Franklin Regional boys string together upsets in WPIAL playoffs

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, November 2, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Franklin Regional’s boys are making a habit out of upsetting teams in the WPIAL playoffs.

The seventh-seeded Panthers did it again in the quarterfinals, clipping No. 2 Thomas Jefferson, 2-1, to reach the 3A semifinals for the sixth time in seven years.

The momentum carried into the semifinals as the Panthers (14-3-2) edged out No. 6 Mars, 2-1, to return to the finals for the first time since 2021.

They were set to face No. 1 and unbeaten Moon (21-0) Nov. 2 at Highmark Stadium.

Last year, the Panthers knocked off No. 6 Mars and No. 3 Moon to reach the final four, looking like the stars were aligned for another title run.

Turnover hasn’t disrupted the flow of talent in the program.

Coaches have changed at Franklin Regional, but the upset mentality has not.

First-year coach Nick White was impressed with his team’s response after it fell behind 1-0 against Thomas Jefferson.

“The ability of our boys to deal with the adversity and not blink — we came down and scored 33 seconds later,” White said. “That shows a lot of resilience. TJ is very good and very organized. They have their style, and they play it well. It took us a while to gain our footing, but we grew into the game nicely once we did.

“With our seed in the playoffs, and how highly ranked our opponent was, our boys were extremely motivated to prove how strong of a group they are,” White said. “I’m very proud of their effort.”

Against Mars, Cruise Lamanna and Danny Christafano scored goals, and Joey Bayne had two assists.

Christafano and Jovan Sankoorikal recently were named to the All-WPIAL list in Class 3A.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional