BEAVER FALLS — In a game delayed 90 minutes due to lightning strikes, the brightest flashes came on the field.
Aliquippa (5-0) defeated Beaver Falls (4-1) 39-0 moving into sole possession of first place in the Tri-County West Conference.
Senior running back Avante McKenzie finished the game with 223 rushing yards on nine carries and three touchdowns. The senior scored on runs of 26, 79 and 82 yards.
Aliquippa ran just four plays in the first quarter before the first weather delay. Roughly 30 minutes later play resumed, and the Quips opened the flood gates.
In a downpour, McKenzie scored the game’s opening touchdown, and the Quips did not look back.
Aliquippa scored on all five possessions in the first half — McKenzie’s three rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns from quarterback Eli Kosanovich.
The senior finished the game 7-9 for 226 yards and two scores. Deoveon Crute and Will Gipson caught passes of 60 and 80 yards for the scores.
MJ Devonshire sealed the win late in the third quarter with a 26-yard run off a jet sweep, but the game had long since been decided.
The Aliquippa defense pitched its fourth shutout of the year and looked strong in doing so.
The Quips forced two turnovers (two interceptions) and held the Tigers to just over 100 yards of offense.
The second quarter was stopped with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter for an hour delay. The teams during the delay to forgo halftime and play eight-minute running quarters in the third and fourth.
