TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 23
Coach: John Ruane
2019 record: 11-2, 6-0 in
Class 5A Big East
All-time record: 301-191-10
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Latrobe* 7:30
9.18 at Peters Township 7
9.25 Shaler 7:30
10.2 Woodland Hills* 7:30
10.9 at Gateway* 7
10.16 Connellsville* 7:30
10.23 at Franklin Regional* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Gabe Dunlap*
105-178, 1,763 yards, 12 TDs
Receiving Ethan Carr
42-764 yards, 10 TDs
Rushing Dunlap*
160-1,164 yards, 12 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Penn-Trafford has lost to
Peters Township in the WPIAL
playoffs the last two seasons
with both games at West
Mifflin. Last year, the final was
28-10 in the semifinals. The
teams had been scheduled to
play a nonconference game in
Week 3.
• The Warriors averaged 36
points and 365.9 yards last
season.
• The program topped the
300-win mark last season
(301-191-10).
• Just twice since 2000 has
Penn-Trafford missed the
WPIAL playoffs.
BRAD FORD
P-T READY TO RIDE CARR
TOWARD POSTSEASON
Skill, speed, depth and potential.
All typical traits of a
Penn-Trafford football team heading
into a new season.
Seemingly, every season.
Coach John Ruane rarely has
a void to fill as he and his staff
groom players each year to replace
current standouts — a focus on today
with an eye toward the future.
As one steps out, another steps
in.
But Ruane did have a question
mark to tangle with during an
uncertain and helter-skelter offseason
that lived in the shadow of
the coronavirus.
Skill once again abounds with
do-it-all senior Ethan Carr taking
over at quarterback and numerous
backs and receivers set to join him,
but the question is, who is going to
block for them?
“The worst part about the offseason
is that we lost all that weightroom
time,” Ruane said. “Our guys
stayed in shape, which is great, but
we have some holes to fill and we’re
still deciding who will fill them.”
Senior Rob Bartrum (6-5, 290) is
a key returning starter up front,
but Ruane said a large group is
competing to play alongside him.
“A slew of guys, seven or eight,”
he said.
Among them: seniors Joey
Spadaro, Austin Lankey and
Tannor Eikey; juniors Declan
Ochendowski and Garrett Moorhead;
and sophomore Joe Enick.
Carr is the no-doubt centerpiece
of the offense. He played five positions
last season to help the Warriors
garner the top seed in WPIAL
Class 5A.
The Villanova recruit, who
will replace dual-threat standout
Gabe Dunlap (2,927 all-purpose
yards) under center, led the team
with 42 catches for 764 yards and
10 touchdowns — he will play receiver
in college — and also ran for
323 yards and eight TDs and threw
for 198 yards.
“Ethan is a quarterback, so it’s
not like we’re converting him from
wide receiver,” Ruane said. “He is
just moving back to QB. He has a
big-time arm, and we plan to show
that. He will run the ball, too. The
cerebral part for him is very high.”
Senior Brad Ford, who was thrust
into action last year when two key
running backs were injured (Caleb
Lisbon and Sam Fanelli), should be
a key rusher. He ran for 302 yards
and four touchdowns on 65 carries,
the second-most totes on the team.
Athletic junior Cade Yacamelli
ran for 209 yards and will be another
backfield weapon, along with
senior Nate Frye.
“Those are three varsity-tested
guys,” Ruane said. “We want to get
all of them on the field, as rushers
or receivers.”
Other key pass-catching threats
are junior Chase Vecchio, senior
Mason Frye and senior Chris
Popovich.
The Warriors often line up in
four-receiver sets, so Carr could
turn to a vertical passing attack
with short throws to get athletes
into open space.
The Frye brothers, who combined
for 141 tackles and have dual
offers from Butler and Valparaiso,
and Ford will drive the defensive
secondary. Carr will occupy a hybrid
linebacker spot, and senior
Cole Darragh returns to play linebacker
after missing time with an
injury.
Vecchio had 53 tackles.
Carr said the Warriors are not
short on skill or experience.
“We are starting to get the
chemistry back up after the hiatus,”
he said. “Our expectations,
just like every year, are to win a
championship.”
Also look for contributions from
senior Thomas Wilkie and juniors
Jack Jollie and Ian Demari.
Junior Nathan Schlessinger
could be the top kicker in the conference,
and sophomore Josh Huffman
will punt again.
Ruane called Class 5A “ridiculously
difficult on paper” and
expects big things from Upper St.
Clair, Peters Township, Gateway,
Woodland Hills and Pine-Richland.
by BILL BECKNER JR.
PENN-TRAFFORD • BIG EAST
ETHAN CARR