Aliquippa uses 1-play touchdown drives to top rival Central Valley, clinch Parkway title

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, October 28, 2023 | 12:09 AM

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The biggest worry for a defense facing Aliquippa isn’t a long, grinding touchdown drive that eats the clock and wears you away physically.

It’s the one-play drive that crushes your spirit.

Central Valley felt that Friday night when Aliquippa’s John Tracy and Tikey Hayes scored on consecutive one-play drives in the third quarter. Their touchdown runs of 70 and 73 yards flipped momentum to Aliquippa, which clinched the Parkway Conference title with a 27-17 victory at Sarge Alberts Stadium in Center.

“I didn’t think they were going to do a 20-play drive on us,” Central Valley coach Mark Lyons said. “We never thought that. We knew, ‘If we just didn’t let them hit home runs.’”

Aliquippa also had a one-play touchdown drive on the first snap of the game, when Hayes ran 29 yards to the end zone.

In all, the Quips had three one-play drives and also returned a fumble for a touchdown.

The victory earned Aliquippa (9-0, 7-0) the Parkway title for the fourth year in a row, but the Quips insisted they have far bigger goals than conference championships.

The defending WPIAL champions likely will draw the top seed in Class 4A when the playoff brackets are announced Saturday.

“For real, we don’t worry about the conference,” said Hayes, who rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. “We need to win WPIALs and states. The conference is Season 1. We’re on Season 2 now.”

Central Valley (7-3, 5-2) would’ve shared the conference title with a win. The Warriors had momentum and a 17-14 lead early in the third quarter when freshman Jance Henry scored on a 49-yard run.

However, Central Valley’s lead was erased in the final two minutes of the third when Tracy and Hayes scored on consecutive plays. Tracy followed the left sideline on his 70-yard run and Hayes ran to the right on his 73-yarder.

“They went on their run and that threw off our game,” Hayes said. “Those big plays happening, that gave us more momentum.”

Aliquippa led 19-17 after Tracy’s touchdown, and extended the lead to 27-17 when Hayes scored with six seconds left in the third.

“When you’re playing a good team, it’s a game of runs,” Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield said. “Some of our guys get down when we’re not up by 40 before the game. They think something is wrong.

“You’ve got to keep grinding because it’s going to come back to you. You saw that.”

Hayes’ big play was almost undone by a bobbled snap, but Quips quarterback Quentin Goode scooped up the fumble and made the pitch.

“I saw the hole was still open so I thought, ‘Let’s go!’” Hayes said. “I turned on my horses and got up out of there.”

The Quips were playing without senior wide receiver/defensive back Brandon Banks, a Yale recruit who’s slowed by an injury. They also asked freshman center Erick Raspberry to make his first career start, since their usual center was serving a one-game suspension for an infraction last week.

The Quips played a less-than-perfect game, which included 13 penalties, but the quick strike touchdowns helped overcome those miscues.

“Penalties were killing us,” Warfield said. “Stopping drives and extending their drives. We’ve got to clean that up.”

Hayes and Tracy combined for 247 rushing yards, with 166 coming on their three touchdown runs. Tracy had 106 yards on 12 carries.

The Quips’ first one-play touchdown drive came on the first play of the first quarter. Central Valley fumbled the opening kickoff and the Quips capitalized with a 29-yard touchdown run by Hayes to lead 7-0.

Central Valley cut into the lead with a 32-yard field goal by kicker Domenic Pratt early in the second quarter.

Aliquippa’s offense was struggling at times in the first half, but its defense found the end zone when Demarkus Walker returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown. The Quips led 13-3 with 1:23 left in the first half.

There wasn’t much time left until half, but Central Valley maximized it. The Warriors moved 42 yard in four plays, leading to a 6-yard touchdown catch by Ethan Shearer with 44 seconds left in the half.

Central Valley’s touchdown drive was boosted by a pass interference penalty against the Quips.

Aliquippa led 13-10 at half.

Central Valley’s defense stopped the Quips on the first possession of the second half, and then its offense stole momentum with Henry’s 49-yard touchdown run.

But that momentum was short-lived, once Tracy and Hayes scored later in the third.

“We’d just taken the lead, and then they flipped it and we gave it right back,” Lyons said. “In a game like this, that’s what happens. When you get the momentum, you’ve got to grab it and then hold onto it.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Central Valley