Aliquippa hopes to win a 20th WPIAL title in 2023, but on Friday, the Quips found themselves living in the ’70s.
Class 4A top-ranked Aliquippa used a pair of 70-plus-yard rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to rally for a 27-17 win at No. 5 Central Valley to win the Parkway Conference title outright. The title is Aliquippa’s 38th all time, most in WPIAL history.
After trailing by three points at the half, Central Valley (7-3, 5-2) took a 17-13 lead on freshman Jance Henry’s 49-yard touchdown run with 9:28 left in the third quarter. But that’s the last time the Warriors’ offense would be heard from. Aliquippa (9-0, 7-0) surged ahead on John Tracy’s 70-yard touchdown run with 1:42 left in the quarter that made it 19-17. Tikey Hayes then busted loose for a 73-yard touchdown run with six seconds left in the third. A successful 2-point conversion extended the Aliquippa lead to 27-17.
Hayes and Tracy were both excellent overall. Hayes ran for 144 yards on 11 carries, and Tracy ran for 102 yards on 11 carries. Hayes also scored on a 29-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Aliquippa’s DeMarkus Walker returned a fumble 24 yards for another touchdown.
Henry rushed for 90 yards on 18 carries for Central Valley, which also got a 32-yard field goal from Domenic Pratt and a 6-yard touchdown toss from Steven Rutherford to Ethan Shearer.
Central Valley advanced to the playoffs as the third-place team from the conference behind Aliquippa and Montour.
CANON-MCMILLAN THIRD IN CLASS 6A
With the third seed in the Class 6A playoffs on the line, No. 3 Canon-McMillan (6-4, 2-2) led by 34 points early in the fourth quarter before holding on for a 41-28 win against visiting No. 4 Mt. Lebanon (5-5, 1-3). Canon-McMillan’s Mike Evans threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns (both to T.J. Sabatucci), and Zach Welsh ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Canon-McMillan finished third and will travel to No. 2 North Allegheny in the opening round, while Mt. Lebanon is fourth and will play a road game against No. 1 Central Catholic.
PENN HILLS WINS TITLE, NO PLAYOFFS FOR WOODY HIGH
Julian Dugger accounted for four touchdowns (two rushing and two passing) to vault Class 5A No. 2 Penn Hills (8-2, 5-0) to the Northeast Conference crown following a come-from-behind 26-21 win at Woodland Hills (6-4, 3-2). Trailing, 21-20, in the fourth quarter, Dugger connected with Cameron Thomas for a 26-yard touchdown with 5:07 left. Scoop Smith ran for two touchdowns for Woodland Hills, which fell short of qualifying for the playoffs. The Wolverines played without starting quarterback Cam Walter (injured).
PETERS REMAINS UNBEATEN
Class 5A No. 1 Peters Township (10-0, 5-0) racked up 295 yards rushing and scored eight rushing touchdowns en route to a 68-28 win against visiting Bethel Park (4-6, 3-2). Peters Township won the Allegheny Six Conference title, but both teams qualified for the postseason. Vinny Sarcone (110 yards, four touchdowns) and Preston Blair (100 yards, two touchdowns) both had big rushing performances for Peters Township, which also got 295 yards passing and two touchdowns from Nolan DiLucia.
PENN-TRAFFORD EARNS PLAYOFF BID
In a win-and-get-in game for both teams, Penn-Trafford (5-5, 4-1) traveled to Franklin Regional (6-4, 3-2) and took down the Panthers, 27-14, to finish second and earn a playoff berth out of the Class 5A Big East Conference. Penn-Trafford’s Tasso Whipple ran for 90 yards and two touchdowns, while teammate Johnny Lovre passed for 110 yards and a score.
MCKEESPORT ROLLS PAST TJ
Anthony Boyd carried 22 times for 233 yards and two touchdowns as Class 4A No. 2 McKeesport (9-1, 6-0) captured the Big Seven Conference title courtesy of a 28-7 win at No. 4 Thomas Jefferson (8-2, 4-2). After Thomas Jefferson struck first when Sean Sullivan reeled in a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brody Evans in the first quarter, Boyd tied the score with a 1-yard touchdown run. He later added a 90-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. McKeesport’s Dominique Cochran returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown.
MARS USES LATE SCORE TO EDGE NORTH CATHOLIC
Luke Goodworth threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Alessio with just 10 seconds left to lift Mars (8-2, 6-0) to the Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference title by defeating host North Catholic (5-5, 4-2), 17-14. Evan Wright had another huge night for Mars, rushing for 190 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries. Jack Fennell scored both of North Catholic’s touchdowns, scoring on a 71-yard pass from Kaden Sarver in the second quarter and on a 54-yard run with 7:15 left in the third that put the Trojans ahead, 14-10.
MONTOUR THROTTLES WEST ALLEGHENY
Jake Wolfe threw for four touchdowns and also rushed for a touchdown in leading host Class 4A No. 3 Montour (9-1, 6-1) to a 49-17 rout of visiting West Allegheny (6-4, 4-3) in the Parkway Conference. Wolfe found Daniel Batch for two touchdowns and hooked up with Andrew Alston and Keino Fitzpatrick for one apiece. Wolfe also scored on a 2-yard run. Brock Cornell ran for a pair of touchdowns for West Allegheny. Both teams qualify for the playoffs, with Montour placing second and West Allegheny fourth.
MARTIN DRIVES BELLE VERNON TO WIN
On a day when his future coach (James Franklin) flew in to visit him at school, Penn State recruit Quinton Martin put together a masterful performance to lead Class 3A No. 1 Belle Vernon (8-1, 5-0) to a 49-28 win against visiting No. 3 Elizabeth Forward (9-1, 4-1) and the Interstate Conference title. Martin had four catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, carried four times for 40 yards and a touchdown, and returned an interception 12 yards for a score.
NESHANNOCK CLAIMS TITLE
Jino Mozzocio ran for a pair of touchdowns to lead Class 2A No. 2 Neshannock (9-1, 7-0) to the Midwestern Conference title following a 13-7 win against visiting No. 3 Mohawk (8-2, 6-1). Mozzocio ran for a 27-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter and, after Mohawk tied things up on Bobby Fadden’s 1-yard touchdown run late in the quarter, Mozzocio provided the winning points on his 16-yard scoring run with 11:51 left in the game.
WASH HIGH WINS CONFERENCE
Class 2A No. 4 Washington (9-1, 5-1) bounced back from its first loss by winning at No. 5 McGuffey (7-3, 5-1), 13-7. The win gave Washington the Century Conference title. Zxavian Willis scored on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Tristan Reed to put Washington on the board a minute into the game, and Reed then found Elijah Thomas for the winning 4-yard score with 52 seconds left in the opening half.
CLAIRTON THUMPS JEANNETTE
Class 1A No. 4 Clairton (8-2, 6-0) won its eighth consecutive game and captured the Eastern Conference title following a 60-14 win at Jeannette (7-3, 4-2). The score was tied, 14-14, in the first quarter before Clairton scored the final 46 points. Donte Wright scored three touchdowns, Drahcir Jones scored two, and Michael Wright threw for three scores for Clairton, which averaged 48.6 points per game in conference play.
PUP BITES
- After running for 495 yards last week (No. 2 all time in WPIAL history), West Mifflin freshman Armand Hill ran for 201 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-0 win at South Park (6-4, 3-3). Hill scored on runs of 25, 6 and 1 yard for the Titans (6-4, 5-1), who have won four games in a row. Over his past three games, Hill has now rushed for 1,009 yards and 13 touchdowns.
- It was another “Sieg-nature” performance for Fort Cherry super sophomore Matt Sieg, who ran for 251 yards and seven touchdowns in a 55-22 home win against Burgettstown (5-4, 4-3). Sieg scored on runs of 22, 19, 8, 20, 12, 11 and 5 yards for Class 1A No. 1 Fort Cherry (10-0, 7-0), which also got 156 yards and a touchdown on the ground from Ethan Faletto.
- In a nonconference battle of ranked teams in different classes, Payton Wehner completed 11-of-14 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns to push Class 6A No. 1 Central Catholic (9-1) to a 51-7 win at Class 5A No. 4 Gateway (5-5). Wehner threw a pair of touchdown passes to Vernon Settles and another to Peter Gonzalez. Elijah Faulkner ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns for Central Catholic, which outgained Gateway, 511-230.
THREE STARS
*** — Da’sjon Craggette, Southmoreland. Craggette ran for a school-record 335 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries to help Southmoreland (6-4, 3-2) lock up second place in the Class 3A Interstate Conference following a 41-3 win at Mount Pleasant (6-4, 2-3).
** — Elijah Palmer-McCane, Ellwood City. Palmer-McCane rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns to push Ellwood City (5-5, 3-4) into the playoffs for the first time since 2011 courtesy of a 41-0 win at Riverside (1-8, 1-6) in Midwestern Conference play. McCane scored on runs of 1, 41, 39 and 2 yards.
* — O’Malley Daly, Seton LaSalle. Daly ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns, including one on a fake punt, to lead Seton LaSalle (5-5) to a 40-36 nonconference win at Sto-Rox (2-7). Daly ran for a 4-yard touchdown in the first quarter to open the scoring and took a fake punt 49 yards for a touchdown late in the first half. The Rebels led, 40-14, in the third quarter.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
SCOREBOARD
WPIAL CLASS 6A
Tri-County Five Conference
Canon-McMillan 41, Mt. Lebanon 28
North Allegheny 49, Seneca Valley 14
WPIAL CLASS 5A
Allegheny Six Conference
Moon 42, Baldwin 16
Peters Township 68, Bethel Park 28
Upper St. Clair 34, South Fayette 21
Big East Conference
Norwin 41, Hempfield 27
Penn-Trafford 27, Franklin Regional 14
Northeast Conference
Penn Hills 26, Woodland Hills 21
Pine-Richland 43, North Hills 0
Shaler 47, Fox Chapel 13
WPIAL CLASS 4A
Big Seven Conference
Connellsville 35, Laurel Highlands 13
McKeesport 28, Thomas Jefferson 7
Trinity 61, Ringgold 21
Greater Allegheny Conference
Highlands 42, Hampton 26
Kiski Area 42, Armstrong 34
Mars 17, North Catholic 14
Parkway Conference
Aliquippa 27, Central Valley 17
Blackhawk 20, New Castle 14
Chartiers Valley 41, Ambridge 31
Montour 49, West Allegheny 17
WPIAL CLASS 3A
Allegheny 6 Conference
Deer Lakes 35, Freeport 0
East Allegheny 41, Shady Side Academy 34
Knoch 40, Valley 0
Interstate Conference
Belle Vernon 49, Elizabeth Forward 28
Greensburg Salem 44, South Allegheny 20
Southmoreland 40, Mount Pleasant 3
Western Hills Conference
Avonworth 49, Quaker Valley 0
Beaver 58, Hopewell 14
West Mifflin 35, South Park 0
WPIAL CLASS 2A
Allegheny Conference
Apollo-Ridge 37, Burrell 33
Derry 35, Ligonier Valley 15
Imani Christian 45, Yough 7
Steel Valley 54, Serra Catholic 14
Century Conference
Keystone Oaks 36, Brentwood 0
Washington 13, McGuffey 7
Waynesburg 45, Charleroi 27
Midwestern Conference
Ellwood City 41, Riverside 0
Freedom 20, New Brighton 12
Neshannock 13, Mohawk 7
WPIAL CLASS 1A
Big 7 Conference
Laurel 22, Shenango 7
South Side 33, Rochester 7
Black Hills Conference
Avella 30, Chartiers-Houston 6
Cornell 40, OLSH 9
Fort Cherry 55, Burgettstown 22
Eastern Conference
Clairton 60, Jeannette 14
Greensburg C.C. 42, Leechburg 7
Tri-County South Conference
California 61, Bentworth 0
Jefferson-Morgan 42, Carmichaels 14
Monessen 36, Beth-Center 16
West Greene 45, Mapletown 19
NONCONFERENCE
Central Catholic 51, Gateway 7
Latrobe 42, Butler 7
Northgate 36, Frazier 6
Plum 49, Indiana 7
Seton LaSalle 40, Sto-Rox 36
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.