Aliquippa routs Mohawk
Mohawk (18) vs. Aliquippa (61)
Written: Sep 27, 2008
 SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
ALIQUIPPA — The combination was not a good one for Mohawk.
For starters, the Warriors were banged up going into last night’s Class AA Midwestern Athletic Conference game at Aliquippa. Then they had two of their top players — running back Travis Schubert and lineman Stephen Cowher — go down with injuries.
Add the fact Aliquippa had lost two consecutive games and needed a win to stay in the hunt for one of the conference’s four spots in the WPIAL playoffs. Then toss in the setting. It was Aliquippa’s homecoming — and the Quips’ Carl A. Aschman Stadium isn’t called “The Pit” for nothing.
The result was a 61-18 Aliquippa victory in a contest that was shortened by the mercy rule. Once a team takes a 35-point lead in the second half the clock runs continuously. That’s what happened when the Quips went on top 54-18 at 3:45 of the third quarter.
“When you play Aliquippa, you can’t make stupid mistakes and have fundamental breakdowns,” Mohawk coach Jason Long said. “We did a poor job of tackling. We had guys wrapped up early and just didn’t finish tackles.”
That was evident in the second half when the game got out of hand.
Mohawk, 3-2 overall and in the MAC, did a good job of hanging in during the first half and was down 33-18 at intermission. Colin Bredl scored all three touchdowns for the Warriors, running 2 yards for one and catching passes from Seth Powell of 50 and 40 yards for the others.
Bredl’s second touchdown cut the Quips’ lead to 21-12 at 10:44 of the second quarter. That’s when Aliquippa’s Rashad Kenney put his athletic ability on display.
Mohawk stopped the Quips on their next possession after Bredl’s 50-yard touchdown catch and appeared to force a punt. Kenney is Aliquippa’s punter and fielded a low snap on one hop, but instead of trying to punt the ball, he took off running and gained 50 yards to the Mohawk 5. Three plays later, quarterback Rasheem Jones scored on a 1-yard run to put the Quips up 27-12.
“We have a play for that,” said Kenney when asked if it was a run all the way. “But I just saw the opening. It was a bad snap and I just decided to go.”
“That’s one of the advantages of having an athlete back there (as a punter),” Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac said.
Kenney wanted to make up for a fumble he lost on a punt return that set up Mohawk’s first score. He wasn’t done making big plays.
In the third quarter, he returned punts 61 and 55 yards for touchdowns to secure the victory. His 61-yard return, on which he broke two tackles, gave Aliquippa a 48-18 lead at 5:33 of the period.
“I didn’t want to score that many points against them, but they kept punting to (Kenney),” Zmijanac said. “I thought after awhile they’d kick it out of bounds.”
For the game, Kenney had three punt returns for 156 yards and the 50-yard run. Teammate Terry Patrick rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Aliquippa, 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the MAC, had 353 yards total offense, all on the ground.
“They’re a good football team … well coached,” Long said. “That’s usually trouble.”
Schubert went out with injured ribs after rushing three times for 6 yards and was replaced junior Justin Upham who managed just 13 yards on 12 carries against Aliquippa’s swarming defense. Mohawk rushed for just 48 yards and had just one first down the second half.
“We have just as much confidence in Justin Upham,” Long said. “Justin is awfully tough. He’s playing on a fractured tibia right now. I’ll hang my hat with Justin any day of the week.”
The loss puts Mohawk in a tough situation. It entertains winless Ellwood City on Friday, then has back-to-back conference games against Beaver Falls and Beaver, both undefeated. The Warriors have to win two of the next three to have a shot at a playoff spot.
MOHAWK ALIQUIPPA
8 First downs 13
58 Yards Rushing 353
10 Yards Lost 0
48 Net Rushing 353
13 Passes Attempted 3
3 Passes Completed 0
0 Passes Intercepted 1
98 Yards Passing 0
146 Total Yards 353
1-0 Fumbles-Lost 2-1
8-28.3 Punts-Average 1-26
7-45 Penalties-Yards 5-60
MOHAWK 6 12 0 0 — 18
ALIQUIPPA 14 19 21 7 —61
Scoring plays
ALIQUIPPA — Terry Patrick, 78-yard run (run failed).
MOHAWK — Colin Bredl, 2-yard run (pass failed).
ALIQUIPPA — Maurice Carter, 16-yard run (Devin Polzot pass from Rasheem Jones).
ALIQUIPPA — Patrick, 6-yard run (Rashad Kenney kick).
MOHAWK — Bredl, 50-yard pass from Seth Powell (run failed).
ALIQUIPPA — Jones ,1-yard run (kick failed).
ALIQUIPPA — Donte Williams, 3-yard run (run failed).
MOHAWK — Bredl, 40-yard pass from Powell (pass failed).
ALIQUIPPA — Williams, 9-yard run (Carter run).
ALIQUIPPA — Kenney, 61-yard punt return (Kenney kick).
ALIQUIPPA — Kenney, 55-yard punt return {kick failed).
ALIQUIPPA — Robert Hall, 8-yard run (Kaylan Kenney kick).
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