PIAA 5A Semifinals: Penn-Trafford Warriors (11-2) vs. Exeter Township Eagles (10-3) - 7 p.m. at Bald Eagle High School

Pregame at 6:00 p.m. on WSN Video - WATCH LIVE

WSN Broadcasters: John Flickinger, Sean Benjamin

After winning the first WPIAL football championship in school history, Penn-Trafford had little time to celebrate. Securing the district gold with a 24-21 victory against previously-undefeated Moon Area on Saturday night at Heinz Field, the Warriors shifted their focus to the PIAA postseason, and a semifinals showdown against District 3 Champion Exeter Township.

The Warriors carry a nine-game winning streak into the state playoffs, as they won their final six regular-season tilts, and continued the momentum with playoff wins against Fox Chapel Area, Pine-Richland, and the Tigers.

The most recent triumph was perhaps the toughest, as the Warriors claimed their narrowest margin of victory of the season. Moon attempted a tying field goal in the final seconds, but the 33-yard kick by Jacob Wieland missed wide.

After allowing three touchdowns in the first half, the Warriors posted a shutout in the second half, forcing a fumble, a turnover on downs, and two punts preceding the missed field goal. Penn-Trafford allows 12.8 points per game, the best mark in the WPIAL Class 5A.

Perhaps the biggest component of that success on defense was linebacker Daniel Tarabrella, who posted 17.5 tackles in the victory. For the season, he has accumulated a team-leading 91 tackles, as well as 2.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Fellow linebackers Jack Jollie and Josh Huffman rank second and third, respectively, with 66 and 63 tackles. Additionally, defensive end Conlan Greene paces the squad with 7.5 sacks.

Offensively, running back Cade Yacamelli led the way against Moon, as he produced a pair of touchdowns. His 53-yard run in the second quarter accounted for the first PT touchdown, while his 92-yard reception from QB Carter Green gave the Warriors the lead later in the frame. He finished with 136 yards rushing on 17 attempts. For the season, Yacamelli has compiled 1,634 yards on the ground, 283 yards receiving, and 24 total touchdowns.

Green, meanwhile, scored the winning touchdown in the third quarter on a 29-yard run on fourth down. Although he completed just two passes, Green compiled 87 yards rushing on 17 attempts. This season, he’s amassed 1,125 yards through the air with 10 touchdowns, and he’s added 1,106 yards rushing and 15 scores.

The Eagles, meanwhile, upset Governor Mifflin 31-28 last week to reach the PIAA semifinals. That outcome was in contrast to the first meeting between the teams, as Governor Mifflin rolled to a 54-21 victory in early October.

“Those kids are obviously very motivated,” Penn-Trafford head coach John Ruane said of Exeter Township.

In the win, senior running back Eric Nangle rushed 41 times for 225 yards, including a touchdown, and he added two receptions for 36 yards and another score. Quarterback Colin Payne connected on 13-of-21 attempts for 158 yards and three TDs. Furthermore, junior Joey Schlaffer caught five passes for 56 yards and two scores. Schlaffer is committed to Penn State as a tight end.

“Definitely eyeballs will be on him,” Ruane said of Schlaffer. “I don’t think we’re going to change everything that we do to accommodate it, but no doubt we’re going to be expecting him to touch the football quite a bit."

For the season, Payne has passed for 2,163 yards and 22 touchdowns, Nangle has posted 1,769 yards on the ground and 23 total touchdowns, and Schlaffer has caught 41 passes for 728 yards and eight scores.

“They are very diverse in what they do, and they got a lot of talent,” he added regarding the Eagles’ attack.

Defensively, Exeter has allowed 21 or more points in four-straight games. Senior Tyler Yocum paces the Eagles with 98 tackles, while Lucas Palange has posted 82 tackles and seven sacks.

“They certainly run to the football very well on defense. They’re very active up front,” Ruane added.

It's challenging for teams to quickly shift focus to the PIAA playoffs after winning a WPIAL title, particularly Penn-Trafford which worked for a long time to achieve its first ever district championship. Ruane, however, said his team looks sharp in practice.

"We talked to the kids as soon as they came in on Monday and said we can only do this if we're all in. If you guys are satisfied with where we're at, then we're not going to do very well on Friday," Ruane recalled. "And... they are in. They want to do it. They want to win. They want to ultimately get to the big goal of playing a full season, getting to Hershey and playing for a state championship. Practice has been fantastic. There hasn't been a letdown."

The winner advances to the PIAA Class 5A Championship, and will face either District 12 Champion Imhotep Charter, or District 1 Champion Strath Haven. The title game will be played on Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in Hershey.

BROADCAST ANNOUNCEMENT

The game will be broadcast live as a video stream by the Westmoreland Sports Network. However, because the NFHS Network has an exclusive rights deal with the PIAA, the NFHS will charge a fee of $10.99 to watch the game. This is not WSN's charge and make no revenue off the fees. It is completely enforced and controlled by the NFHS Network. Thank you!