‘Trench Dawgs’ proving themselves as a rare breed of linemen for Quips
Neco Eberhardt, Jason McBride and Naquan Crowder have been starting linemen for the Aliquippa High School football team since their freshman years. That’s 49 games in “Dawg” years.
Crowder, Eberhardt and McBride are seniors at Aliquippa who have become known as the “Trench Dawgs.” It’s a nickname they came up with on their own last year, and the name has caught on this season.
“We’re in the muddy trenches, we like to get down and dirty in the trenches,” Crowder said. “We’re a little like dogs, so we came up with ‘Trench Dawgs.’”
But as a trio, Crowder, Eberhardt and McBride are one rare breed.
You’ll have a hard time coming up with three linemen in the history of WPIAL football who have started next to each other for four
“You know whoever we put back there is probably going to gain yards with these three guys.”
— Mike Warfield, Aliquippa coach
years — and have enjoyed the success that these three have. Aliquippa is 45-4 in their four years as starters, with two WPIAL titles and a state championship. At 6foot-3, 331 pounds (Crowder), 6-2, 295 (McBride) and 6-2 ½, 285 (Eberhardt), these three are certainly big “Dawgs.” But they are top “Dawgs,” too.
While Aliquippa’s running backs, receivers, linebackers and defensive backs get most of the pub, and while some of those skill-position players are getting recruited by major colleges, Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield knows the worth of Eberhardt, McBride and Crowder. He is not shy about saying who is the heartbeat of this undefeated Quips team (12-0), which will play Allentown Central Catholic (9-5) in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals Friday night at Bald Eagle High School.
“For me, I always say you win with the guys up front. And when I say the guys up front, I mean those three,” Warfield said. “They’ve learned so much and matured so much since they were freshmen, and they are the foundation of our team now, absolutely.”
Crowder and McBride have been four-year starters on the offensive line and three years on defense. Eberhardt is a four-year starter on both sides. On offense, McBride and Eberhardt start at guards and Crowder at left tackle. On defense, the three are like three refrigerators next to each other. McBride and Eberhardt at tackles and Crowder nose tackle.
Aliquippa’s offense often is Run EMC (Eberhardt, McBride and Crowder) because those three open holes for sophomore running backs Tikey Hayes and John Tracy. Aliquippa averages 249 yards a game rushing and Hayes has 1,818 yards.
“You know whoever we put back there is probably going to gain yards with these three guys,” Warfield said with a laugh.
On defense, Eberhardt, McBride and Crowder are hunting “Dawgs,” plugging holes and chasing down running backs. This statistic is surreal: Aliquippa gives up only 19 yards a game rushing and held Central Valley to 1 yard on the ground in the WPIAL championship. Eberhardt, McBride and Crowder are chief reasons for the success against the run. Besides making plays themselves, they occupy opposing offensive linemen, which enables linebackers and defensive backs to make plays.
Crowder has 50 tackles (28 unassisted) and six sacks. McBride has 54 tackles (35 unassisted) and five sacks. Eberhardt has 39 tackles (24 unassisted) and seven sacks.
And don’t think that these are sloppy, over-sized linemen. McBride lost almost 50 pounds from last year and Eberhardt close to 20.
“It’s pretty hard for offensive linemen to move us,” McBride said. “We’re all strong, but we’re all pretty good athletes, given our size.”
Added Eberhardt: “We’re so big, but we have quickness, too. We’re more than just big.”
“Think about it. A lot of teams have better numbers on their roster. They can two-platoon,” Warfield said. “But these three guys are going 90-100 plays a game. That’s grueling.”
Eberhardt, McBride and Crowder knew each before high school, playing against each other in midget leagues. But they didn’t all come together until eighth grade. McBride grew up in Aliquippa. Eberhardt came to Aliquippa from Sto-Rox in eighth grade and Crowder came to Aliquippa from Beaver Falls in eighth grade. By ninth grade, Crowder, Eberhardt and McBride were together as starting linemen for one of the greatest high school programs in the state.
Crowder and McBride are being recruited by mostly Division II schools, while Eberhardt has a few FCS offers. But college isn’t on their minds right now.
“I’ve been with these two for four or five years. We’ve built a brotherhood,” McBride said. “It’s a little sad seeing it come to an end, but we want to win another [state] championship.”
Class 5A semifinals
Pine-Richland (11-3) has a chance to make it to a PIAA championship game for the third time since 2014. The Rams’ opponent in a PIAA Class 5A semifinal Friday night at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona is a surprise team.
Cocalico was the No. 12 seed for the District 3 playoffs but got hot and knocked off undefeated Exeter in the district championship.
Cocalico (10-4) plays oldstyle football on offense. They run the veer, which became popular in colleges in the 1970s. Cocalico has thrown only 63 passes in 14 games, but Cocalico has three players with more than 500 yards rushing. Sam Steffey, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior leads with 1,775 yards on 291 carries.