PITTSBURGH — No. 1 Aliquippa came back to Acrisure Stadium and dealt with No. 2 McKeesport in the WPIAL 4A Championship Game, winning 35-21 Friday night.
Aliquippa (12-0) wins their third straight WPIAL Championship Game, defeating Central Valley in 2022 and Belle Vernon in 2021. This is the fifth WPIAL title for head coach Mike Warfield since he took over in 2018 and makes Aliquippa 8-8 in their 16th consecutive trips to the WPIAL title game since 2008. It is also the third win in a row for Aliquippa over McKeesport (11-2) in the playoffs in the past three seasons.
McKeesport stopped Aliquippa on the opening drive and took it down the field to inside the 10-yard line. Aliquippa would stop them on third down and then senior kicker Nathan Kendrick missed the 15-yard field goal attempt after it hit off the right post.
Aliquippa would punt again, but Pitt commit and senior linebacker/tight end Cameron Lindsey would make a big play on the next McKeesport drive. Junior defensive back/wide receiver Arison Walker would punch the ball out of McKeesport senior quarterback Garrett Tarker’s hands and Lindsey scooped the ball up and ran 39-yards for the opening score.
The Tigers would immediately respond, as senior running back/linebacker Richard Beerman took the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to tie the game up at 7-7.
After Aliquippa punted on their next drive, McKeesport got out on a roll. Tarker completed a 38-yard pass to junior running back Anthony Boyd, then senior tight end Keith Spell ran 23-yards before Tarker ran it on on a fake option for a three-year touchdown to give McKeesport a 14-7 lead.
Quips quarterback senior Quentin Goode completed two important passes on the next drive. The first to senior tight end Jayace Williams for 28-yards to get into Tigers territory and then the second, a 20-yard pass to Walker on fourth down to set up 1st and goal at the seven-yard line. Lindsey would score his second rushing touchdown from two yards out to tie it up at 14.
Sophomore defensive back QaLil Goode gave more momentum to Aliquippa. when he intercepted a wobbly pass from Tarker on the second play of the next McKeesport drive. Aliquippa would take advantage as Quentin Goode threw a screen pass to senior wide receiver Demarkus Walker, who then ran it 23-yards for the touchdown, giving his team a 21-14 lead at halftime.
Quentin Goode completed a big pass to his little brother QaLil Goode for 41 yards and then Lindsey would score his third touchdown of the night to complete the drive and put the Quips up 27-14.
McKeesport would respond with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, with Tarker passing it to freshman running back Kemon Spell for a 28-yard score.
The Quips would score on the next drive to put the game out of reach for the Tigers. Goode threw his second touchdown of the night, this time to junior tight end Michael Gaskins from nine-yards out. Goode then completed the two-point conversion to senior wide receiver/defensive back and Yale commit Brandon Banks to make it 35-21.
Penn State commit and junior running back/defensive back Tiqwai Hayes would seal the game with a late interception to give Aliquippa the WPIAL title.
