Following a contentious decision by the Beaver County Youth Football League (BCYFL), the Aliquippa Little Quips youth football teams find themselves back in the game after a brief period of expulsion. Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker confirmed to WTAE this morning that the program, serving more than 100 youth football players and roughly 75 cheerleaders, had been reinstated, though further details were not immediately available.
The Little Quips’ removal from the league sprung from what the BCYFL deemed a "history of misconduct," which culminated in a fight after a recent game involving parents, one of whom was a pregnant mother allegedly assaulted by several Aliquippa spectators. The incident has led to pending charges against multiple individuals, with Center Township Police Chief Aldo Legge awaiting clearer video footage to pinpoint those involved.
Despite these troubles, Aliquippa's passion for football remains strong. According to WTAE, President of the Aliquippa Youth Football Organization, Jason Harvey, expressed the community's bond with the sport: "Aliquippa is a football town. We bleed it. We bleed red and black. We love our kids. We love our program. This is one way to keep them out of harm's way. I mean, like, without this, they don't have nothing. Nothing at all."
Scrutiny of the decision highlighted concerns about the punishment's fairness towards the children. A BCYFL board member conveyed to TribLive that the decision to oust the Little Quips was not only precipitated by the recent altercation but was also, "just the straw that broke the camel’s back," given their history. Walker, on his part, criticized the broad-brush punishment, noting his attempt to break up the fracas and claiming only one Aliquippa spectator was involved. Walker mentioned to WTAE, "This was between two stupid parents who got out of theirself, and a situation like that, and caused this whole snowball effect to happen, that detriment to our kids." The mayor is currently exploring legal options for the team.
