The air is filled with anticipation as coaches, players, and fans alike sit in wait for Plum’s quarterback, John Nonnenberg’s, pre-snap cadence on fourth down. The Wildcats and Mustangs had been trading blows for the majority of the night’s game, carrying their battle into three overtimes. On the last set of downs, sophomore AJ Yeboah plowed his way into the endzone to give the Wildcats the lead in the third overtime.
Finally, the call is heard, “down-set-hut”, and the ball is snapped. Nonnenberg drops back for the throw and releases the ball into the air. It seems like time slows until the ball soars out of the back of the endzone. The Wildcats had done it; they overcame Plum after a hard-fought game and three gruelling overtimes in a stunning 42-35 victory.
Latrobe entered the game against Plum as the underdogs, following a 28-13 loss to Connellsville on August 22. Fans and foes alike were skeptical of the Wildcats’ ability to take down the Mustangs. However, Coach Tom McIntyre embraced the title of underdog and used it to fuel the team throughout the week leading up to the game against Plum. McIntyre believes that when the team is counted out, “[it] gives them the chip on their shoulder to play a little harder.”
Many saw the scoreboard read 28-13 in the game against the Falcons and were quick to assume the worst about Latrobe’s future. However, it’s not smart to judge a book by its cover, and Coach McIntyre saw the game as an opportunity for growth. The head coach felt that “there were a lot of positives [from the game against Connellsville] that we were able to take away and build on.” Knowing this, the team focused heavily on themselves and didn’t let outside opinions take away from their preparation for the game against Plum on August 29.
“We try to block out all that outset noise and just be confident in ourselves and believe in what we do, and at the end of the day, that’s really all that matters,” McIntyre said.
All of their hard work definitely paid off, as the Wildcats were able to pull away from Plum in the first quarter after Dom Scarton threw a 36-yard pass to Luke Tomko. Plum soon after matched the Wildcats’ efforts, but Latrobe was once again able to pull ahead when Scarton connected with Danny Noonan with a 26-yard touchdown pass. The Wildcats headed into the second half of the game with a 14-7 lead.
This lead wasn’t enough to fend off the Mustangs. In the third quarter, Nonnenberg threw and ran the ball to add two touchdowns to the scoreboard, which gave Plum a 21-14 edge over Latrobe. This didn’t discourage the Wildcats as they headed into the fourth quarter. Latrobe was able to fight back after a 1-yard run from Aaron Gaskey tied the game.
As the clock ran down in the fourth quarter, it seemed like the Wildcats were going to be sent home with their tails between their legs as the Plum kicker, Olivia Bigger, set up for a short field goal to win the game. Latrobe wasn’t going to go down without a fight, and after an icing-the-kicker attempt, with Coach McIntyre calling a timeout to rattle Bigger, and a Latrobe too-many-men penalty, Bigger missed the kick.
Coach McIntyre described this game as a “roller coaster ride”, and that couldn’t be more accurate. After exchanging blows all game, the Wildcats and Mustangs were pulling no punches in overtime. However, after three rushing touchdowns from Yeboah in triple overtime and the aforementioned sailed pass by Nonnenberg, Latrobe was able to return home victorious.
After the win was secured, the Latrobe sideline and stands erupted in cheers. There was even a series of hugs shared between Coach McIntyre and his coaching staff. McIntyre said that there were lots of emotions present in the moment, but if he had to choose one, it would be relief. The head coach was actually glad to see the game end after its back-and-forth nature. McIntyre felt that the team “got what we wanted out of [the game].”
