18 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 • TRIBUNE-REVIEW TRIBUNE-REVIEW • SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 • 19
SHANE DUNLAP | TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Left to right: Penn-Trafford’s Conlan Greene, Tommy Kalkstein, Jacob Otto, Daniel Tarabrella and Joe Enick
RING LEADERS
Equipped with championship wisdom,
captains lead Penn-Trafford in title defense
It was quite a way for the 2021
Penn-Trafford football team
to celebrate the school’s 50th
anniversary: winning its first
WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A
championships.
The Warriors capped a memorable
season with a thrilling,
17-14 overtime victory over
Imhotep Charter at Hersheypark
Stadium on Dec. 10, 2021.
And while the season was
historic, Penn-Trafford coach
John Ruane, his coaching staff
and returning players know it is
time to turn the page and start a
new chapter.
“That was a special group,”
Ruane said. “They were family
and played for each other.”
That togetherness is something
the 2022 team captains
— Daniel Tarabrella, Jake Otto,
Conlan Greene, Tommy Kalkstein
and Mike Enick — want to
continue.
“Being a Warrior means
everything,” Otto said. “The
brotherhood we formed here
is second to none. It makes it a
great program to be part of. It’s
the players and coaches that
really make it what it is.”
Penn-Trafford finished the
season with 11 consecutive wins
after starting the season 2-2.
But the seniors on the 2021 team
wouldn’t let the season turn bad.
“It was a great run,” Otto said.
“We were down after those two
losses, but it was all how we
picked each other up, and coach
Ruane is a great coach and his
gameplan means everything. We
follow what he coaches. We have
to do what we’re told and do our
job.”
Said Kalkstein: “It’s like no
other. We’re all from here. No
one is coming from other places.
We’ve played since we were 5
years old. We love each other as
brothers, and it shows.”
Kalkstein and Greene are the
top candidates for the quarterback
job. Both are excited to
lead the offense. Both will be on
the field on in some capacity as
receivers.
Greene threw the tying
touchdown in the
PIAA finals and
ended the game
with a sack on
defense.
“It’s going to be
a different season
from last year,”
Greene said.
“Coach has his
gameplan. He does
a good job calling
the plays with
personnel, no matter who it is.”
Greene said one of the biggest
lessons the returning players
learned from the 2021 team was
the importance of being resilient
after the slow start.
“Things changed in practice,
and the older guys started picking
up some of the younger guys
and helping them get better,”
Greene said. “We’re trying to
carry that on before the season
starts so we don’t have to go
through those
two losses. We
want to take it
the whole way.”
Enick said he’s
excited to take on
a captaincy role.
“I want to lead
by example,”
Enick said. “I
want to do what
is right.
“There is a lot
to take away from last year’s
group. One was the family
aspect and what they brought to
the team. We were just bonded
together. It was awesome.”
Tarabrella was a monster on
defense, leading the team in
tackles. He also threw some nasty
blocks to spring big runs for
Cade Yacamelli against Imhotep.
“We’re very excited for the
season and looking to keep
progressing and keep getting
better,” Tarabrella said.
Ruane said one of the biggest
things he learned last season
was what he’s been doing works.
“Every season is different,”
Ruane said. “You have to adjust
to your personnel. We’re going
to be a lot different team this
season than we were last year.”
Ruane has been able to elevate
Penn-Trafford from a good program
to an elite program.
“Things started to change at
Penn-Trafford when John Yaccino
was hired as coach in 1988
and we beat Jeannette to open
the season,” Penn-Trafford historian
Rush Pedder said. “John
was arrogant, and he brought
swagger and attitude to the
program. He made the program
relevant.”
Penn-Trafford made the WPIAL
playoffs once (1981) before
1988. Since then, the program
started making the playoffs on
a consistent basis. After Yaccino
left in 1995, Art Tragresser
(1996-2008) was hired and he
kept the program going rolling.
Penn-Trafford has made the
playoffs 29 out of the past 34
years.
“When John (Ruane) was
hired to replace T.J. Wiley, who
lasted one season (2009), he took
over and elevated the program
to the next level,” Pedder said.
“The players love playing for
him. It’s fun to watch.”
Before Ruane became the
coach, Penn-Trafford’s playoff
record was 7-19. Ruane is 17-10
during his tenure and 2-0 in the
PIAA playoffs.
Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer.You can contact Paul by email at pschofield@
triblive.com or via Twitter @Schofield_Trib.
by PAUL SCHOFIELD
Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane celebrates after winning the school’s
first state title last season in Hershey.
“Being a Warrior means
everything. The
brotherhood we formed
here is second to none. It
makes it a great program
to be part of.”
JAKE OTTO
PENN-TRAFFORD CAPTAIN