Despite young roster, bump up in class, Aliquippa still thinking WPIAL title

By: Don Rebel
Monday, August 31, 2020 | 11:17 PM

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It took a pandemic to end one of the most impressive streaks in WPIAL football history.

Every year since 2008, Aliquippa has played for a WPIAL football championship at Heinz Field.

The Quips’ 12 straight trips to the North Shore are more than every NFL team outside of the AFC North.

The WPIAL has not decided where or when the district football championships will take place, but it did announce that they will not be played at Heinz Field.

While the Heinz Field streak ends, the championship game run could still continue this fall for the Quips.

But Aliquippa head coach Mike Warfield doesn’t care about just getting to the dance. He wants to make sure the Quips are the solid gold dancers.

Last year, they were not. The Quips were 11-1 heading into the Class 3A title game, where they lost for a second time to Central Valley, 13-12 in overtime.

“There are no moral victories in Aliquippa. Either you do or you don’t,” Warfield said. “So I was very disappointed.”

While expectations are always high at Aliquippa, the team only has four starters back on both offense and defense.

“Each year, it’s always a wait and see,” Warfield said. “We are a young team with not a lot of experience at some key positions.”

Quarterback Vaughn Morris is back after a successful 2019 campaign. He threw for 1,173 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The team’s second-leading rusher behind Antonio Quinn a year ago returns in running back Vernon Redd. The senior averaged 6.7 yards per carry last fall, gained 716 yards and led the Quips with 14 touchdowns.

Warfield said Redd, who also is a defensive back, has very good size and speed.

“I’m ready,” Redd said. “I don’t feel there’s any pressure on me and the other seniors. We trust the younger guys, and I think it’s another challenge that we have to overcome.”

Karl McBride will play a bigger role on both sides of the ball. He averaged 18 yards per reception and 3.4 yards per carry as a junior.

Another senior counted on for big contributions is tight end/linebacker Anthony Jackson.

“He is very talented with good size and speed,” Warfield said.

The Quips will lean on a lot of underclassmen, but Warfield has a special place in his heart for his 12th graders.

“Your senior year is typically the year that you remember, so I am excited for the seniors,” he said.

Aliquippa is a Class A school enrollment-wise that has always played up in football to face local Beaver County rivals. After playing the last four years in Class 3A, the Quips are moving up to 4A because of the success they had last two years.

It was enough success to be affected by the new PIAA competitive balance point system that takes into consideration success on the field and program transfers off the field. When a school crosses a certain threshold in a two-year span, it is forced to move up a class.

On the move up in class, Redd simply said, “we love it.”

Now Aliquippa is part of the Class 4A Parkway Conference with Beaver, Blackhawk, Chartiers Valley, Montour and New Castle.

“It will be very tough to compete on a weekly basis against teams with 70 kids to our 30 kids,” Warfield said. “So it’s going to be a very big challenge.”

Another challenge this year is just staying healthy enough to compete. Warfield offered this perspective about his biggest concerns for the 2020 season.

“Covid-19 is no joke, especially for our team, which is majority African American,” Warfield said. “The health experts have said and continue to say that the African American community is greatly affected at a higher rate than others. So we have to be especially careful throughout this year.”

Schedule

Coach: Mike Warfield

2019 record: 11-2, 6-1 in Class 3A Tri-County West

All-time record: 734-325-22

Date, Opponent, Time

9.11, at New Castle*, 7

9.18, Ambridge, 7

9.25, Quaker Valley, 7

10.2, at Beaver*, 7:30

10.9, Chartiers Valley*, 7

10.16, at Montour*, 7

10.23, Blackhawk*, 7

*Class 4A Parkway Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Vaughn Morris

61-150, 1,173 yards, 18 TDs

Rushing: Antonio Quinn*

139-1,185 yards, 13 TDs

Receiving: Chinua Solomon*

22-522 yards, 11 TDs

*Graduated

Fast facts

• Mike Warfield begins his third year as head coach at Aliquippa and he is in his first year as the law enforcement coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Warfield was the quarterback on the 1987 Aliquippa WPIAL championship team and was an assistant coach at Central Valley before taking the head coaching job at his alma mater.

• Only three schools have won double-digit WPIAL football championships. Aliquippa leads the way with 17, followed by Clairton with 13 and New Castle with 11.

• In the record streak of 12 straight WPIAL championship game appearances, Aliquippa has not been a lock to win it all in the last dozen years. After losing in overtime to Central Valley last November, the Quips are now 5-7 in those title games.

• When you have won 17 district crowns, every year it seems you are celebrating a big anniversary of a couple of those golden titles. This year there are four big championship anniversaries for Aliquippa:

2015 – Five years ago, Aliquippa outscored South Fayette, 44-38, to win Class AA gold thanks to Kaezon Pugh rushing for close to 200 yards.

2000 – Twenty years ago, Aliquippa edged Waynesburg Central, 14-6, in final year of games played at Three Rivers Stadium. Josh Lay had a touchdown run and two interceptions in the first half.

1985 – Thirty-five years ago, Aliquippa blanked rival Ambridge, 13-0, to win the Class AAA championship. The Bridgers lost only two games all year, both to the Quips.

1955 – Sixty-five years ago, Aliquippa came from behind to beat Mt. Lebanon, 14-13, to win the Class AAA title with help from junior defensive end Mike Ditka.

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