Quaker Valley started out strong in this game against Beaver, putting points on the board and gaining a 10 point lead early. The score at the end of the first was QV 18 Beaver 8. The rest of the first half involved Beaver starting their comeback gain to bring down the score difference to 4 points to end the half QV 22 Beaver 19. In the second half, Beaver continued their comeback to eventually tie the game and take the lead away from Quaker Valley. Quaker Valley couldn’t keep up with Beaver like they did when they started the game and fell to Beaver with a final score 48 Beaver 42 Quaker Valley.
Namath. Law. Revis. Ditka. Dorsett. The names that have gone from playing football on the grass of Beaver County to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is full of icons.
And you can now add Whitehead to that list.
Beaver County Radio sports director Bob Barrickman joined Matt Drzik on A.M. Beaver County on February 9, less than 24 hours after Central Valley graduate Jordan Whitehead started at safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
“He’s a good kid and he’s a gentleman,” Barrickman said of Whitehead. “You just have to be happy for him.”
Jordan Whitehead, pictured here at a December 2014 episode of Coaches Corner, started for the winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.
“What a story for Central Valley,” Barrickman added. “Couple of months ago they win the state championship in football, and now their favorite son–Jordan Whitehead–wins the Super Bowl.”
The ring is the first for Whitehead, but seventh for his teammate in quarterback Tom Brady. Five of Brady’s seven titles, according to Barrickman, were won alongside Beaver County teammates…along with Whitehead, one with Darrelle Revis (2015) and three with Ty Law (2002, 2004, 2005).
BASKETBALL TALK
Barrickman also talked about the high school basketball regular season nearing its close, with February 27 being the tentative date for the WPIAL Playoffs to begin. The playoffs are open-invitation due to the pandemic, but as one door opens…another closes.
“You have to win the WPIAL championship to move on to the state playoffs,” Barrickman told Matt Drzik. “So it puts more emphasis on the WPIAL playoffs, because it’s a single-elimination tournament.”
Bob also mentioned that much like the 2020 WPIAL football playoffs, higher seeds will be getting home playoff games with few exceptions for the basketball tournament.
“The only time that there will be a neutral-site game would be a WPIAL Championship game, and they haven’t decided where they’re gonna be yet,” Bob said. “It definitely will not be at the Petersen Events Center–in fact, for the first time in nearly 40 years, the finals will not be at a college or professional arena.”
To hear the full interview between Bob and Matt, click on the player below!
In the 1st quarter Beaver Falls came out playing strong against Laurel with a score of 17-9 after one. In the second quarter the Tigers still playing strong had a lot of fouls still maintained their lead over the Spartans with the score at the half 30-18. The Spartans came out fighting at the start of the second half bringing their score closer but The Tigers still on top at the end of the third 46-40. In the fourth quarter of the game Beaver Falls and Laurel had a ton of fouls between the two and with that a very close back and forth game but Beaver Falls managed to come out on top with a final score Beaver Falls 64 Laurel Spartans 62.
Archer agrees to rejoin Rays on $6.5 million, 1-year deal
By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Two-time All-Star pitcher Chris Archer has agreed to rejoin the Tampa Bay Rays on a $6.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced. The 32-year-old right-hander, an All-Star with the Rays in 2015 and 2017, is expected to get an opportunity to compete for a spot in the starting rotation for the defending AL champions. Archer went 54-68 with a 3.69 ERA in seven seasons with the Rays, who traded him to Pittsburgh in July 2018. He missed the pandemic-shortened 2020 season after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery.
Grant Jackson, winning pitcher in ’79 WS Game 7, dies at 78
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Grant Jackson, the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates and a reliable left-hander for 18 seasons in the majors, has died from COVID-19 complications. He was 78. The Pirates said Jackson died on Tuesday at Canonsburg Hospital in Pennsylvania. Jackson was 86-75 with 79 saves and a 3.46 ERA in 692 games from 1965-82. He was 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 13 postseason appearances. Jackson was an NL All-Star in 1969 with pitched in the World Series with Baltimore in 1971, the New York Yankees in 1976 and the ’79 Pirates.
