Whether by land or air, Beaver Falls always makes its way into WPIAL title conversation

By: Bill Hartlep
Saturday, August 20, 2022 | 12:01 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The immense challenge WPIAL defensive coordinators have faced when taking on Beaver Falls over the last couple of seasons can be summed up in two tidy stats.

In 2020, the Tigers had the WPIAL’s leading rusher — Josh Hough with 2,051 yards.

In 2021, the Tigers had the district’s second-leading passer — Jaren Brickner with 2,569 yards.

If Beaver Falls has the personnel to bludgeon opponents on the ground, it will bludgeon. If Beaver Falls has the personnel to scorch opponents through the air, it will scorch.

Either way, the wins rack up and the Tigers are at the forefront of the WPIAL title conversation.

This year should be no different.

“We’ve had fun the last couple of years being able to revamp our offense each year based on the personnel,” coach Nick Nardone said. “It was a little bit nerve-racking because you get used to being in a certain mode and running a certain style of offense, but when you have athletes like we do, we’ve been blessed to have really gifted players over the years where they make it easy on us.”

With Hough leading the way, the Tigers won the 2020 WPIAL championship with a 43-30 victory over Sto-Rox.

In 2021, Beaver Falls advanced to the championship game before falling to Serra Catholic, 35-12, in a game the Tigers won’t soon forget.

Nardone wouldn’t want them to forget it if they could.

Beaver Falls turned the ball over an unbelievable nine times.

“You never forget about a loss like that. You take it and you learn from it,” Nardone said. “You were that close. Even with however many turnovers we had, it was a 14-13 game in the fourth quarter and we had the ball. You let that be motivation going into this season. You don’t want to let something like that happen again.”

Given the staggering collection of talent Beaver Falls has coming back this season, there’s no reason to think the team won’t get a chance to avenge the loss.

Brickner, a 6-foot-1, 182-pound lefty with pretty much the entire MAC hot on heels on the recruiting trail, returns under center.

“His natural gifts, he’s one of the better quarterbacks I’ve ever been around,” Nardone said. “When you throw in the way he’s kind of grown mentally the last few years, understanding defenses and how to check plays and check our offense into the correct play, it’s made him stand out as one of the best in the WPIAL.”

Brickner should have plenty of time to throw and plenty of holes to run through as four of five starters on the offensive line — Connor Paolucci, Thomas Tutwiler, Damian Lee and Sy’Mauri McCoy — also return.

Brickner’s top target, senior receiver Trey Singleton, is back too. He had 848 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last season. So is senior Isaiah Aeschbacher, who led the team with 805 rushing yards and nine scores last season.

On top of that, the Tigers have so many up-and-coming skill players that Nardone is seriously considering basically using a two-platoon system on offense, making line changes like a hockey team.

Add it all up, and it looks like the stars have aligned to give Beaver Falls the team to beat in Class 2A in the WPIAL.

If that isn’t the case every year.

“I hate to say this is the year because every year over the last few we’ve been lucky enough where we’ve been in a mindset where we’re going to compete and try to win a championship,” Nardone said. “Two years ago, we were able to do it. Last year, we came up just a little bit short. This year, it’s another team that we think has the capability, like every year, to compete for a championship, as long as they put the work in and prepare.”

Beaver Falls

Coach: Nick Nardone

2021 record: 9-4, 6-1 in Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference

All-time record: 685-419-52

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.26 at Blackhawk, 7

9.2 Beaver, 7

9.9 at Knoch, 7

9.16 New Brighton*, 7

9.23 at Neshannock*, 7

9.30 Riverside*, 7

10.7 Mohawk*, 7

10.14 at Ellwood City*, 7

10.21 at Freedom*, 7:30

10.28 Western Beaver*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Jaren Brickner

135-257, 2,569 yards, 25 TDs, 12 INTs

Rushing: Isaiah Aeschbacher

108-805, 9 TDs

Receiving: Trey Singleton

39-848, 11 TDs

FAST FACTS

• With 685 to start the season, the Tigers are close to becoming the seventh WPIAL team to amass 700 wins, joining Jeannette (767), Aliquippa (756), New Castle (754), Washington (724), Clairton (709) and Greensburg Salem (705).

• Beaver Falls has won five WPIAL championships — 1928, 1960, 1984, 2016 and 2020.

• While the Tigers successfully made the switch from a ground-based attack to a dangerous passing team last season, there were some hitches along the way. Beaver Falls lost its first three games of the season — to Blackhawk, Aliquippa and Laurel — before reeling off nine straight wins.

• Beaver Falls is the second-largest Class 2A school in WPIAL football this enrollment cycle with 174 boys in grades 10-12. Keystone Oaks is first with 177. Brownsville would be the largest with 180, but the Falcons are playing an independent schedule.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.