Central Valley’s Landon Alexander gets birthday wish, defeats rival Aliquippa
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Saturday, September 11, 2021 | 12:06 AM
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander dives into the end zone to score during the second quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Jayvin Thompson stiff-arms Aliquippa’s Cyair Clark during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander celebrates his first touchdown with assistant coach Shawn McCreary during the first quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Jayvin Thompson intercepts a pass over Aliquippa’s Cyair Clark during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander carries to the goal line past Aliquippa’s Cyair Clark during the first quarter on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
The Central Valley student section celebrates the Warriors’ first touchdown during the first quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Rylan Jeter tussles with Aliquippa’s Tajier Thornton during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Jackson Tonya tackles Aliquippa’s Nate Lindsey during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander tackles Aliquippa’s Cyair Clark during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander celebrates his second touchdown during the second quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander (23) celebrates with Sean FitzSimmons (50) during the second quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander carries for long gain during the fourth quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander (23) celebrates with Antwon Johnson after his first touchdown during the first quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley head coach Mark Lyons wears a #SunnyStrong t-shirt on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Central Vallley’s Landon Alexander dives into the end zone to score during the second quarter against Aliquippa on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at The Pit in Aliquippa.
Landon Alexander wished for a win on his 18th birthday.
The running back got that and more Friday night as Central Valley defeated rival Aliquippa, 21-12, in a nonconference win at the Quips’ Aschman Stadium. The senior rushed for 212 yards on 23 carries and scored twice in a rematch from the 2019 WPIAL championships.
“I was locked in from the top,” said Alexander, who turned momentum with two long runs. “I wasn’t playing. I wanted a win.”
With Central Valley clinging to a two-point lead in the fourth-quarter, Alexander sprung free for a 49-yard gain down to the 5-yard line. Teammate Bret FitzSimmons scored on the next play, pushing the Warriors’ lead to a more-comfortable nine points with about 7 minutes left.
What made Alexander’s long run so significant was the situation. It came seconds after a failed fourth-down pass by Aliquippa in Central Valley territory. The Quips went from trying to take the lead to seeing the Warrior score again.
“When you can swing the field position and get down in the red zone on one play, that’s a big momentum (shift),” Central Valley coach Mark Lyons said. “You could tell our guys had a bounce back in their step. (The Quips) may have been coming out of the huddle just a step slower.”
But that wasn’t the first time Alexander stole momentum.
Earlier, he’d broken a 75-yard run in the first quarter, setting up himself for an 11-yard touchdown run that gave Central Valley a 7-0 lead. He added an acrobatic two-yard TD run in the second quarter when he somersaulted into the end zone for a 14-0 lead.
“I knew he was locked in because he’s been waiting for this,” said CV running backs coach Larry DeVincentis. “When we had talked in the summer … he’d say: ‘Coach, I can’t wait until Sept. 10.’”
Central Valley (3-0) was ranked first in WPIAL Class 3A. Aliquippa (1-1) was third in Class 4A.
The Quips did a good job of limiting Alexander overall. Of his 23 carries, 17 went for six yards or less. Of those, 11 gained three yards or fewer. But in a game with two championship contenders, two or three plays make the difference, said Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield.
“The margin for error shrinks,” Warfield said. “That’s basically what happened. If we had played someone of not that caliber, we’d have got (away with) it and probably overlooked it.”
Instead, Alexander stayed patient and pounced.
“Every play is not going to be a big play,” he said. “Everyone wants one but you’ve got to know your role and just let the play work. … Sometimes you have to run and get hit to set up a bigger run in the future.”
The Beaver County rivals hadn’t met since the 2019 WPIAL championships at Heinz Field when Central Valley won 13-12. The two teams no longer share a conference or a classification but this matchup had meaning because of their proximity.
The win was CV’s fourth in a row over Aliquippa.
The game drew a standing-room crowd to a historic stadium that had large sections of crumbling bleachers roped off.
Both head coaches, their assistants and many fans wore #SunnyStrong shirts in support of Aliquippa player Antonyo “Sunny” Anderson. The senior was seriously injured in a May shooting.
“When you come down here, the crowd is great,” Alexander said. “The way the Aliquippa community supports its football team and football program is amazing. You know when you play Quip, especially at home, the community is going to be there.”
Central Valley won despite losing starting quarterback/linebacker Matt Merritt to an ankle injury on the first play of the game.
Aliquippa trailed 14-0 before scoring twice in the second half. The Quips’ second touchdown was on a one-yard run by senior Floyd Sims on the first play of the fourth quarter. However, a tying two-point run by junior Isaiah Martinez was stuffed short of the goal line, leaving CV ahead 14-12.
Both teams have big, powerful lines and that battle upfront shaped Friday night’s game.
“I thought we had some young kids grow up,” Lyons said. “I don’t know how you could give them a (better) baptism than playing down here against their line that’s probably 320 or 330 pounds. We battled.”
Aliquippa’s first touchdown was an 81-yard, third-quarter pass from sophomore quarterback Quentin Goode to wideout Jamar Jeter. The extra point kick was blocked.
Goode completed 17 of 31 attempts for 248 yards and one touchdown. A 46-yard throw from Goode to Tajier Thornton set up Sims’ short fourth-quarter touchdown run.
The Quips were hurt by double-digit penalties including a holding call that negated a second-half touchdown run.
“It seems like when we have less penalties, we typically win,” Warfield said. “When we have more penalties, we struggle or we lose. So that’s always a problem for anyone.”
Listen to an archived broadcast of this game on Trib HSSN.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Aliquippa, Central Valley
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