Norwin asserts itself in opening win over Penn-Trafford
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Friday, August 23, 2024 | 10:37 PM
Norwin’s Jake Sincak plows into the end zone for a fourth-quarter touchdown against Penn-Trafford on Friday.
Penn-Trafford’s Dom Smith rolls into the end zone against Norwin in the first half Friday.
Penn-Trafford takes the field to play Norwin on Friday at Norwin High School.
Norwin’s Michael Crnkovic breaks up a pass intended for Penn-Trafford’s Dom Smith in the first half Friday.
Penn-Trafford’s Dom Smith breaks up a pass intended for Norwin’s Jackson Huss in the first half Friday.
Penn-Trafford’s Tasso Whipple pulls in a catch in front of Norwin’s Mason Kugler in the first half Friday.
Norwin’s Evan Archer celebrates with quarterback Tristyn Tavares after scoring a third-quarter touchdown Friday.
Norwin gets ready to play Penn-Trafford on Friday.
Norwin’s Bennett Braid tackles Penn Trafford’s Jonny Lovre in the first half Friday.
Penn-Trafford’s Landyn Stikkel takes down Norwin quarterback Tristan Tavares in the first half Friday.
Norwin’s Tristyn Tavares avoids Penn-Trafford’s Jack Weishaar in the second half Friday.
Norwin’s Conner Urey (11) celebrates with Tristyn Tavares after beating Penn-Trafford on Friday.
Norwin celebrates with the student section after beating Penn-Trafford on Friday at Norwin High School.
Norwin’s Giovanni Rothrauff surges forward past Penn-Trafford’s Nick Ponko for extra yardage in the third quarter Friday.
Norwin’s Jake Knight beats Penn-Trafford’s Nick Ponko for an 80-yard touchdown in the third quarter Friday.
Norwin coach Mike Brown said he emphasized physicality and tackling in the offseason.
They also wanted to run the ball better to take pressure off junior quarterback Tristyn Tavares.
The Knights showed their hard work in the offseason paid off Friday in the Week Zero season opener.
Norwin was physical, ran the well and tackled when it needed to. The result was an impressive 26-14 victory over neighboring rival Penn-Trafford at Norwin Knights Stadium.
The Knights rushed for 210 yards and got a solid performance from Tavares, who rallied his team in the second half.
He tossed an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jake Knight to cut the Penn-Trafford lead to 14-13 midway through the third quarter and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 6-yard run with 44 seconds left in the third quarter for a 19-14 lead.
“I’d say the 80-yard play got us going,” Tavares said. “The line did a great job, and they took over after that.”
Brown said it was a designed play.
“We saw a favorable matchup and went for it,” Brown said. “Tristyn made a great throw, and Jake made a super catch.”
Knight dropped the first pass thrown his way in the first quarter, but he didn’t miss the bomb.
“That play gave them the momentum, but our bad snap really got them going,” Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane said. “Obviously, we’ve got a lot of things to fix.”
Penn-Trafford led 7-6 at halftime and 14-6 after Tasso Whipple scored his second 9-yard touchdown run. Whipple rushed for 178 yards.
Jake Sincak, who rushed for 68 yards, scored on an 18-yard run with 33 seconds left in the game. Jackson Huss rushed for a team-high 74 yards.
Norwin took the opening kickoff, got a huge 36-yard run by Huss and finished off the nine-play drive with a 22-yard field goal by Logan Pfeifer.
“This win is going to let everyone know that we are someone to be afraid of,” Tavares said. “We’re not that team to beat up on anymore.”
Penn-Trafford put together an 11-play drove on its first possession of the game, but the drive stalled at the Norwin 17.
“I felt the game was evenly played,” Ruane said. “I wish we would have converted on that first possession, but we really did a nice job on our first possession of the third quarter.
“I felt their backs ran with desire. We also had a few self-inflicted wounds.”
After Penn-Trafford stopped Norwin on its second possession at the P-T 38, the Warriors put together a 13-play drive to take a 7-3 lead with 3:56 left in the opening half. Whipple scored on a 9-yard run, but it was a key 26-yard pass from Jonny Lovre to Whipple on third-and-8 that kept the drive alive.
Norwin, thanks to a 23-yard completion to Sincak on third-and-8, drove to the Penn-Trafford 10 and settled for a 28-yard field goal by Pfeifer to end the first half.
“I thought we talked well, but anytime you have a running back like Whipple, I mean, he’s going to break tackles,” Brown said. “We still have to shore up things. Penn-Trafford played a hell of a game.
“This was a huge win for us. The players had this game circled all summer. They had a sour taste last year; that was kind of the reason why they worked so hard. This is just one game. We have to prepare for a tough Kiski team next week.”
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: Norwin, Penn-Trafford
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