Aliquippa forced four first half turnovers and punched their ticket to the WPIAL Championship for the 15th straight season in a 42-7 win over McKeesport.
Couldn't have been a less ideal start for the McKeesport Tigers in the first quarter of play as they turned the ball over three times.
Aliquippa's defensive lineman Jason McBride read a screen attempt by Mckeesport quarterback Jahmil Perryman and intercepted the pass and ran it back for a 15-yard touchdown as Aliquippa struck first 6-0 with 5:34 to play in the first quarter. Aliquippa's two-point try was no good.
Then on the Tigers next drive, Perryman coughed up the football on the snap and the Quips recovered at the Tigers 38. On the first play of the drive, Tiqwaii Hayes ran the ball to the left side for a 38-yard touchdown as the Quips took a 12-0 lead with 4:29 to play in the first quarter.
A third Aliquippa takeaway gave them the football back after they had just gone three and out, they got the football back at the 47 of McKeesport on a big Quips hit that forced the turnover. Aliquippa took a 12-0 lead into the second quarter.
As Aliquippa moved the ball inside the 30 of McKeesport, the Tigers got their first takeaway of the game as Caleb Holtzman intercepted Quentin Goode's pass. But Aliquippa's defense stood tall as they forced another McKeesport three and out. The snap for McKeesport went over the punter Holtzman's head and went into the end zone for a safety, extending the Aliquippa lead to 14-0.
Goode got the Tigers to bite on a play action as he found DJ Walker wide open across the middle for a 39 yard touchdown extending the Quips lead to 21-0.
A big play by McKeesport to the 30 of Aliquippa was moved back to the 45 for an excessive celebration penalty. Then the Quips got their 4th takeaway of the half when Brandon Banks intercepted Perryman at the Quips 27, as Aliquippa took a 21-0 lead into the locker rooms.
Aliquippa's defense forced a three and out from McKeesport to begin the third quarter as McKeesport's offense continued to struggle to move the football.
For Aliquippa, when things are going good, they're really going good. A botched punt attempt by John Tracy resulted in a 17 yard run for a conversion on fourth down to extend the Aliquippa drive across midfield to the Mckeesport 36. Two straight Hayes runs capped off the drive with his 25th touchdown of the year making it 28-0 Quips with 7:24 to play in the third quarter.
Hayes busted a 64 yard touchdown late in the third quarter as Aliquippa went ahead 35-0 to implement the mercy rule on McKeesport.
McKeesport was knocking on the door for their first points of the game but Aliquippa's defense did it again with another takeaway, as nose guard Naquan Crowder recovered a fumble and returned it 88 yards to the house to extend the lead 42-0 Aliquippa.
McKeesport finally got on the board as Perryman found Bobby Boyd for a 36 yard touchdown to cut the Aliquippa lead to 42-7.
Tiqwai Hayes finished the night running for 197 yards on 17 carries and scored 3 touchdowns.
This was win number 23 in a row for the Quips. Coach Mike Warfield was impressed with his defense only allowing 7 points.
"I think the defense was outstanding. That's a tough offense to play," said Warfield.
Aliquippa will face Central Valley in the 4A championship next Friday at Acrisure Stadium.
