Penn-Trafford notebook: Win over South Fayette snapped skid

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, November 10, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Since winning WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A titles in 2021, the Penn-Trafford football team hadn’t won a playoff game.

That streak ended Nov. 1 when the Warriors ran over South Fayette, 49-28, to open the 2024 WPIAL playoffs.

Senior running back Tasso Whipple rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown, and he returned an interception 41 yards for a score.

Senior quarterback Derek Carr rushed for 78 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore running back Ben Grabowski rushed for 82 yards.

The Warriors, behind the strong offensive line play of center Bryce Ruby, right guard Lucah Butler, left guard Ethan Septak, right tackle Brandon Long, left tackle Kellan Taylor and tight ends Dom Smith, Michael Botti and Jacob Briggs, rushed for 312 yards.

“They’re doing a great job,” Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane said. “They’ve really have shown steady improvement.”

The victory put the Warriors in the semifinals against Peters Township, the returning WPIAL champions.

During the two previous seasons, the Warriors were first-round losers.

Penn-Trafford is 25-31 overall in the WPIAL playoffs. The Warriors were 0-2 against Peters Township in the playoffs and 2-4 overall.

Skaters stay perfect

Penn-Trafford hockey coach Brian Zagorac coach gave sophomore goaltender Tyler Funk the night off Nov. 4 because he had a busy weekend playing for the Pittsburgh Predators 15-U team in Detroit.

He let Jackson Narchus take the ice and the senior looked sharp. He faced 10 shots and allowed one goal as Penn-Trafford rallied for a 4-1 victory against Baldwin. The Warriors are 5-0.

Baldwin took a 1-0 lead on a Logan Cramer goal in the second period, but the Warriors took over.

Aiden Drotos tied the score in the second period, with an assist from Kyler Doran, before Penn-Trafford scored three times in the third period.

T.J. Ferguson made it 2-1 with assists from Robert Thatcher and Mario Ferraccio.

Leading scorer Brock Bienemann made it 3-1 with an assist from Doran, and Cam Kiste ended the scoring with assists from Bienemann and Thatcher.

Bienemann now has nine goals and five assists. Doran has two goals and eight assists, Drotos four goal and five assists and Kiste three goals and four assists.

Zagorac was saving Funk for an important Nov. 8 game at Bishop McCort.

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