The book about the history of Aliquippa high school football was written by Sports Illustrated writer S.L. Price, is titled “Playing Through The Whistle—Steel, Football and an American Town.” But Friday night, Clairton’s Lamont Wade added a chapter of his own as the Bears embarrassed the Quips, 52-16, at Neil C. Brown Stadium.
Wade ran for 255 yards on 12 carries, scored four times, threw a touchdown and intercepted a pass. His touchdown runs covered 73, 60, 70 and 46 yards, and he showed his extraordinary athleticism when he hurdled a tackler on this longest run.
Aliquippa took an early 6-0 lead when Avante Mckenzie raced 50 yards for a touchdown and after a safety Quips lead 8-0.
Wade threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Noah Hamlin and then Wade threw a 36-yard touchdown to Hamlin to give the Bears their first lead.
In the second quarter, Wade sprinted 73-yards for a touchdown to give the Bears an 18-6 advantage
Junior quarterback Kwantel Raines ran 19-yards for a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion cut the lead to 18-16.
Wade’s 60-yard touchdown run extended the Bears lead to 28-18 and the rout was on. Wade then added a 70 and 46-yard touchdown runs.
Since Aliquippa became a high school in 1930, only three other teams scored more points on the Quips. The most was 70, by Jeannette in a 2007 playoff game. Jeannette had a great player named Terrelle Pryor, and he torched Aliquippa for more than 300 yards rushing that night.
“We’ve wanted to play Aliquippa for years to show who the real powerhouse is,” Lamont Wade said. “They say Clairton plays no competition. They say we’re too small. I think we showed them today. No disrespect to Aliquippa, but to have the scoreboard light up like that, it means so much to this community and these kids.”
Wade is being recruited by Pitt, Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee, West Virginia, Mississippi State, UCLA, and Alabama. His father Carlton Wade was a former basketball star at Clairton.
“Lamont is just an exceptional athlete,” said Clairton coach Wayne Wade, a cousin of Lamont. “He’s a 5-star kid. When you put the ball in his hands, he’s electric, as well as Noah Hamlin. Noah adds another dynamic to our offense that I don’t think teams are ready for.”
The Bears had an unfair advantage and not just because they were playing at home.
Clairton, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 1A in both the WPIAL and State, is 6-0. Aliquippa (5-2) had to deal this week with two players—Ron Foster and Deontae Jones—being arrested on homicide charges. Due to the serious nature of these charges and the heavy hearts of the team and coaches nobody would have blamed the Quips if they would have forfeited or postponed this game.
Next season they’ll play again in Aliquippa.
“I think it means more to all the guys who played here before and wanted to play Aliquippa,” Clairton coach Wayne Wade said. “But we can’t settle for this and say this was our season.”
Between them, Aliquippa (692) and Clairton (656) have a combined 1,348 victories, 44 appearances in the WPIAL football finals and 28 titles. The Quips have won a record 16 WPIAL titles, while the Bears rank second with 12.
Both the Quips and Bears are defending WPIAL champions and appeared in the WPIAL final eight times in the past decade. Although both have Class A enrollment figures—the Quips choose to play Class 3A.
They also share a bond with Braddock, the WPIAL’s powerhouse program of the 1950s. Clairton broke Braddock’s WPIAL record winning streak, with 66 consecutive, while Aliquippa broke its regular season winning streak, with 62 consecutive.
In Pittsburgh we adore our champions like no other city does and Aliquippa and Clairton are both sports town’s and is undeniably and inspiring place to live if you enjoy or want to pursue sports or have a child stepping into the world of sports.
It’s amazing that Lamont Wade has rushed for over 5,000 career yards, won WPIAL titles and his hunger and determination has grown. He knows the challenge of winning a state title is not insignificant.
“The standard around here is a PIAA State championship title,” said Wade. “I haven’t won a state championship yet and that is my focus. We will not be satisfied with anything less.
Lamont Wade plans to graduate early and enroll at a college in the spring semester. He plans to announce his college commitment in December at his graduation party.
When a young man graduates it is a celebration for the family. The parents are proud. Sisters and brothers are happy.
When Lamont Wade graduates nobody will be happier than Aliquippa.
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Clairton’s Wade plays through the whistle
