'A lot of potential': Quips aiming for three-peat in WPIAL Class 4A despite new faces
ALIQUIPPA – The past couple of seasons, Aliquippa had total dominance on the offensive and defensive lines.
The Quips opened big holes for their running backs on offense and invaded the backfield on defense.
Now that the Trench Dawgs – Naquan Crowder, Jason McBride and Neco Eberhardt – graduated, Aliquippa has some big voids to fill up front in its quest for a 20th WPIAL championship.
“That’s going to be the key to us to our overall success, I think,” Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield said. “We’re trying to get better every day. That’s all I ask them to do, come to practice and do they best they can. We’ll get through the ups and downs. I am excited to see how we play as a group.”
With the offensive line paving the way for all-state running back Tiqwai Hayes and talented tailback John Tracy, the Quips rode their ground game to back-to-back WPIAL Class 4A championships. They won PIAA gold two years ago and took silver last season.
The Trench Dawgs wreaked havoc on opposing teams’ offenses, too, often smothering the run game and terrorizing quarterbacks.
Those guys set the bar for Aliquippa’s younger players and opportunity exists now for the next version of the Trench Dawgs.
“We have a few guys ready to fill in – it’s not as many as we’d like. We always want more. When we had three; we wanted five. It’s a situation where we’re always looking to get better in all situations. We’re going to miss guys who started, but that’s what every team has to deal with. We have to keep moving forward and keep trying to get better,” Warfield said. “We have some really young guys showing up and getting better. They are still young and a little fresh and struggle, at times. As a coaching staff, we have to be patient with that because we kind of got spoiled the last few years. We just have to keep getting better.
"There’s a lot of potential out there. They have to keep working and get better and work through the struggles.”
The Quips, who have won a WPIAL-record 19 district titles, do have some experience back in Braylon Wilcox, who started at center and was injured in the PIAA semifinals. Kamari Mathews started last year, too, but is working through an injury.
“Braylon is our anchor on the line. We’re looking for him to be that leader and get everybody on the same page in our blocking schemes,” Warfield said. “Kamari started last year and, if he is able to go, gives us another solid person on the line.”
Senior Willie Simmons, junior Devon Humphries and sophomores Justus Starks and Miles Henderson are some of the other players competing on the line.
“We’ll have the same guys on the defensive line. I don’t see that changing. I think it’ll be more of a collective effort to get everyone as much rest as we can without dropping our level of play. That’s something, as coaches, we’ll work through week by week and see where we are,” Warfield said. “We want to attempt to play the same style. We have to coach based on our talent. So, what we do might change, to a degree, based on what we have.”
Patience is the key for the Quips, who return key players at the skill positions, like quarterback Quentin Goode, running backs Hayes and Tracy, and pass catchers Jayace Williams, Cameron Lindsey, Brandon Banks and Arison Walker.
![Aliquippa's Tiqwai Hayes runs for yards against McKeesport in the WPIAL Class 4A semifinal game Friday at Canon McMillan High School. [Lucy Schaly/For BCT]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/faQMaXwog2GHkWFFLInMyg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcxMw--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/beaver-county-times/3f7bedc3f60fd4ee48725d2df3033eab)
“We’ll have to be patient with the younger guys until they get caught up, more so mentally. We have to be supportive. If we’re going to get to where we’re trying to go, we’ll need them. That’s one thing I’ve stressed since I have been here. We’re working and being competitive, but, at the same time, knowing what experience we have at certain positions,” Warfield said. “Sometimes, when kids have experience, they can get a little complacent. The inexperienced kids are really working to get better. When you have a guy who has played 36 games already, it can be tough, at times, to keep them motivated. That’s my job is to try to maintain our good practice habits and make sure they continue working and are not taking anything for granted.”
The team is looking forward to playing home games at its newly renovated stadium after playing all games on the road last fall. The Quips are getting used to their new artificial surface.
“They are excited about that,” Warfield said. “The last couple weeks have been really hot, though. That turf generates a little more heat than they’re used to. We got it, so they have to deal with it.”
At A Glance
Head coach: Mike Warfield (Sixth season, 64-6 overall record)
2022 record: 13-1 (7-0 in Parkway Conference)
Top players lost: Neco Eberhardt, D.J. Walker, Naquan Crowder, Jason McBride, Nate Lindsey.
Top players returning: Tiqwai Hayes, Jr.; Cameron Lindsey, Sr.; Brandon Banks, Sr.; Quentin Goode, Sr.; John Tracy, Jr.;
Offense: Junior running backs Tiqwai Hayes and John Tracy form one of the WPIAL’s best backfield duos. Hayes, an all-state pick again, rushed for 1,981 yards and 33 touchdowns last fall, while Tracy added 826 yards and 11 touchdowns on 129 carries. Senior quarterback Quentin Goode returns for his third year starting under center with a 26-2 record. He threw for 1,929 yards and 23 touchdowns with only six interceptions last season. Brandon Banks, a Yale commit, leads a group of veteran receivers in Jayace Williams, Cameron Lindsey, Arison Walker and DeMarkus Walker.
Defense: While Aliquippa graduated its Trench Dawgs in Neco Eberhardt, Jason McBride and Naquan Crowder, the team has plenty of talent on defense. Lindsey, a Pitt commit, leads the way at linebacker. He finished with 100 tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack on the season and earned first-team all-state honors for the second year in a row. Banks earned first-team all-state honors for the second year in a row at defensive back, and had 33 tackles, 16 pass breakups, four interceptions and three tackles for loss.
Classification: 4A
Last WPIAL title: 2022
Last WPIAL playoff appearance: 2022
Last WPIAL playoff win: 2022
WPIAL titles: 19
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: 'A lot of potential': Quips aiming for three-peat in WPIAL Class 4A despite new faces
