Aliquippa took a long, hard look in the mirror after it lost to South Allegheny in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game.
In that moment the Quips took on a whole new approach to their game.
“It’s pure business. We’re not really playing around no more because we don’t want to lose like we did in the WPIAL championship,” Aliquippa junior guard Josh Pratt said. “Every team, we’re taking it serious. Practice is harder than games, really, so we’re just taking it day-by-day trying to win every game.”
Aliquippa certainly didn’t have too difficult a time in its PIAA Class 3A boys quarterfinal against District 6 champion Forest Hills (25-3). The Quips (23-5) made short work of the Rangers as they cruised to a 73-34 running-clock victory Saturday at Armstrong High School.
“We can’t simulate that athleticism in practice,” Forest Hills coach Dominic Vescovi said. “They’re good. We knew going in that Pratt was a playmaker and scorer, but they had it everywhere. We did not handle their pressure like we should and I’ll take ownership of that, but props to them. They’re a good team and they dictated their will in all aspects of the game.”
Pratt scored 27 points and put an exclamation point on the win with a thunderous block in the final seconds. Junior guard Qa’lil Goode finished with a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds as Aliquippa took it to Forest Hills from the opening tip onward.
“We stressed to get off to a fast start and we’re more than capable of doing that so it wasn’t surprising,” Aliquippa coach Nick Lackovich said. “They’re a good team and you obviously don’t plan on it like that, but it’s a good thing when a plan comes together.”
Aliquippa wanted to slow down the Rangers’ Dylan Stohon and, for the most part, it succeeded. Stohon did lead Forest Hills with 15 points and was the only player on the team in double figures, but the Quips never let them get within 20 after the first half.
“We really only played two or three teams that are even close to that team that’s out there and I would say that’s the best team we’ve played all season,” Vescovi said. “Johnstown and Bishop Guilfoyle, who we played twice, are the only teams we have played close to them and that’s it. Hopefully we can increase our strength of schedule next year and be ready for a game like this.”
Game flow
It didn’t take long for Aliquippa to assert its dominance as freshman Jeremiah Pratt took the opening tip and turned it into a quick layup just four seconds into the game. Brandon Gregovich tied it up with a short jumper 6:50 later, but that was all anyone would hear from the Rangers’ offense for quite a while.
Following the Gregovich hoop, Aliquippa went on an 18-0 run capped off by a Jeremiah Pratt three-point play with 2:14 left in the first quarter.
Stohon finally stopped the bleeding with a basket with 2:07 remaining, but by then the Quips had a 20-4 lead and total command of the game.
Key stats
• Forest Hills longest run of the game was four points. That modest 4-0 run came in the first two minutes of the second quarter and, at the time, cut the Aliquippa lead to 24-10.
• Aliquippa ramped up its defensive game throughout, but it was especially noticeable in the first quarter. The Rangers committed nine turnovers and only attempted eight shots. They were 3 for 8 (37.5%) from the field in the quarter.
• Aliquippa outrebounded Forest Hills, 28-21, but that was by design. The Rangers were told to release backward and take up a defensive posture on misses instead of challenging under the boards and getting caught on the Quips’ fast break.
Quotable
“It means everything because that’s the game we want. We lost to them and we want to run it back.” — Josh Pratt on getting the rematch with South Allegheny.
What it means
Aliquippa moves into the state semifinals for the fourth consecutive year and is one win away from its fourth consecutive trip to the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., for a state championship game. The Quips are the reigning PIAA Class 2A champions but moved up in classification following the biennial realignment.
Other quarterfinal
South Allegheny 76, Trinity (Camp Hill) 62: Drew Cook led the Gladiators (26-3) with 23 points to set up a rematch of the WPIAL Class 3A final with Aliquippa on Saturday at a site and time to be determined. South Allegheny is in the state semifinals for the first time since 2022 when it lost to Aliquippa, 57-55, at Highlands High School.
First Published: March 15, 2025, 9:45 p.m.
