By: Shawn Annarelli
Friday, November 8, 2019 | 7:58 PM

The record doesn’t tell the whole story. It rarely does.

That’s what Quaker Valley football coach Ron Balog told his seniors after their last game against South Park.

“The effort our seniors gave (that night) was emblematic of what they did all year,” Balog said.

“That will never ever be forgotten as long as I’m coaching at Quaker Valley. Forget about the record. They faced a lot of adversity and came through it with flying colors. Don’t judge a book by a cover that says 2-7, because that’s not their story.”

Balog said Quaker Valley’s season, which started out 0-5, was one of sacrifice.

Senior quarterback Michael Aspiotes took over the position in July after not playing it for years. Freshman Abe Djedid debuted in the first game at center against Central Valley. And players like senior Travis Adams changed positions weekly because of mounting injuries.

“I haven’t been a part of it, but I’ve seen teams that go down 0-4 or 0-5, and the seniors start cashing it in,” Balog said. “When seniors do that, the whole team does and your goose is cooked. Our seniors held the ship, stayed with the process and never let the younger guys waver.”

Two years removed from a WPIAL and PIAA title run, the Quakers were depleted in numbers.

The 2017 roster had 36 players, but unforeseen departures and injuries took a toll so much that Quaker Valley once had only 18 healthy players against Elizabeth Forward in Week 4, which is when Balog put the situation into perspective with the team.

“We had some guys that might get healthy, but we weren’t going to get everyone back because some guys were out for the season,” Balog said. “A lot of people were playing out of position, so the mentality really became, ‘So what, now what?’”

The Quakers won two of their next three games against Waynesburg Central and Beaver Area, and they played Hopewell and South Park close through halftime in their last two games.

“We knew if we just stayed together, we could be successful,” senior Travis Adams said. “I just always told (our underclassmen) to keep their heads up and play your hearts out, because any play could be your last. I loved every single minute of Quaker Valley football just because of the bond of this team.”

As challenging as the season was at times, the seniors were proud of their team.

“We fought hard all season and never gave up hope,” senior Matthew Von Kaenal said. “At Quaker Valley, we don’t go into games feeling like we’ll lose. We always believe we can come out with a victory. When I was a freshman, the seniors passed that down to us, and we passed it down to our underclassmen. They’ll keep passing it down, because that’s Quaker Valley football.”

 Tribune-Review

Saturday, October 26, 2019 | 1:12 AM

In the Class 3A Tri-County West Conference season finale Friday night, Rudy Mihoces ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns to lead South Park (4-5, 4-3) to a 35-14 win against Quaker Valley (2-7, 1-6).

Nathan Dicks scored on a 17-yard TD pass from Patrick Cutchember, and Jamir Steffey caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Michael Aspiotes for the Quakers.

 Tribune-Review

Friday, October 25, 2019 | 8:44 AM

The Quaker Valley football team will wrap up its season Friday night when it travels to South Park (3-5, 3-3) for a Class 3A Tri-County West game.

Kick off is at 7 p.m.

The Quakers are 2-6 overall and 1-5 in conference play.

They are coming off a 41-26 loss to Hopewell.

South Park, which has clinched a playoff berth, has lost two straight to No. 1-ranked Aliquippa and No. 2 Central Valley.

Check out updated scoring on Trib HSSN.

By: Nathan Smith
Friday, October 18, 2019 | 11:10 PM

Quaker Valley needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Hopewell was happy to play spoiler.

The Vikings stormed into Chuck Knox Stadium and scored a 41-26 road win in Class 3A Tri-County West Conference play. The setback will keep the Quakers out of the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

“Coming into the game, I told our kids we have been knocking on the door of success all season,” Hopewell coach Matt Weiss said. “We’ve had that taste here and there. I told the seniors that the last two games are a chance to show they are the class that will start to turn this around.”

The loss snapped a three-game Quaker Valley winning streak in the series.

The Vikings (2-7, 2-4) built a 14-6 lead in the first quarter of a game with a combined 299 penalty yards. Hopewell used 18 plays to drive 85 yards and drain five minutes off the clock on its opening possession of the game. Micah Kimbrough pounded it into the end zone from 2 yards for the first touchdown of the game.

“At the beginning of the season, we had a lot of three-and-outs,” Weiss said. “We’d punt the ball away and the other team would score and get up quick on us. It is huge to have the ball, control the clock, control the line of scrimmage, get the ball down field and score.”

Kimbrough ran the ball 10 times for 60 yards in the first quarter. The sophomore finished the game with 101 yards.

Quaker Valley’s (2-6, 1-5) opening possession went 65 yards on 10 plays and was capped by a Michael Aspiotes 8-yard touchdown pass to Mason Diemert — the only pass attempt of the drive.

“Hopewell made some fantastic plays in big situations,” Quaker Valley coach Ron Balog said. “They got rolling, and they have some good athletes. At the end of the day, if you make more plays than the other guy, then you’re going to end up winning. And they made more plays.”

On the ensuing Hopewell series, the Vikings were called for a pair of personal fouls and were backed into a second-and-28 at the Quaker Valley 39. But Jay’Von Jeter threw a bomb to the end zone, and Alex Obeldobel came up with a diving touchdown catch.

“Jay’Von has gotten so much better since the beginning of the year,” Weiss said. “It saddens me to think that next week is his final game with us. I wish we had him for one more year.”

The Quakers totaled only 28 yards in the second quarter. A Jeter 10-yard touchdown pass to Obedobel gave the Vikings a 21-12 halftime lead.

Hopewell pulled away for good in the third quarter. On a fourth-and-4, Kimbrough plowed through the Quaker Valley defense for a 38-yard touchdown run. The Vikings then used a short field after a Quaker Valley fumble to set up an A.J. Sims 2-yard touchdown run.

Donovan Cutchember was the focal point of the Quaker Valley offense. The senior finished with 138 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“He’s coming off of two knee surgeries,” Balog said. “He is playing out of his mind. His effort and attitude are just fantastic.”

 Shawn Annarelli

Tuesday, October 8, 2019 | 11:49 AM

Michael Aspiotes

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Football

Class: Senior

Claim to fame: Michael Aspiotes helped lead Quaker Valley to its first win of the season, 28-13, over Waynesburg on Friday. Aspiotes threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Cutchember and returned a blocked punt for a 1-yard touchdown.

This has been a challenging season for Quaker Valley. How does it feel to get your first win?

It’s like pulling the monkey off your back. It felt amazing. I felt like everyone was on the same page every single play.

You stepped up in July at quarterback where you probably didn’t expect to play during your high school career. What’s the most difficult part about the position that most people don’t realize?

Once you get the ball, you know you have to get rid of it as fast as possible. It’s definitely different. You’ve got to go through your targets quickly, and you’ve got to be aware of defensive linemen coming at you. It’s a lot, but I like it. I’ve enjoyed playing quarterback.

You had a passing touchdown and a touchdown off a blocked punt. Which one was more impressive?

The passing play was definitely more impressive. I was supposed to be looking for my fullback, because it’s a speed play. We put in another option in case Donovan (Cutchember) is covered. The option is for Patrick Cutchember to come over the top or I’ll run. I saw Patrick for a split second, and I didn’t think. I just threw it and he caught it and scored.

Does that exemplify how quickly you have to make decisions at quarterback?

Yeah, definitely.

How has Patrick Cutchember become Quaker Valley’s top playmaker?

He and I are just always throwing the ball around and building chemistry. We did it all summer. It’s hard to explain. He just has a mentality that he wants to score, so he won’t go down for anyone.

You’ve been through a lot of ups and downs the last three years. What will you remember most about being a part of this program?

Definitely winning states and WPIALs. Also, this year has been humbling, but there’s no other group I’d want to play with besides them.

Oct 5, 2019

SEWICKLEY — Patrick Cutchember scored two touchdown passes and Quaker Valley recovered a blocked punt for a score as the Quakers picked up their first win of the season Friday night, 28-13 over Waynesburg in a Class 3A Tri-County West Conference game.

Donovan Cutchember gave Quaker Valley (1-4, 1-5) a 12-6 lead in the second quarter when he ran 31 yards for a touchdown. It started a run of 22 unanswered points by the Quakers.

Patrick Cutchember caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Michael Apiotes and scored on a 29-yard run. Apiotes also recovered the blocked punt in the third quarter for a touchdown that gave Quaker Valley a 28-6 lead.

Darnell Johnson had a 25-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and Trevor Stephenson had an 85-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter for Waynesburg's scores. The Raiders fell to 0-5 in the conference and 2-5 overall.

By: Jim Equels Jr.
Friday, August 30, 2019 | 11:20 PM

Ameer Dudley said he was a bit shell-shocked a year ago when he was thrust into the starting lineup at quarterback as a sophomore for perennial power Central Valley. But a year later, those nerves have appeared to turn into a burst of confidence for the Warriors.

“Last year, coach trusted me to start as a sophomore. Now it’s time to put my big boy pants on,” Dudley said. “I’m a junior now, and the other players are looking to me to lead. Now it’s time for me to take responsibility.”

Dudley amassed close to 300 total yards in one half, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for another as Central Valley rolled to a 55-0 win over Quaker Valley on Friday night in the Tri-County West opener for both schools. Central Valley improved to 1-1, and Quaker Valley fell to 0-1.

“This was a great team win for us,” Dudley said. “We’ve come together, and we’re getting it done.”

Central Valley coach Mark Lyons said, “I thought our guys really played together tonight. The thing that stood out to me was that everyone is sharing in everyone else’s successes. Guys are happy when other guys succeed. They realize when you’re unselfish, good things are going to happen.”

Good things happened often for the Warriors on Friday, particularly for Dudley. He started his big night on Central Valley’s second possession when he rolled to his right, pulled up and hit Jawon Hall in stride for a 53-yard TD pass. Dudley showed his running ability on Central Valley’s next possession when he dropped back to pass before scrambling under pressure, finding his way into the end zone from 8 yards.

After Jaylen Guy extended Central Valley’s lead to 21-0 with a 17-yard run, Dudley induced the mercy rule with back-to-back TD passes. He made short work on a one-play drive, tossing a 42-yard TD pass to Michael Barbuto before connecting with Hall once again, this time from 31 yards.

Dudley, who finished with 244 yard passing, was looking for big things coming into this season after joining the starting lineup last year. But he was far from a one-man show. Guy finished with 131 yards on the ground, and Hall hauled in three passes for 101 yards.

“We’ve been working all off season trying to get better,” Dudley said. “We’ve had a lot of chemistry so far this season.”

Said Lyons: “That’s what we’ve always tried to be about. In our offense, you’re going to get a chance to touch the ball.

“We try not to feature one guy. We try to get as many guys touching the ball as possible. It’s never been just one guy with us.”

While Dudley and Co. were putting on a show offensively, Central Valley’s defense was equally impressive. Quaker Valley was unable to get its offense on track as Central Valley limited the Quakers to minus-14 yards in the first half and 6 yards total.

For Central Valley, Friday was a continuation of an impressive start to the season. It opened the season last week with a win over Blackhawk, and Friday’s dominant victory came against a Quaker Valley team just two years removed from a PIAA title.

“They’ve committed themselves to the fact that to get through this conference, you have to play good defense and do everything they can to get the ball back into the hands of our offense,” Lyons said. “This is just a start. Our guys understand that. We’re trying to keep an even keel. We’re not too excited that things are going well and not down when things don’t go our way. We try to keep this thing in perspective.”

By Mike Bires

Posted Aug 30, 2019 at 10:26 PM

Updated Aug 31, 2019 at 2:46 PM

CENTER TWP. – Only seven miles separate Carl Aschman Stadium and Sarge Alberts Stadium, the home fields for two talented football teams with legitimate WPIAL Class 3A championship aspirations.

At Aliquippa on Friday night, the Quips lived up to their hype by whipping under-manned Waynesburg, 60-9. They’re the favorite to repeat as WPIAL champs.

But as Aliquippa cruised to a 51-point mercy-rule romp at “the Pit,” Central Valley sent out a reminder to the Quips and all other contenders that it’s just as talented as any squad in Class 3A.

The 55-0 romp over Quaker Valley was Central Valley’s most lopsided win since a 67-0 win over Blackhawk on Sept. 5, 2014.

“We’ve got a lot of talent,” said CV tackle Jake Wilson.

It is way too early to tell if these 2019 Warriors can compare to CV’s 15-1 squad in 2014 that won a WPIAL title and advanced to the state final. But after two weeks of this season, these Warriors look like they have potential be to special.

With its mercy-rule win over Quaker Valley, CV improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Tri-County West ... just like Aliquippa did.

“We’ve been working hard all season, trying to get better,” said Central Valley quarterback Ameer Dudley, who, in the first half Friday, completed eight of 10 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns.

“Our linemen are amazing. We have good running backs and receivers. It’s a blessing.”

Dudley’s TD throws covered 53 and 31 yards to wide receiver Jawon Hall and 42 yards to wideout Michael Barbuto.

Dudley and running back Jaylen Guy ran for TDs in the first half – on runs of eight and 17 yards, respectively – as CV lead 35-0 at intermission.

With the game clock running continuously when the second half started with the mercy rule in effect, CV added to its point total.

CV reserves — wide receiver Stephon Hall and running backs Landon Alexander and Bret FitzSimmons — ran for TDs on runs of six, six and nine yards.

It all added up to 518 yards of offense — 241 rushing, 277 passing — in a mismatch against a Quaker Valley team (0-1) that may be hard-pressed to match its record of last year (5-5 overall, 5-2 conference).

“We did a great job, all the way around,” said CV tackle Jake Wilson.

“I like our balance,” CV coach Mark Lyons said. “I like our balance of being able to run it or throw it when we want to, and not when we have to. I like the fact our guys know their roles and where they fit in.”

A year ago, Central Valley started 0-4 but would up making the playoffs as a 5-2 squad that tied for third with Quaker Valley in the Tri-County West. However, the Warriors were quickly eliminated when they were blown out by Derry, 46-0, in the first round of the playoffs.

But after a 50-plus point win Friday — similar to Aliquippa’s 51-point win — fans from both teams already are circling Oct. 25 on their calendars. That’s when the Warriors play at Aliquippa.

Last year, CV was the only team to beat the Quips, who went 14-1 en route to winning WPIAL and state titles.

“We won’t look ahead. We never do,” Lyons said. “We just want to stay healthy. We want to make sure our guys are getting better. That’s all we talk about.

“Our guys are focused. It’s a ‘keep your head down, take it one day at a time’ kind of approach.”

This coming Friday, Central Valley travels to Geneva College’s Reeves Field to play Beaver Falls, which also improved to 2-0 overall, 1-0 Tri-County West with a 34-7 win over South Park.

Meanwhile, a week after playing Central Valley, Quaker Valley gets to host Aliquippa.

Beside struggling defensively against Central Valley, the Quakers could only muster 20 yards of offense (23 rushing, minus-3 passing).

By Andrew Chiappazzi

Posted Aug 21, 2019 at 4:00 AM

An experienced offensive line will need to shoulder the load as Quaker Valley introduces a host of new starters in Ron Balog’s second year at the helm.

LEETSDALE — On some level, it would have been understandable if Quaker Valley and Ron Balog had a rocky first year.

Balog, after all, was the newcomer to a program that had just experienced a historic run to its first state championship. Hired to replace interim coach Jerry Veshio, Balog faced a tough schedule, the graduation of a large senior class and the usual first-year hiccups. Though Quaker Valley finished 5-5, Balog came away pleased with the results of his first year.

“More importantly than that, the guys last year and I made a good bond. Everybody responded well,” Balog said. “That senior class last year had a desire to get back to the playoffs and try to take it as far as they could coming off 2017.”

Year two might be even more challenging. Besides the crop of about a dozen seniors, the Quakers will be made up of mostly sophomores and freshmen.

“You’re definitely going to hear some new names,” Balog said. “They’re good football players, but with the last two years, they just couldn’t get on the field.”

The atmosphere, though, feels a bit familiar to those Quakers who have a bit more experience.

“It’s reminding me a little of two years ago when we won the state championship,” senior linebacker Matt Van Kaenal said.

“He just wants us to get our technique down and make sure everything’s perfect,” senior Cameron Wolf said. “That we’re not playing how we want to play, but how we should play, so that we can be the best we can be.”

The road isn’t easy for Quaker Valley. The Tri-County West Conference is brutal, as Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, and Central Valley all made the playoffs with Quaker Valley last year, and Keystone Oaks missed the postseason despite winning six games.

“I think everyone can agree we play in one of the hardest conferences in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. “We’re going to try and study your team, study your film, try to find your mistakes and we’re going to capitalize on those mistakes.”

OFFENSE

A couple games into the 2018 season, Quaker Valley decided to reconfigure a struggling offensive line. The change helped stabilize the offense as the Quakers made their return to the WPIAL playoffs, and it also will pay dividends this season, as four players with experience return. Dustin Grimm took over the center job as a sophomore, while Nate Nelson started games as a junior and Eli Martin is back at guard for his senior year. Sean Mariner, a sophomore, also earned playing time as a freshman. “We think if we can get them to gel by Aug. 30, it’ll be a strong suit,” Balog said.

The line will help a new set of starters at the skill positions. Dylan Moore possibly would’ve taken over the quarterback position from his older brother, Ethan, but the Moore family moved out of the state. That means senior Mike Aspiotes will move under center.

“He played a ton of slot last year on offense,” Balog said. “We had to move him to quarterback, and we think he can handle it.”

Aspiotes will have a brand new group of receivers to throw to, as no one with extensive playing time is back. Wolf will take over at fullback, while Patrick Cutchember will also get time on offense after playing all over the field as a freshman.

DEFENSE

The Quakers will have depth and experience at linebacker, as Wolf played heavy minutes there next to Isaac Guss last year. Wolf will be joined by Van Kaenel, who played a lot even though he wasn’t technically a starter inside last year. “He’s a senior who has taken a lot of snaps, but this year he’ll be in a starting role,” Balog said. “We really expect big things from him because he’s a tough, hard-nosed kid who knows the defense.” Aspiotes and Patrick Cutchember likely will play outside linebacker.

Nelson and Donovan Cutchember are among the notables on the defensive line. Cutchember is coming off an injury last year and has impressed his teammates as he goes into his senior year. “He’s going to be a major impact, for sure,” Wolf said.

Nate Dicks, sophomore, could get time at a lot of positions on either side of the ball, including at outside linebacker or safety, while the staff is also high on the playmaking skills of Jamir Steffey in the secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Quaker Valley will need a new kicker, as Evan Frund has graduated.

By: Shawn Annarelli
Sunday, August 18, 2019 | 9:39 PM

Quaker Valley was already going to have a thinner-than-usual roster this season, and then its starting quarterback moved to another state in July.

Senior Cameron Wolf said the Quakers will still aim for another deep postseason run.

“Every team is going to be different year-to-year, and we understand that,” Wolf said. “To be honest, every single year our expectation is the same. We want to go to the state championship game. Our priorities haven’t changed. We believe in each other.”

How the Quakers make another push for postseason titles — the team won the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championship in 2017 — will be different than in the past.

The offense has transformed from a spread passing attack to a ground and pound run game led by a dual-threat quarterback in senior Mike Aspiotes.

Dylan Moore was earmarked to be the Quakers’ next quarterback, but a mid-summer family relocation changed those plans.

“Dylan was the guy, but unfortunately for us his family has a great opportunity in Ohio,” Quaker Valley coach Ron Balog said. “We knew it could happen, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. He would have been a two-way starter for us.”

Aspiotes was a slot receiver and outside linebacker last season, but has been preparing for the possibility of taking over at quarterback since the beginning of summer sessions.

“We were getting ready for every scenario, but I lost more than just one of the best players on the team,” Aspiotes said. “I lost one of my best friends at Quaker Valley. At the same time, it’s one of things where you know you have to step up and move forward.”

Aspiotes will be joined by Wolf at fullback and sophomore running back Patrick Cutchember in the backfield. Cutchember has proven to be a versatile player, moving from center to ball carrier and defensive end to outside linebacker in the last year.

Senior tight ends Matthew Von Kaenel and Travis Adams will provide pass catching options in the Quakers’ play-action game.

“Even when Dylan was going to be the quarterback, we had started that shift in offensive strategy since January,” Balog said. “We wanted a strong run game and Dylan out in space. We feel the same with Mike, who is also athletic and just has a little bit more size.”

The defense will feature many of the same players with Wolf, Aspiotes and Von Kaenel returning as starting linebackers. Junior defensive lineman Nate Nelson is expected to build upon “an outstanding sophomore season.”

The “wild card” of Quaker Valley will be an injurd Donovan Cutchember and how soon the team can get him back on the field. The senior is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds and would be a welcome addition to an already strong defensive front.

If the team can stay healthy, Balog believes the Quakers will be competitive every week.

“We have enough experience to know what it takes to play in (the Tri-County West) conference,” Balog said. “Our first three games are Beaver Falls, Aliquippa and Central Valley, so we need to survive that gauntlet. If we do and we build confidence, we can definitely have a successful season. We know that competing with those teams and beyond is nothing to take lightly.”

Schedule

Coach: Ron Balog

2018 record: 5-5, 5-2

All-time record: 237-341-14

Date, Opponent, Time

8.30, at Central Valley*, 7

9.6, Aliquippa*, 7

9.13, Beaver Falls*, 7

9.20, at Elizabeth Forward, 7

9.27, Keystone Oaks*, 7

10.4, Waynesburg*, 7

10.11, at Beaver, 7:30

10.18, Hopewell*, 7

10.25, at South Park*, 7

*Class 3A Tri-County West Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Ethan Moore*

1,504 yards, 13 TDs

Rushing: Moore*

585 yards, 11 TDs

Receiving: Ryan Jackovic*

543 yards, 7 TDs

*Graduated