under head coach Nick Lackovich, while Cameron Lindsey has dominated in the paint throughout the season for the Quips. Outside of the big three, freshman Qalil Goode stepped up in the playoffs with an 18-point performance in the win over Karns City, and Demarkus Walker and Jayace Williams have played key roles for the Quips. After coming up just short on the gridiron for a second straight PIAA title, the Quips look to get back into the history books in basketball this time around.
Scouting Lancaster Mennonite (20-8)
Head coach: Seth Buckwalter (fourth year)Key players: Cam Hurst, Myles Halvorson, Savier Sumrall, David WeaverPIAA titles: 0Highway to Hershey: defeated St. John Neumann, 62-61; defeated Eden Christian Academy, 59-46; defeated Mahanoy Area, 64-44; defeated Holy Cross, 51-40The scoop: For the first time in program history, Lancaster Mennonite will be playing for a PIAA championship. The District 3 champions, led by all-time leading scorer Cam Hurst (1,423 career points), feature a balanced attack offensively under fourth-year head coach Seth Buckwalter. Along with Hurst, Lancaster Mennonite features forward Myles Halvorson (10.0 points per game), guard Savier Sumrall (12.0 points per game) and center David Weaver (11.0 points per game) with which to work with offensively. Unlike the Quips in the PIAA playoffs, the Blazers have been challenged time and time again, narrowly avoiding losing in the first round to St. John Neumann, before then pulling out a 13-point win over Eden Christian, a 20-point win over Mahanoy Area, and then a convincing 11-point win over Holy Cross. This is the deepest the Blazers have been in the state playoffs in program history, so this is uncharted territory for its roster, whereas the Quips have all the experience from last season's run under their belts.
Game Information
Time and place: Noon Saturday at the GIANT Center (Hershey, PA)Radio: Beaver County Radio (1230 AM & 1460 AM / 99.3 FM & 95.7 FM)Television: PCN Sports (Online stream also available)
Scouting Blackhawk (25-4)
Head coach: Steve Lodovico (18th year)
Key players: Kassie Potts, Alena Fusetti, Piper Romigh, Haley Romigh, Aubree Hupp
PIAA titles: 4 (1999, 2000, 2014, 2015)
Highway to Hershey: defeated Warren, 51-32; defeated Knoch, 38-35; defeated Fairview, 40-34; defeated North Catholic, 45-40
The scoop: What a remarkable run for the Blackhawk Cougars under longtime head coach Steve Lodovico. After losing top player Quinn Borroni to a ruptured Achilles tendon before the start of the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs, the Cougars found a way to reach the WPIAL championship game, falling to North Catholic. Then, the Cougars found a way to reach the PIAA state championship game, vanquishing those same Trojannettes in a thrilling PIAA Class 4A semifinal Tuesday. Now, the Cougars sit one win away from the program's first state title since 2016 and fifth overall, which would also be the third under Lodovico in his 18 years at the helm. Without Borroni, Kassie Potts, Alena Fusetti, Piper and Haley Romigh, and Aubree Hupp have all stepped up in major ways, including Hupp, who has attempted to replace Borroni's production in rather impressive fashion as a freshman. Riding high following the thrilling win over North Catholic to reach Hershey, the Cougars are looking to cap off an improbable run in fashion.
Scouting Lansdale Catholic (26-2)
Head coach: Eric Gidney (21st year)Key players: Gabby Casey, Jaida Helm, Olivia BoccellaPIAA titles: 0Highway to Hershey: defeated Bishop McDevitt, 64-52; defeated Jersey Shore, 79-42; defeated Allentown Central Catholic, 49-29; defeated Scranton Prep, 60-28The scoop: Back in the PIAA state championship game for the second season in a row under longtime head coach Eric Gidney, the Crusaders are looking to add the first PIAA title to the trophy case. While Blackhawk is without arguably its best player in Borroni, the Crusaders have their star in Gabby Casey, the 2023 Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year and a St. Joseph's commit. Casey averages averaging 21.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game to lead Lansdale Catholic. Along with Case, Jaida Helm averages 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while Olivia Boccella averages just under 10 per game at 9.5. While Blackhawk has had to scratch and claw its way through the playoffs, Lansdale Catholic hasn't been challenged, blowing out Scranton Prep in the state semifinal, and cruising through wins over Allentown Central Catholic and Jersey Shore. The only playoff game that was close for Lansdale Catholic, the District 12 champs, was the PIAA playoff opener against Bishop McDevitt, a 12-point win.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Highway to Hershey: Aliquippa, Blackhawk seeking first state titles since mid-2010s
