Penn-Trafford receiver Vecchio has big-time performance against McKeesport By Dave Mackall Sports Reporter Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, 10:15 p.m. Updated 11 hours ago 1 0 0 Google + Reddit Blogger Penn-Trafford junior Timmy Vecchio seemed more stunned by the attention given to him afterward than the outcome of the Warriors football game Saturday at McKeesport. The diminutive Vecchio was a giant at wide receiver, catching five passes for 143 yards, including two for touchdowns, in No. 3 Penn-Traffords 28-0 victory in a WPIAL Class AAAA Quad East Conference game. “All we talked about all week was this is our game,” said the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Vecchio, who was wondering what all the fuss was about. “Its not their game. We wanted to keep it at our pace. “Were confident, and we want to play nonstop for 48 minutes. Im just making plays when I can and trusting my quarterback. The throws are there.” Vecchio caught touchdown passes of 31 and 36 yards from quarterback Brett Laffoon, and the duo set up a third score with a long pass play early in the fourth quarter as Penn-Trafford (3-0, 3-0) beat No. 4 McKeesport (2-1, 2-1) in a rematch of the Warriors WPIAL quarterfinals victory in 2013. “This feels very good,” Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane said, minutes after praising his team for “a tremendous effort on both sides of the ball.” The outcome, though nothing like what he had hoped, impressed McKeesport coach George Smith. “They beat us up front on both sides,” Smith said. “Theyve got great size across both lines.” Indeed, it was a difference-maker for Penn-Trafford. Laffoon passed for 196 yards on 10 of 11 completions as the Warriors offense controlled the ball for more than twice as long as McKeesports. Tigers junior running back Khaleke Hudson, who entered the game as the WPIALs leading rusher, was held to a season-low 53 yards. Hudson was averaging 266 yards per game. Vecchios 31-yard reception from Laffoon with 3:05 left in the first quarter put Penn-Trafford in front 7-0. The Warriors made it 14-0 with 4:05 to go in the first half when Vecchio caught a 36-yarder from Laffoon after Tyler Bruno snagged a pass behind the McKeesport defense and was tackled at the 36-yard line after the ball was tipped multiple times. The Warriors missed a chance to increase the lead in the third when Vecchio couldnt come down with a leaping catch in the end zone on fourth down. But Penn-Traffords defense responded on the next series, stoppping a McKeesport drive deep in Warriors territory that would have cut the Tigers deficit in half. “We had a big stop on second-and-long on that drive,” Ruane said. “We put them on their heels on that play.” Vecchio and Laffoon hooked up on a 65-yard pass early in the fourth quarter, leading to a 3-yard touchdown run by Laffoon to give Penn-Trafford a 21-0 lead. Devin Austin, who rushed for 109 yards, added an 11-yard run for a TD with 1:29 remaining for the Warriors, who outgained McKeesport in total yards, 351-121. Vecchio, a two-way player, was the star, though. “He is flat-out good,” Ruane said. “He is one of the best receivers Ive coached, and Ive coached a lot of them. He is a great athlete and runs tremendous routes. He plays hard on both sides, and hes definitely got a nose for the ball. “We have great football players and great character kids. It showed today. This is a tremendous win for this program.” It was the second win in a row for the Warriors over the Tigers. Penn-Trafford handed McKeesport its only loss a year ago, beating the Tigers, 34-20, in the playoffs. McKeesport defeated Penn-Trafford, 34-14, during an unbeaten regular-season run. “Its only going to be Week 4 now,” Ruane said. “Weve still got a ways to go, but were getting good play on both sides of the ball, and thats been the key.” Dave Mackall is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at dmackall@tribweb.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 13:18:39 +0000
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