Defense, rushing tandem of Grabowski, Whipple leads Penn-Trafford over Plum

By: Antonio Rossetti
Friday, October 13, 2023 | 10:30 PM

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Tasso Whipple and Ben Grabowski spearheaded the Warriors rushing attack as Penn-Trafford ran its way to victory over Plum, 21-6, on Friday night.

Grabowski and Whipple combined for 281 rushing yards.

The win put the Warriors one step closer to a playoff birth.

Grabowski scored all three P-T touchdowns while rushing for 119 yards on 16 carries. Grabowski gave credit to the offensive line for his success, especially during the quarterback sweep plays that worked all game.

“They were doing great for me,” Grabowski said. “I give all the appreciation to them. We did good in practice all week, and it just transferred over to the game.”

As for Whipple, he surpassed 1,000 yards for the season with a 25-yard run that was part of his 162-yard night.

“I love Ben to death, and we run the ball as hard as we possibly can,” Whipple said. “The goal is just to trust our line, and that’s what we do and it works.”

Added Grabowski: “(Whipple) is like an older brother to me. He guides me through everything. I love him. Me and him, we won it with our O-line.”

Coach John Ruane thought it was important to get the first score.

“I thought it was a big deal,” Ruane said. “This is a game we badly needed, and we came out and I thought we did a good job early on in the first half. Our first two drives I thought went well. We played really good defense the whole game until the bitter end there, but yeah it was important. Those guys came off the ball, and our guys ran with the ball.”

Although they got the first score and controlled the game, the momentum wasn’t always on the Warriors’ side.

After a Penn-Trafford fumble — recovered by Plum’s Jack Tongel — the Mustangs went on a long drive. But the march was stopped when Penn-Trafford forced a turnover on downs in Warriors territory.

Penn-Trafford responded with its first score. Grabowski ran 53 yards into the red zone. A few plays later, Grabowski scored on a 6-yard run to the weak side. After the Carl Heller extra point, the Warriors led 7-0.

Carmen Metcalfe redeemed himself for the earlier fumble with a 23-yard punt return, giving the Warriors prime field position. They tacked on another touchdown when Grabowski scored from 1 yard for a 14-0 second-quarter lead.

Plum got things going after Sean Franzi completed a series of passes to Darian Nelson, setting up the Mustangs in Penn- Trafford territory as the clock approached halftime.

On fourth down, Plum sent out Olivia Bigger attempt a 36-yard field goal, but a false start pushed it back for a 41-yarder and Penn-Trafford’s Dallas Oxendine blocked the kick.

Penn-Trafford’s defense held the Mustangs to 66 rushing yards in the first half.

Grabowski and Whipple had 77 yards each in the first half.

Coming out of halftime, Plum continued to move the ball with short passes and worked its way inside the Penn-Trafford 10. But a sack by Zach Tomosovich ended the Mustangs’ drive, leaving them scoreless.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors had an 85-yard drive that was capped by Grabowski’s third touchdown, a 9-yard run.

The Mustangs scored their only points with 31 seconds left on a 10-yard pass from Franzi to Nelson.

“We’re happy with the defense,” Ruane said. “I thought we were physical tonight. I thought we matched some good talent. They have some good athletes. I thought we got did a good job in space to get them on the ground.”

Ruane also praised his special teams.

“The blocked field before halftime was a big deal,” Ruane said. “Dallas Oxendine had a great block. We’re happy with the defense. That’s our calling card at Penn-Trafford: playing great defense.”

Tags: Penn-Trafford, Plum