Franklin Regional defense steals show in shutout of previously unbeaten Latrobe

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, September 13, 2024 | 11:08 PM

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Those looking for a high- scoring battle Friday at Murrysville went home disappointed.

But for those who were looking for another tight game, which had happened six of the eight previous times, went home happy, especially if you were a Franklin Regional fan.

Joey Bayne booted a 22-yard field with 4 minutes, 59 seconds left, and the Panthers (3-1, 1-0) defeated Latrobe, 3-0, in a WPIAL Class 5A Big East Conference opener.

Franklin Regional’s defense forced three turnovers and bottled up Latrobe’s running game, and Panthers senior running back Kyle Dupill rushed for 161 yards.

Latrobe slipped to 3-1, 0-1.

The start of the game was delayed for 25 minutes while emergency personnel were tending to a Latrobe fan, a stepfather of a freshman player.

“First and foremost, we will do our best to take care of our player and make sure that we’ll do whatever we can do, and we will pray for him and his family,” Latrobe coach Ron Prady said.

Franklin Regional coach Lance Getsy said he, his coaching staff and players also are praying for the player’s stepdad. They took a knee and prayed for him before the contest began.

Once the game began, the defenses stood out.

Franklin Regional was coming off a disappointing loss at Upper St. Clair, and Getsy challenged his players.

“The defense played their butts off,” Getsy said. “I thought the offense did a great job, especially in the second half.

“We shot ourselves in the foot a bunch of times — a bad snap and penalties. We have to correct those things. If we correct those things, this team could do a lot of good.”

Latrobe’s offense, which rushed for 453 yards last week at Norwin, couldn’t find traction. They reached Franklin Regional territory twice — once in the first half and on a 65-yard run by Alex Tatsch that turned into a strip tackle by Jaymier Austin.

“This 100 percent falls on my shoulders for not having our guys ready,” Prady said. “They didn’t do anything, and Dupill ran hard. We didn’t tackle well, and he broke a lot of tackles.”

Franklin Regional almost turned a fumble into points late in the second quarter, but Bayne missed a 35-yard field.

After Tatsch’s second fumble, Franklin Regional took control of the game with its running game, eating up yards and the clock. Tatsch finished with 112 yards on 10 carries. He carried once after the long run and fumble.

The winning drive was a 15-play, 71-yard beauty with Dupill and quarterback Chase Lemke running through the Latrobe defense.

“The defense kept making big plays,” Getsy said. “I can always count on Kyle for falling forward. I don’t think he had a negative gain, just somebody that continues to get us yards.”

Latrobe (3-1, 0-1) finished with 139 yards rushing and 24 passing.

Franklin Regional now leads the all-time series, 11-6.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe