The Latrobe football team is coming off a huge 28-27 road win against the Gateway Gators on Friday, October 18. This win is fueling the coaches and team as they head into a bigger game on October 25th against the Penn Trafford Warriors at home, at Memorial Stadium. The Cats are faced with a unique situation. Said by linebacker and tight end coach, Coach Armstrong, “We win and we are in.”
This game is the biggest of the season for the Cats. With all the playoff implications and the possible things that need to happen around the WPIAL to help Latrobe get in, they are focused on the now and on winning their game. The Cats are fighting for one of the last wildcard spots in the WPIAL. With a changed format, the wildcard spots are hand-selected by the playoff committee. Coach Armstrong said, “We need to win and after that, it is in the hands of the committee.”
Latrobe has been struggling the last few weeks of the year without the star linebacker Alex Tatsch. Despite the struggles, Latrobe was finally able to figure out the issue and fix it in the middle of the game against Gateway. Head coach Ron Prady said, “I think initially they weren’t very good. The first couple series we were down 14-0.” The Cats fought through this adversity and outscored the Gators 28-13 from that point on led by their defense.
Latrobe has their hands full on Friday. Penn Trafford is 7-2 and 4-1 in the section. Penn Trafford is a clear favorite heading into the game as they have a very strong team every year, especially this season.
The Warriors are on a five-game win streak and to get into the playoffs the Cats need to find a way to end that streak. They know they need to have a better start against Penn Trafford than the Gateway game if they want a chance. Prady said, “If they get ahead, they will put the clamps on you. I think it has to be another point of emphasis this week – to get a fast start.”
The play style of the Warriors is ground-pound football. They always have a solid defense and a threatening offense that can chew the clock and make the defense choke late in the game. “ Penn Trafford will run the ball, they will take time off the clock, they’ll turn up first downs and will keep it away from you,” said Prady.
The linebacker position will be another key point against Penn Trafford as they still need to fill a huge role without Tatsch. The second half of the Gateway game gives the coaches and team a lot of hope as senior linebackers played very well. “The young linebackers needed work, but they played hard. Bradan Bronson and Jack Drnjevich, I thought had their best game of the year, and really stepped up,” said Armstrong.
Coach Armstrong believes the team has what it takes to come up with a big upset this week. Armstrong said, “We need to read our keys, trust our keys, and fly to the football.” Anyone who has ever watched a football game knows that penalties are crucial, especially in big moments. “Penn Trafford is a well-coached team and is very disciplined. We need to outdo that and play smart,” said Armstrong.
Latrobe knows what they need to do for their season against Penn Trafford. They believe in their team, and their game plan, and need their role players to come up big. The Cats know that their season is in their hands if they win, there is a high chance they will squeak into the WPIAL playoffs. Once they are in who knows what could transpire for the Cats.
