Defending PIAA football champ Aliquippa rolls Mars for Planets’ third straight loss
ALIQUIPPA — Under a shower of festive red floodlights, those lined up on the Mars football sideline were as still as statues.
Aliquippa’s Joseph Work had plunged into the end zone for his side’s second touchdown in 1:18, widening the gap on the scoreboard to 17 points in the third quarter of what became a 42-17 Planets gridiron loss Friday night.
Mars (1-3) trailed the Quips 15-11 entering halftime , but the home team snatched the momentum back with an eight-play, 61-yard march out of that break. Planets quarterback Luke Goodworth mishandled the snap on the first play of the ensuing series, and Work scored two snaps after jumping on the fumble.
Goodworth left the game after being injured diving for the loose ball.
“We came out with a good plan in the third quarter,” Mars coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “Just, unfortunately, (we) dropped the ball. Go figure, luck has it he jumps on it and pops his shoulder out so now we’re scrambling.”
Senior Eric Kasperowicz, the coach’s son, ran in from 15 yards out later in the third frame, momentarily whittling the Aliquippa (2-0) lead to a dozen points. Larry Moon’s 84-yard kick return set up SaNir Brooks’ third ground score of the night right after.
“Football is a game of runs and who makes less mistakes,” Quips coach Vashawn Patrick said. “We just didn’t make (any) mistakes in the second half. We played a little bit cleaner, and that’s why we were able to extend the lead.”
The Planets had just 8 yards of total offense through their initial five possessions. Their first three started near midfield, but the second was cut short by Arison Walker’s interception of Goodworth. Walker caught a touchdown four plays later to open the scoring.
“I thought we started well,” the elder Kasperowicz said. “I thought we controlled the ball. We were in their territory the whole first quarter. The interception hurt, but then the defense really played well that entire second quarter.”
Mars caught a break when Ayden Yocum scored by pouncing on a snap that went over the Aliquippa punter’s head with 4:24 remaining in the first half. Mason Childress split the uprights on a 46-yard field goal five ticks before the midway point.
“Those are the defending state champs and we made it a four-quarter game almost,” Kasperowicz said. “We’re a young team, and I’m proud of how the kids fought.”
“(The Planets are) going to be big in the playoffs and they’re going to make a lot of ruckus,” Patrick said. “But we just came out victorious today.”
Mars 0 11 6 0 — 17
Aliquippa 7 8 21 6 — 42
First Quarter
A — Arison Walker 8 pass from Marques Council (Malachi Shegog kick), 1:42
Second Quarter
A — SaNir Brooks 47 run (Walker run), 7:32
M — Ayden Yocum fumble recovery in endzone (Eric Kasperowicz run), 4:24
M — Mason Childress 46 field goal, :05
Third Quarter
A — Brooks 4 run (Shegog kick blocked), 8:52
A — Joseph Work 6 run (Walker run), 7:34
M — Kasperowicz 15 run (Kasperowicz run failed), 2:26
A — Brooks 8 run (Shegog kick), 2:05
Fourth Quarter
A — QaLil Goode 33 pass from Council (Walker run failed), 1:28
Individual Statistics:
Rushing: Mars, Eric Kasperowicz 15-69, Ayden Yocum 6-9, Hunter Schroder 2-2, Luke Goodworth 3-(-3), TEAM 1-(-5). Aliquippa, SaNir Brooks 20-148, Joseph Work 3-12, Marques Council 3-11, Nasir Wade 1-10, Larry Moon 1-9, Cleaster Longmire IV 3-2, TEAM 1-(-5).
Passing: Mars, Luke Goodworth 9-15-46-1, Nate Walker 4-5-19-0, Mason Childress 0-1-0-0. Aliquippa, Marques Council 7-13-102-0.
Receiving: Mars, Gabe Hein 5-44, Blake Yates 2-14, Mason Childress 2-13, Liam Hein 1-0, Eric Kasperowicz 1-(-2). Aliquippa, QaLil Goode 1-33, Daiveon Taylor 1-20, Cleaster Longmire IV 1-20, Arison Walker 2-20, SaNir Brooks 1-5, Larry Moon 1-4.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had the incorrect score of this game. It was corrected at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
