Mohawk shows playoff form in dominant win over Aliquippa

By: Kyle Dawson
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 | 12:00 AM

The first time Mohawk met Aliquippa this season, the Warriors rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit. This time, it was the start that made the difference for No. 1 Mohawk, which won 59-37 Tuesday night to clinch an outright Section 1-3A title.

Mohawk (18-1, 11-0) won its 18th straight contest thanks in large part to early sharpshooting and consistent defense throughout that led to the Warriors handing No. 2 Aliquippa (13-5, 9-2) its second section defeat and second straight loss.

The Warriors saw an early lead cut to 5-4 before going on an 8-0 run that jolted them comfortably ahead for good. It never once got closer than seven again.

“It takes all of us,” said Mohawk coach Mike O’Lare. “Sometimes that’s lost in fans watching games. It’s so much more than that. This was such a team win. Defensively, we were outstanding tonight, and we rebounded really well tonight.”

Bobby Fadden led the way with 21 points in the win, seven of which came in the first eight minutes. He had 10 before the half thanks to a 3-pointer that snapped a 7-0 Aliquippa run in the second quarter. O’Lare called it a big shot.

“Some of the shots he takes, I looked at a couple kids on the bench and say, ‘If that was anyone else, I’d take him out,’” said O’Lare. “But he makes them. We’re used to it. He bails us out of some tough spots like in that second quarter.”

Drew Wrona finished with 13 points and had a couple of makes from 3-point land in the first half, while Joey Nail, who finished with 14 points, scored 11 of his in the first three quarters before the game really got out of hand.

“He’s so strong and has a football mentality. He’s never out of control,” said O’Lare. “Defensively tonight, he cleaned up in the middle and rebounded well too.”

Mohawk led 25-18 at the end of the first half before winning the third quarter 18-9 to be up 16 heading to the final stanza.

In his first game back in a few weeks, Aliquippa senior Qa’lil Goode led the pack with 10 points, while six other Quips scored in defeat.

Other than a few runs, Aliquippa struggled to get moving offensively against Mohawk’s zone, scoring just 37 points and finishing in the 30s for the second-straight outing.

The game was physical toward the end, and O’Lare was happy with the reaction of his players.

Aliquippa, which has clinched a playoff spot, will finish the regular season Friday with its final section contest at Ellwood City, the third-place team in Section 1, before playing a nonsection game at New Castle on Saturday.

Mohawk will look to finish unbeaten in section play Friday at home against winless Freedom before getting a playoff tuneup against Class 6A Seneca Valley on Monday night.

“The great thing about it when you win games like this, the kids come back tomorrow and work harder,” said O’Lare. “We’re still working on some depth. This is a tough place to play. They’re very well-coached. We were able to get them at their best on their court.”

Tags: Aliquippa, Mohawk