Aliquippa heads to third straight PIAA title game following 52-32 win over Selingsgrove

EBENSBURG — Aliquippa punched its third straight ticket to the PIAA Class 4A state championship game Friday night as the Quips capitalized on turnovers and a strong rushing attack to defeat Selinsgrove 52-32 Friday evening.

It was business as usual for Aliquippa Friday night at Central Cambria High School as the Quips pushed past the Seals.

But head coach Mike Warfield and his team were not satisfied with the win today as they will now look to avenge their 2022 PIAA State Championship loss next week.

“We were in this position 12 months ago,” Warfield said after the game. “We were undefeated and then we left six days later crying. We have to get locked in. I am proud of our kids and how they played but this isn’t good enough. Every second that we work these kids we can’t waste the time that we have with them so we have to go back to work.”

Throughout tonight’s semifinal matchup, Aliquippa controlled its offense heavily on the ground as the Quips scored all of their touchdowns on the ground except for one.

John Tracy led the charge for Aliquippa as he found the end zone three times while rushing for over 250 yards in the winning effort.

Tiqwai Hayes was right behind him as the junior broke off a number of big gains of his own as he rushed for two scores in the first half.

“You never know who is going to explode,” Warfield said. “John Tracy did not have the game that he wanted to have against McKeesport last week but you saw what he was able to do tonight and I could see it in his eyes that he was ready to go.”

Not only did Tracy show out in a big way for Aliquippa on Friday but Hayes was able to set the tone for the Quips as he forced his way through the Seals defense a number of times.

The Penn State commit got the offense rolling for the Quips Friday night as he scamped in for a 24-yard touchdown run with just over four minutes elapsed in the opening quarter.

Later in the first half, Hayes found a massive hole created by his offensive line and broke free for a 54-yard touchdown score to extend the Quip's lead to 11 points in the second quarter.

The rushing tandem of Tracy and Hayes fed off one another throughout the course of the game as the pair traded a number of big runs throughout the game.

“Both of us love to work downhill and we like to feed off of one another,” Hayes said following his team’s victory. “We have to feed off each other and have the same mentality every snap that we take to continue to push and get yards because the four-yard gains turn into eight-yard gains and then turn into touchdowns.”

On the flip side, the Aliquippa defense held strong for most of the contest even as Ethan Miller imposed his will against the Quip defensive front finding the end zone twice in the loss.

Miller and the strong Selinsgrove offensive line had some success moving the football against Aliquippa as the Seals ground for yards in the trenches.

“Ethan Miller is a tough kid,” Warfield said. “We weren’t surprised at all about their rushing attack when their guys were hitting the hole. We locked in after their big first play and did a lot better at stopping the run.”

But even though Selinsgrove had some success running the football, the Aliquippa defense held strong forcing three turnovers which all led to points on the offensive side of the ball.

After Quentin Goode punched in the Quip's first touchdown off of a turnover, senior running back John Tracey found a hole and rushed in from 40 yards out for the score to begin the scoring in the second half after Aliquippa picked up the loose ball deep in its own territory.

Then on the ensuing possession for Selinsgrove, Mark Pastore’s pass was intercepted by Arison Walker. The Aliquippa offense struck yet again as the Quips pulled away from the Seals as Goode found Tracy for a touchdown.

“It is always big to turn those turnovers into points,” Warfield said. “Getting those turnovers and extra possessions are huge because we never want to come out and think of a score and think that we can blow a team out. When we get those turnovers we get the extra possession and we were able to capitalize on that tonight.”

With the win, the Quips will now take on Dallas next Thursday at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg at 7 p.m. Aliquippa is seeking its second PIAA Class 4A title in three years.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Aliquippa rolls to 52-32 win over Selingsgrove in PIAA Class 4A semis