'Focused and ready to go': Aliquippa, fresh off another WPIAL title, turns attention to Allentown CC

BELLEFONTE – It’s back to work for Aliquippa.

The Quips celebrated their 19th WPIAL championship last Friday when they defended their 4A crown with a 34-7 decision over Central Valley at Acrisure Stadium. 

However, that game is in the rearview mirror for Aliquippa (13-0) as it meets Allentown Central Catholic (9-5) in a PIAA semifinal showdown Friday at 7 p.m. at Bald Eagle Area High School. The Quips are locked in on defeating the Vikings and returning to next week’s state championship game.

“That focus – I think that goes to our senior leadership. These kids have been to the WPIAL championship four years in a row. I think they learned even more when we lost it their freshman and sophomore years what it takes to be successful at the end. I lean on them to handle things and that’s to make sure we are taking care of responsibilities,” Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield said. “I told them that this week is the only thing guaranteed. It’s a one-game tournament. We have to take it one day at a time and can’t waste any time getting ready for this game.”

Allentown Central Catholic, the District 11 champ, defeated Jersey Shore, 38-31, in overtime to open the PIAA tournament. The Vikings followed that with a 50-7 rout of Meadville last week. 

“I thought that we played really, really well, which was good to see,” ACC coach Tim McGorry said. “We were coming off an emotional overtime win and you always worry about an emotional letdown. I thought we played well and were physical and took care of the little things, which is what it’s all about this time of year.”

During the regular season, the Vikings play in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference against much larger schools. While McGorry believes the matchup with the Quips is a difficult one, his troops are experienced going against skill and size. 

“There’s no disguising it – they are a really, really good football team. They are super-talented, but really well-coached. They are really diverse in the run game, which is not easy to do. They have to be coachable and coached well to be as diverse as they are,” he said. “Defensively, they are fast, physical and they are big. Certainly, we’ll fight and throw everything into it. One of the things we kind of have going for us is what we see every week being a 4A school and playing all 6A schools – it’s not unusual to see someone who is bigger and more athletic.

"We’ll play football and we won’t be intimidated. But, certainly there are matchup issues, for sure.”

Aliquippa’s offensive and defensive lines have found a new gear in the postseason. The Quips, who have won 23 games in a row, only allowed one total yard rushing against Central Valley and the offensive line controlled play. That allowed running backs Tiqwai Hayes (112) and John Tracy (108) to both eclipse 100 yards, which was just the 13th time in WPIAL championship game history a pair of running backs eclipsed 100 rushing yards in a game.

For the season, Hayes has rushed for 1,792 yards on 226 carries, adding 31 touchdowns. Tracy has 616 yards on 95 carries and nine touchdowns. Quarterback Quentin “Cheese” Goode has thrown for 1,771 yards and 19 TDs. D.J. Walker has 32 catches for 584 yards, while Brandon Banks has 23 for 370.

Allentown Central Catholic has a balanced attack, too. Quarterback Tamlin Ferguson, who reclaimed the starting job earlier in the season, passed for 202 yards and a touchdown against Meadville. He’s thrown for 1,275 yards and eight TDs. Jareel Calhoun (87 catches, 770 yards) and Griffin Patridge (30, 414) are his top two targets. Caiden Schaffer leads the ground game with 226 carries for 1,210 yards and 24 TDs. Nathan Schultz is next with 129 carries for 601 yards and three scores.

“They are very well-balanced. They are very similar in size to us up front. It takes the guys up front to make things happen. They know it and they understand it and we just have to be ready to play,” Warfield said. “They are a very talented team. They have a lot of skilled players and they are well-coached. It’ll be a challenge. I am sure our kids are up to it. We have to have a good week of preparation and make sure we know our responsibilities.

“At this point, everyone is really good and every yard counts. They have a good kicker, so we need to make sure our special teams are solid and we don’t give up any extra yards. It’s going to be all three phases where we have to be focused and ready to go.”