Penn-Trafford football captures PIAA title with overtime upset

After rallying to tie the score in the final minute of regulation, Penn-Trafford football prevailed 17-14 in overtime against Imhotep Charter to capture the PIAA Class 5A Championship at Hersheypark Stadium on Friday. In securing their first state football crown, the Warriors concluded their historic season with a mark of 13-2, finishing on an 11-game winning streak. Heavily-favored Imhotep Charter, the District 12 Champion, finished with a record of 11-2. The defenses of both squads were at the forefront for most of the contest, which was scoreless until the final four minutes of the opening half. Imhotep Charter finally broke the ice with a 12-yard touchdown run by Rahmir Stewart. The subsequent two-point attempt was denied, however, staking Imhotep to a 6-0 advantage. Penn-Trafford responded, as the Warriors drove 65 yards, and senior standout Cade Yacamelli crossed the goal line on a 2-yard run with just four seconds left in the half. The subsequent extra point by Nate Schlessinger gave the Warriors a halftime lead. The score remained 7-6 until nearly halfway through the fourth quarter, when the Panthers regained their lead. Stewart punctuated another long drive as his 5-yard score and subsequent conversion gave Imhotep the 14-7 lead. Although the Warriors went three-and-out on their next possession, they got the ball back with approximately four minutes left, setting the stage for a season-defining drive. When PT reached the 2-yard line, Conlan Greene, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end, received the snap, and initially advanced towards the line of scrimmage. However, he jumped and lofted a pass in the same motion, and Jack Jollie caught the toss wide open in the end zone, setting the stage for overtime. Although the Warriors failed to reach the end zone on their overtime possession, Schlessinger split the uprights on his 24-yard kick to make it 17-14. A false start and an errant snap put Imhotep beyond the 25-yard line, however, and needing to reach the end zone on 4th down, Panthers’ QB Mikal Davis Jr was sacked by Greene to seal the outcome. In the victory, Yacamelli rushed 21 times for 100 yards, and caught two passes for 33 yards. Defensively, Daniel Tarabrella paced PT with 9 tackles. Imhotep was led by running back Stanley McLeod, who rushed 28 times for 185 yards.

Spartans’ win against Panthers highlights local boys basketball matchups

The WPIAL boys basketball season tipped off last weekend, and several Westmoreland County teams went head-to-head. In the marque county clash, Hempfield Area edged Franklin Regional 63-62 on Saturday. The host Spartans held off a late rally by the Panthers, who nearly overcame a 14-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter. Hempfield Area was led by Joey Fiedor and Sean Gordon, each of whom netted 16 points, while Harrison Sowers contributed 14 points. Conversely, the Panthers received a game-high 19 points from Caden Smith, while Cam Rowell produced 18 points. Also at the Hempfield Tournament, Penn-Trafford edged Greensburg Central Catholic 56-51 on Friday, while the Centurions rebounded to dismantle Greensburg Salem 74-25 on Saturday. Penn-Trafford received 23 points from Nick Crum, while Noah Wright added 20 for the Warriors. Brevan Williams compiled 22 points for Greensburg Central Catholic in the setback. Against the Golden Lions, GCC held a 28-0 lead after the first quarter, and Anthony Semelka, Tyree Turner, Williams, and Ryan Appleby all scored in double figures. Additionally, Kiski Area defeated Derry Area 81-45 on Friday, and also topped host Burrell 53-47 the following day. Against the Trojans, KA was paced by James Pearson, who scored 21 points. Against Burrell, the Cavs overcame a fourth-quarter deficit, as Isaiah Gonzalez provided 16 points. Meanwhile, Brandon Curry led the Buccaneers with 18 points. Lastly, Ligonier Valley edged Valley 78-72 in double overtime on Saturday at the Plum Tournament. Matthew Marinchak poured in 36 points for the Rams, as he reached 1,000 for his career, while Jaicob Hollick netted 21 points. For the Vikings, Xavier Wilson produced 28 points.

Surging PT hockey notches two impressive wins

Penn-Trafford faced the top two teams in the Class AA East Conference last week, and the Warriors passed the test with flying colors. On Monday, Penn-Trafford rolled to a 7-1 win against Franklin Regional. Three days later, the Warriors edged host Armstrong 3-2 in overtime. Through eight games, PT is 7-1-0, and with 14 points, resides in third place in the conference. In the home win against Franklin Regional, Xavier Solomon scored a goal and added two assists, Nate Pechulis and Ryan Crombie each had a goal and an assist, and Nate Loughner and Jack Blank added two assists each. In net, Jackson Kerrigan recorded 26 saves. Against Armstrong, Ryan Crombie and Josh Goldberg each tallied, while Kerrigan made 41 saves.

Franklin Regional’s DiFalco plays in All-American Game

Franklin Regional’s Anthony DiFalco, one of the top boys soccer players in the WPIAL, capped off his senior year by playing in the High School All-American Game last Friday in Knoxville, Tennessee. DiFalco was a member of the East team, and was the only representative from Pennsylvania. The West team prevailed 3-2. DiFalco netted 118 goals throughout his career with the Panthers, and also helped propel FR to a pair of WPIAL titles.

BVA’s Martin adds Wisconsin offer

After recently wrapping up his sophomore football campaign, Belle Vernon Area standout Quinton Martin added another notable offer this past week. Martin, a running back and safety, received an offer from Wisconsin, marking his eighth offer from a Division I school. A four-star prospect currently listed as an athlete by 247 Sports, Martin also has garnered offers from Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Rutgers, and Syracuse. This season, Martin compiled 902 yards rushing, 164 yards receiving, and 16 total touchdowns for the Leopards, who reached the WPIAL Class 4A title game.