Senior Metcalfe set to lead Penn-Trafford football team

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 | 5:55 PM

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It seems like every year Penn-Trafford has a senior football player step up to make a name for himself.

This year’s player might be safety/wide receiver Carmen Metcalfe.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior is a three-sport athlete. He also plays basketball and was a center fielder for the baseball team.

Metcalfe split time this summer preparing for the football season and helping the Bushy Run baseball team win both the District 31 American Legion regular-season and league championship. The team was one win away from playing in the state tournament.

“Carmen is one of the last dying breed of a three-sport athletic, which we’re all about here,” Penn-Trafford football coach John Ruane said, “in hoops with the quick movement and him being a center fielder in baseball where he can go and catch long balls.

“He sees the football field well as a safety and can catch punts. He takes the skills from other sports and brings it to the football field.”

Of all the sports, Metcalfe expects to play football in college. He’d like to go to a college that feels like home.

“I want it to be a good fit for me, good people there that can make me a better person,” Metcalfe said.

Metcalfe had four interceptions as a safety in 2022. Because of injuries, he became a target in the passing game. He caught 17 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns.

“Carmen is a freakish athlete, and it really shows that on the field as star a safety for us and as the year went on he became a contributor at wide receiver,” Ruane said. “Now he’s the go-to guy, and he understands that. He understands the expectation level he has coming into the season and as a leader of that skill group.

“He put on terrific weight. He’s taller, he’s faster, he’s stronger and he looks the part. He’s ready to step it up.”

Being a leader is the first thing Metcalfe mentioned about upcoming season.

“I’m going to try to lead the team,” he said. “I want to be a good leader and show the younger kids to follow good footsteps and be a good guy.

“Our expectations are to have a better year than we did last year. We’re going to take every game step-by-step, and we’ll go from there.”

An injury forced Metcalfe into a more prominent role in 2022. He said you have to play when your number is called.

“It’s always the next guy up here,” Metcalfe said. “If one guy goes down, we always get back up. Everyone is ready to play at any second.”

Metcalfe said as he prepared for the football season, he lifted and did speed training with first-step quickness.

“The game is slowing down for me,” Metcalfe said. “Once you get older, the game slows down for you a little bit and makes it easier for you.”

Metcalfe said the team’s goal is improvement.

“We just want to prove to everyone we’re the best team,” Metcalfe said. “We just have to be as one, one heartbeat and play together as a team.”

If the team follows Metcalfe’s lead, good things could be ahead for the Warriors, starting Friday when they host Canon-McMillan.

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