Penn-Trafford boys basketball on a season-long thrill ride

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, February 1, 2026 | 11:01 AM

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Doug Kelly has been down this road before with the Penn-Trafford boys basketball team.

The Warriors’ season has been like a roller coaster at nearby Kennywood, full of twists and turns, and ups and downs.

“It has been a season of streaks,” Kelly said. “We won four in a row and then lost four in a row. Now we have won three in a row.”

During that streak Penn-Trafford (8-9, 6-4 Section 1-5A) owns impressive wins against Thomas Jefferson (17-2) and Uniontown (9-8).

Kelly said he hopes those wins are signs of good things to come.

“We defended well and limited second chances against Thomas Jefferson,” Kelly said. “It was our best game of the season.

“Our section is really tough. You cannot take anyone lightly.”

Heading into the final weeks of the season, Gateway (12-6, 10-1) was atop of the section. Franklin Regional (11-5, 7-3) was second, followed Penn-Trafford and McKeesport (9-7, 6-4). Uniontown (9-8, 5-5) was fifth followed by Latrobe (6-10, 4-6) and Laurel Highlands (9-8, 3-7).

Penn-Trafford played host to Latrobe on Jan. 28, traveled to McKeesport on Friday, was set to host Gateway on Tuesday and will finish the regular season at Laurel Highlands on Friday.

“The balance in the section will make you battle-tested if you make the playoffs,” Kelly said. “Kerry (Hetrick, Penn-Trafford athletic director) provided us with a tough nonsection schedule. I am excited to see how things play out the rest of the season.”

A big reason for Penn-Trafford’s success is the emergence of an inside game.

Senior Zach Feldman, a 6-foot-4 forward, returned. But 6-4 junior forward Ethan McDonald and 6-5 senior forward Jacob Briggs have given the team a different look.

“I have never run an offense with two bigs before,” Kelly said. “It is a style we had to get used to, and we are starting to come together.

“Having Zach, Ethan and Jacob playing well has opened up the outside shooters. We have a good nine-man rotation.”

Senior guard Peyton Mastro is averaging 12 points from the outside, while Feldman and McDonald are averaging 12 points apiece on the inside.

“We knew what Zach could bring us,” Kelly said. “He’s a scorer and a good passer. Ethan’s play has not surprised us.

“He worked hard in the offseason and his footwork has improved. We just got to get him to finish with his left hand. Jacob also has improved a lot.”

Other players contributing include Tyler Boss, a four-year letterman, Caleb Dubyak, Ben Lenart, Nick Ponko and Trent Brown. Freshman Owen Hodge was also part of the rotation, but an injury has sidelined him since December. Kelly said he expects him to return soon.

“We are starting to figure things out,” Kelly said. “The win against Thomas Jefferson showed us that we can compete against anyone. I just hope we continue to stay hot.”

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: Penn-Trafford