On the final Friday of October, a heavy weight tilt between two undefeated teams in Class 4A to crown a Parkway Conference Champion as Aliquippa took on Central Valley.
On an 11-play drive helped by a 15-yard penalty and two 4th down conversions, Tiqwai Hayes punched it in from three yards out as Aliquippa took a 6-0 lead. They missed the extra point but a personal foul penalty by Central gave the Quips another attempt. They would go for 2 and be denied as the score remained 6-0 with 7:11 to play in the opening quarter.
Central moved the ball after a 31-yard connection from Antwon Johnson to Matt Gerovac to the Aliquippa 33.
On 3rd and 14, an incomplete pass would have made it 4th down but Aliquippa got hit with a targeting penalty which extended the drive for the Warriors.
First play of the second quarter Johnson connected with Javin Thompson to the 1. Johnson would cap off the drive on the next play with a 1-yard touchdown quarterback sneak. The extra point was good as Central took a 7-6 lead.
Aliquippa struck back immediately as Quentin Goode hit DJ Walker on a quick pass across the middle and he was gone for 92 yards to the house as the Quips retook the lead immediately. The two-point conversion would be good as the Quips went ahead by 7.
Brett Fitzsimmons busted a 49-yard run all the way to the Aliquippa 3 as Central Valley looked to tie the game with a quick response. The Warriors would do just that as Fitzsimmons punched in the touchdown from two yards out tying the game at 14.
With under 5 minutes to play in the half, Central Valley extended the drive thanks to an Aliquippa offside penalty on 4th and 1 at the Warriors 34.
Johnson found Thompson for a 23-yard pass play on third down as Central Valley moved the ball to the Aliquippa 13. Johnson under pressure took a hit but threw a dart to Fitzsimmons in the end zone for the touchdown as Central Valley went back on top, 21-14 with 1:49 to play in the first half.
Central Valley kicked a pooch kick and Aliquippa coughed the ball up at their own 7 and Central Valley pounced on it as they looked to extend their lead before halftime.
With 10 seconds in the half, 4th and goal Johnson quarterback sneak gets stopped but a procedure penalty on Central Valley gave them another chance for points. Serafino DeSantis split the uprights from 23 yards out as Central Valley took a 24-14 lead at the half.
Aliquippa took control of the game in the third quarter as the offense put up 21 unanswered points.
Hayes busted a 71-yard run on the first play of the second half as Aliquippa was setup first and goal at the 3. John Tracy scored one play later from 3 yards.
On the next drive, on 4th down at the Warriors 25, Aliquippa jumped back on top as Goode hit Walker on a fly route for the touchdown and the Quips went back on top 28-24 as the two point conversion would be no good.
Walker added to his offensive showcase with a big play on defense with an interception and returned it to the Central Valley 20.
Aliquippa added onto the lead on the very next play as Hayes ran a 20-yard touchdown to make it 35-24 Quips headed to the 4th quarter.
With 6:33 to play in the game, the nose guard Naquan Crowder intercepted Johnson’s pass as Aliquippa took over with an 11-point lead.
The scoring came to a hault as Aliquippa ran the clock out.
This is the first time in 5 years that Aliquippa knocked off Central Valley, and the first time since 2019 that Central Valley lost a football game.