ALIQUIPPA FIGHTING "QUIPS" FOOTBALL

Aliquippa is a third class city thirty-six miles north of Pittsburgh. It used to be a Steeltown. The Jones and Laughlin plant was located along the Ohio River, and the sky used to fill with black smoke and the red glare of the blast furnaces lit the night sky. The main strip known as Franklin Avenue was alive and thriving with many businesses. When the steel mills closed Aliquippa took a big hit. Businesses began to move elsewhere and so did the people. The town has only one thing that they could really count on, their high school football team. They say that the best time to rob a bank in Aliquippa is on Friday night because everyone is at the football games. Aliquippa went from being a Steeltown to a city of champions. During the 1980's the Aliquippa football team put the city back on the map. Under the guidance of Don Yannessa the Indians also known as the "Quips" won the W.P.I.A.L. championships five times and made to the state championship once in 1988 but, they were defeated by Berwick. The next season Coach Yannessa stepped down and Coach Frank Marrocco took the reigns of the team. The trend carried over in 1989 and the 1990's as well. The Quips captured titles in 1991 and 1996. In "91" they became the first team and only team in Beaver County to capture a state title with their win over Hanover 27-0 at Pittsburgh's South Stadium. In 1996 Aliquippa set the record for W.P.I.A.L. championships with ten overall when they defeated Mars 26-16. The Quips captured titles in 1952, 55, 64, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 91, and 96. At the begining of the 1997 Marrocco was untimely replaced by former Quips defensive coordinator Mike Zmijanac. The Quips posted a 7-3 overall record which is mediocore for Quips football. The Quips look pretty loaded for the 1998 season with talented players like senior quarterback Brandon LeDonne who at 6'2" 180 pounds is a sure Division I prospect. Also they will have returning for the next two seasons will be the monstrous 6'2" 300 pound Left Tackle Anthony Peluso who started for the Quips as a sophomore at the Center position. He has the potential to be one of the Alquippa greats with the likes of,"Iron" Mike Ditka, Pudgey Abercrombie, Sean Gilbet, and Ty Law. Although Aliquippa doesn't produce much steel anymore but, it still produces CHAMPIONS.

My Snazzy List of Links

Indiana University of Pennsylvania: my university's web page
Scoops central: music, movie, and wrestling news
NFL: pro football news, stats, and highlights
Festa Di San Rocco: One of the most well known and memorable festas in Aliquippa history. Takes place evey second week in August

QUIPS VISITED times.