It might seem a bit strange to write a story about a quarterback who doesn't have overwhelming statistics, hasn't started in the playoffs and didn't lead his team to a first down in the second half of its most recent victory.

But then ... this has been anything but an ordinary season for the Aliquippa Quips.

The player is senior Rasheem Jones, who passed for more than 1,000 yards last year in leading Aliquippa to the WPIAL Class AA title. But Jones didn't play the first five games of this season for undisclosed reasons -- Quips coach Mike Zmijanac said it was "none of the media's business" why Jones wasn't in uniform -- and Aliquippa didn't seem to miss him.

With sophomore Mikal Hall taking snaps, Aliquippa went 4-1 with the lone loss coming at Beaver Falls, 21-14, the third week of the season.

As Zmijanac was quick to point out, "That's a long time ago for the young kids."

When Jones, who is 6 feet 3 and 180 pounds, was eligible to play, Zmijanac stayed with Hall as the starter. Jones played more in the secondary than he did on offense, but still was used some at quarterback.

In the final game of the regular season, a 61-0 victory against New Brighton, Jones came in and threw a laser of a pass to Kevin Johnson for 17 yards and a touchdown at the end of the first half.

Said Zmijanac of Jones after that play, "OK, he's got his rep in."

Jones, who has completed 16 of 29 passes for 203 yards and three scores this season, didn't start this past Friday when Aliquippa defeated Beaver Falls, 17-10, and earned the right to defend its title Friday afternoon against Greensburg Central Catholic (10-2) at Heinz Field. But he was one of the key reasons the Quips (11-1) edged the Tigers.

Aliquippa was leading, 3-0, when Jones replaced Hall at quarterback with 2:18 left in the first half. Jones immediately led the Quips on a 48-yard, eight-play scoring drive, during which he completed a 14-yard pass on a second-and-11 play for a first down and tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Haetaun Mathis to put the Quips up, 10-0.

His best was yet to come.

The next time Aliquippa got the ball, Jones scrambled 29 yards around left end for a first down on a third-and-18 play. The Quips ended up scoring on a 7-yard run by Darius Walker.

Jones' stats for the game were eight carries for 47 yards and five completions in eight pass attempts for 46 yards with an interception.

"Rasheem made a big difference," Zmijanac said. "Right now, Mikal's a sophomore and he doesn't have that presence ... yet. A couple of those big plays were audibles by Rasheem."

Jones said he checked off at the line of scrimmage a few times because Beaver Falls was showing an unbalanced line on defense.

Both Hall and Jones have strong arms and both are good athletes. The difference is that Jones isn't afraid to pull the ball down and run where Hall sometimes hesitates. That split-second of indecision can be costly.

"He brings that [running ability] but he understands the offense," Zmijanac said. "The second half, I stunk out the joint [with my play calling] but it doesn't make any difference now."

Jones took Aliquippa's loss to Beaver Falls during the regular season personally.

"I felt it was my fault we lost to them because I didn't play," he said. That's why I was really looking forward to this game.".

Jones has been providing the Quips with a spark off the bench throughout the playoffs.

In a first-round win at McGuffey, he had touchdown runs of 2 and 8 yards in the third quarter. In the 47-34 thriller against top-seeded South Fayette in the quarterfinals, he threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mathis and ran 1 yard for a score as Aliquippa put up 32 points in the fourth quarter.

And then he came up with the big plays against Beaver Falls. Oh, he also intercepted a pass in the end zone on the next-to-last play of the game against the Tigers.

Don't be surprised if Hall, who has a bright future and has passed for 983 yards and eight touchdowns this season, starts at quarterback for Aliquippa against the Centurions. Just don't be shocked if Jones replaces him at some point and comes up with more than a couple big plays.

After all, it's a formula that has worked well for the Quips the past three weeks.

• WPIAL Class AA championship: Aliquippa (11-1) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (10-2), 1:30 p.m.

• Where: Heinz Field.

• TV: FSN Pittsburgh (tape delay at 11 p.m.)

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.