Penn-Trafford boys stage huge rally, earn victory in overtime vs. Franklin Regional

By: Dave Mackall
Friday, December 13, 2024 | 10:57 PM

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One by one, his players emerged from the home locker room at Penn-Trafford and paraded across the gym floor. Most, if not all, of coach Doug Kelly’s crew was in an unusually impulsive mood, laughing and conversing and seemingly feeling as good as can be.

In fact, some hardly could contain their emotions.

Kelly, too, had landed on Cloud 9 after witnessing his Warriors’ epic comeback from 13 points down in the fourth quarter Friday night to force overtime before taking control and finishing off a 59-54 victory over archrival and last season’s PIAA Class 5A runner-up Franklin Regional.

“One of the most fun games in my coaching career, maybe as proud a moment as I can remember for me,” Kelly said. “I know it’s early and we’re just 3-3, but you’ve got to start somewhere. If you’re going to make a run, it’s got to start somewhere. Who knows, this could be the game, right?”

Zach Feldman scored 17 points, Tyler Anthony added 14 and Evan Gross converted a rebound shot at the buzzer off a missed 3-point attempt to tie the score at 46-46 and send the game into overtime, setting up Penn-Trafford’s thrilling victory in a WPIAL Section 1-5A opener.

In the extra period, Penn-Trafford (3-3, 1-0) scored the first four points on a layup by Feldman and two free throws by Brayden Stone and took the lead for good.

“It’s a credit to them. They played exceptional on defense when they needed to,” Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed said. “We stopped being aggressive offensively and attacking defensively. We stopped guarding. We stopped rebounding. We allowed them to get comfortable, and they set the tone for the last 4 minutes (of the fourth quarter).”

Indeed, it was a bitter loss for Reed, who led Franklin Regional to a 27-4 record a year ago, when the Panthers dropped a 59-48 decision to District 1 power Imotep Charter in the PIAA Class 5A championship game in Hershey.

“We’ve got a group that cares about one another,” Kelly said. “I look at Jesse and what those guys did in their program last year with that group of guys. It wasn’t easy. You know, it wasn’t like it all just happened. That was not an easy job getting to the state finals and the WPIAL finals (where Franklin Regional lost to Moon). There’s a lot of work that goes into it. There’s a lot of belief.

“Guys have to believe in one another. Coaches have got to believe in one another. Everyone’s got to buy into what they’re doing. That’s the kind of group we have this year. I believe we can be special. In fact, let’s be great.”

Kelly wonders how his team might do that.

“Well, we certainly can’t get ourselves down 13 to a Jesse Reed-coached team, that’s for sure,” he said.

The outcome spoiled a stellar performance by Franklin Regional senior Connor Crossey, who led the Panthers (3-3, 0-1) with 25 points. Jonah Johnson added 10 for Franklin Regional, which lost four starters from last season’s team, Crossey being the only returnee from that first-team unit.

“I’ll be thinking about this one tonight,” Reed said, “and tomorrow night and the next night and …”

Both teams resume their schedules Tuesday, Penn-Trafford visiting Albert Gallatin and Franklin Regional hosting McKeesport.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford