Nov 14, 2019 4 min read

Second chances don’t come around very often.

Peters Township football coach T.J. Plack knows that. John Ruane, the football coach at Penn-Trafford, would also agree.

Both coaches and their teams, however, have opportunities for second chances tonight when top-seeded Penn-Trafford plays fifth-seeded Peters Township in a WPIAL Class 5A semifinal game.

Kickoff at West Mifflin High School is 7 p.m.

For Penn-Trafford (11-1), it’s about getting another crack at the Indians, who ousted them from last year’s playoffs in the quarterfinals on a last-second field goal, 38-35.

“We haven’t been thinking about Peters Township for 12 months,” Ruane said. “We thought we’d see them again at some point. This is a new year. We aren’t seeking revenge or anything like that. The way last year ended did motivate our offseason, though.”

Peters Township (11-1) is trying advance past the round that stopped it a season ago. After the Indians dramatic win over Penn-Trafford, they narrowly lost to eventual district and state champion Penn Hills, 22-14.

A win tonight would advance both Peters Township and Plack to their first WPIAL championship.

“I’ve been to this point of bunch of times,” Plack said of his coaching career. “It takes a lot to get here. I’ve ended up losing.”

Who will make good on their second chance?

Despite both having offensive playmakers across the field, and the 42 combined points they scored in a frantic first quarter last year, the teams have rode their top defenses in Class 5A to another meeting.

Penn-Trafford, which is allowing only 11.2 points per game, has held eight of its 12 opponents fewer than 10 points, including allowing just one touchdown to each Fox Chapel and Upper St. Clair in playoff victories.

The only loss for the Warriors was an out-of-state game against Ohio power Massillon, 42-21, Sept. 20.

“Our guys cover a lot of ground and play well together,” Ruane said. “We are in every game because we are able to stop people. Hopefully, we will ride that because it’s the strength of our team.”

The impressive defensive numbers for Peters Township are similar. The Indians’ meager 8.3 points allowed per game is the lowest in Class 5A and second-best in the entire WPIAL. The most points they’ve allowed in a game is 21.

It’s a unit that has only gotten better as the weather has gotten colder. Except for a first-half score by Bethel Park in Week 8, Peters Township’s first-team defense has not allowed a score in four weeks.

“Our defense and the coaches work tirelessly to be well-prepared,” Plack said. “Our kids are aggressive, fast and tackle well. Every defense wants to take away what a team does best. We want to take away everything.”

Plack credits a no-nonsense secondary that can both cover and tackle to allow them to be creative in the box.

It’s a secondary that will be tested against Penn-Trafford quarterback Gabe Dunlap, who has 1,611 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. Dunlap also has 1,092 rushing yards and 12 scores.

“We try to be plus-one in the run game,” Plack said of getting a numbers advantage. “Penn-Trafford does a good job with formations and has a tendency to even up those numbers. That can create a lot of stress on a defense. They don’t have many chinks in their armor.”

The worry for Ruane is that there is no keying on one player for Peters Township, which spreads the ball around to several offensive weapons.

Wide receivers Josh Casilli and Aidan McCall are both threats for junior quarterback Logan Pfeuffer, who has completed 130 of 210 passes for 2,068 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Running back Ryan Magiske has already eclipsed 1,000 yards for the second straight season, busting runs out of the Indians’ spread offense for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns on 203 carries.

“They are one of the faster teams we’ve seen,” Ruane said. “We noticed that last year. They have a lot of talent, can throw and run on offense and are awesome at special teams. They are very solid and all around good at everything.”

The winner advances to play either Gateway or McKeesport in next weekend’s title game.

“I think we have a very good football team and that doesn’t happen all the time,” Plack said. “We aren’t a perennial program. I’m not sure what the future holds. But right now we have a good team and a second chance. You never know when that next chance is going to come.”