Latrobe claws way to victory, keeps Franklin Regional winless

By: Dave Mackall
Friday, September 12, 2025 | 11:17 PM

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It has become a fierce football rivalry when Latrobe and Franklin Regional meet.

The latest encounter Friday night — a 13-7 Latrobe victory in the Class 5A Big East Conference opener — followed the script.

“Every year since I’ve been the coach at Latrobe, it’s been the same kind of game,” said Tom McIntyre, who’s in his fourth season with the Wildcats. “It comes down to the last possession, sometimes the last second. It’s what we expected. It was pretty much everything we thought it was going to be.”

Sawyer Butina’s interception with 1¹⁄₂ minutes remaining helped Latrobe (2-2, 1-0) hold off visiting Franklin Regional (0-4, 0-1) after the Panthers recovered a fumble on the previous play to set up a possible winning drive.

Butina wrestled the ball from Franklin Regional’s Austin McClure, who caught the pass from Domenic Devola, and Latrobe held on.

“I think we both had it,” Butina said. “I knew I had to come down with it for my guys. As soon as we got the ball back, I was thinking, ‘Don’t fumble again. Let’s win this.’ ”

Butina said he looked up on the play to see Devola’s pass headed his way. He’s glad he wound up with the ball in his hands.

“We know they were looking deep, and I’m just trying to stay over the top, do my job,” he said. “I see the ball in the air. I just had to go make a play for my teammates.”

The close outcome continues a pattern in the series, where the past five games have been decided by an average of four points. Latrobe appeared to have the victory secured before Cash Achhammer fumbled, and Ronald Schall recovered for Franklin Regional.

But Latrobe quickly regained possession on Butina’s interception.

“It’s been tight forever,” Franklin Regional coach Lance Getsy said. “I mean forever. We’re not surprised. We told our boys before the game that we knew it was going to be a battle.”

Chris Cochran, subbing for injured sophomore running back A.J. Yeboah, rushed for 133 yards with a 72-yard touchdown for Latrobe, which bounced back from a 35-0 loss to Class 6A Norwin a week ago.

Cochran and Achhammer, a pair of seniors, stepped in admirably in the second half for Yeboah, Latrobe’s leading rusher, who injured an ankle in the second quarter.

Achhammer added 41 yards rushing for the Wildcats.

Yeboah gained 23 yards in the first half before heading to the sideline.

“He’s tried to give it a go in the second half, but he wasn’t able to,” McIntyre said. “I don’t think it’s going to be anything long term. The two other guys are seniors, and we knew we could lean on them, count on them.

“They were ready.”

Quarterback Dom Scarton put Latrobe ahead for good with a 2-yard keeper with 1 minutes, 59 seconds left in the first half after the 220-pound Cochran had rambled 72 yards to tie the score 7-7.

Franklin Regional took a 7-0 lead on its first possession with Devola cashing in on a 6-yard run.

Neither team scored in the second half.

The Panthers were hampered by turnovers, none more costly than the interception in the closing minutes.

“We’ve got to learn from the mistakes,” Getsy said. “But how long can you learn from mistakes? At some point, you’ve got to correct the mistakes.”

Fumbles. Bobbled balls. Dropped passes.

“Our defense played well in the second half,” Getsy said. “It’s just the little things, the mental mistakes that are hurting us. You can’t do that, especially when you’re a young team trying to move forward. But the kids fight, and you’ve got to be proud of them. I’m definitely proud of the fight. Our effort is there. It’s just that we need to eliminate the mistakes.”

Butina was still out of breath when he went to meet some friends near a fence that separates the field from the crowd.

“We said all week, we’re not losing another one,” Butina said. “Especially to this team, with the history we’ve had over the past couple of years.

“We really wanted it, and we got it when it mattered.”

Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe