Football - Penn-Trafford vs Connellsville

October 16, 2020

Penn Trafford rallies to hand Connellsville 64-28 loss in WPIAL Class 5A action

Penn Trafford scored 36 unanswered points in the second half to surge past Connellsville 64-28 at Warrior Stadium on Friday night Oct. 16, 2020.

Connellsville received the opening kickoff from the Warriors but were unable to do much with it in the opening drive of their WPIAL Class 5A Big East Conference contest.

Penn Trafford senior Nate Frye intercepted a pass on a Connellsville fake punt attempt setting the home team up for their first score of the night when fellow senior Chase Veccchio scored from 8-yards out making the score 6-0.

Warrior junior kicker Nathan Schlessinger added the extra point and Penn Trafford took a 7-0 lead with 5:06 left in the opening quarter.

Connellsville senior running back Ky’ ron Craggette split through the Warrior defense less than a minute later to score on a 42-yard touchdown run making the score 7-6.

Connellsville senior kicker Gage Gillott added the extra point tying the game at seven with 4:57 left in the first quarter.

Penn Trafford senior quarterback Ethan Carr then found senior running back Brad Ford on a 7-yard touchdown pass making the score 13-7.

Penn Trafford’s Schlessinger added the extra point and the Warriors were back on top 14-7 with 3:50 left in the first quarter.

The first quarter came to an end with the home team having a one score lead 14-7 over the visitors.

The second quarter started with a bang when Connellsville senior quarterback Gage Gillott through an interception to Penn Trafford senior Ethan Carr who returned it 30-yards for a touchdown making the score 20-7.

Schlessinger added the extra point and the Warriors extended their first half lead to 21-7 with 11:01 left in the first half.

Just when it looked like the home team was taking control of the game Connellsville’s Craggette struck with his second rushing touchdown of the half when he scored from 63-yards out on a touchdown run at the 6:44 mark of the 2nd quarter.

Gillott added the extra point making it 21-14.

Craggette wasn’t finished making a first half statement as he added a third touchdown when he scored on a 14-yard touchdown run making the score 21-20 with 1:40 left in the half.

Gillott added the extra point tying the score at 21.

Penn Trafford made the most of it’s two minute offense as their senior quarterback Ethan Carr scrambled 30 yards for a touchdown with only 34 seconds left in the 2nd quarter making the score 27-21.

Schlessinger added the extra point and it looked like the Warriors would take a 28-21 lead into halftime.

However following the kick off Connellsville running back Ky’ ron Craggette needed only one play to get the Falcons back onto the scoreboard when he scored his fourth touchdown of the half from 76 -yards out pulling his team to within one point of the Warriors.

Schlessinger added the extra point and with 19 seconds left in the half again both teams were tied now at 28.

Penn Trafford made a valiant effort to regain the lead before the time ran out in the first half with Connellsville being called for a pass interference call near the goal line giving their junior kicker a 40-yard attempt at a field goal with no time left on the first half clock. The kick came up short and both teams headed into halftime knotted at 28.

The Warriors opened the scoring in the second half when Carr scored on a 22-yard touchdown run retaking the lead 34-28.

Schlessinger added the extra point and Penn Trafford led 35-28 with 9:39 left in the 3rd quarter.

Penn Trafford scored again at the 2:39 mark of the 3rd quarter when Carr threw a touchdown to Brad Ford for the second time of the night making the score 41-28.

Schlessinger added the extra point and Penn Trafford extended their lead to 42-28 where it remained until the 4th quarter.

Warrior senior Mason Frye added a 38-yard touchdown on pass from Carr with 10:56 left to play in the second half and the rout was on.

Even when bad things happened to the Warriors in the second half ,like the botched extra point attempt on the next play they came out on top, when holder Carter Green gathered up a bad snap and passed it to Schlessinger to claim a 2-point conversion making the score 50-28.

Connellsville’s second half nightmare continued when senior Cole Darragh intercepted Gillott and returned it 35-yards for a touchdown in the final quarter.

Schlessinger added the extra point making the score 57-28 with 10:34 left.

The Warrior defense continued their second half statement when senior Tyler Sandor recovered a fumble deep in Connellsville territory.

Fellow senior Nate Frye then scored the last points of the night when he scooted into the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown run with 3:42 left in the game.

After senior kicker Trevor Wilson added the extra point the score was 64-28.

Carr passed for three touchdowns and 139 yards. He also rushed for a touchdown and returned an interception for another in the convincing win.

Penn Trafford remains undefeated in conference play with the win making them 4-0 in the conference and 4-1 overall.

Craggette rushed for four touchdowns in the first half and finished the game with 240 yards in the loss,

Connellsville remains winless after falling for their sixth time this season. Their conference record is 0-4.