Fox Chapel looks to become just 3rd No. 16 seed in WPIAL history to upset No. 1 in opening round

By: George Guido
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 | 5:40 PM

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Once Fox Chapel lost to Shaler in the regular season finale last Friday, coach Tom Loughran knew the Foxes would be playing the No. 1 seed to start the playoffs.

That notion was confirmed Monday as Fox Chapel, the Class 5A wild-card team, will head to Penn-Trafford.

The Foxes (4-6) will play the Warriors (9-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.

“Once we lost head-to-head to Shaler and once we knew we’d be a 16, it was just a matter of who we’d get, Penn Hills or Penn-Trafford,” Loughran said.

But does a 16 seed have any chance against a 1 seed?

It’s only happened twice in WPIAL history. In 1998, Greensburg Salem upset top-rated Franklin Regional, 17-14. In 2001, Highlands knocked off Uniontown, 30-20.

Loughran has been in on his share of upsets over his 37-year coaching career, particularly during his tenure at South Park from 1983-2014.

“We beat Thomas Jefferson at Thomas Jefferson in 1992,” Loughran recalled. “But the Pittsburgh newspaper strike was going on, so I might have been the only one who knew about it.”

Penn-Trafford has defeated Fox Chapel three times previously in the playoffs. The Warriors won 21-19 in 1997, then recorded a 40-13 win in 2014 and a 28-21 victory two years ago.

Loughran thought his team played well in the seven-point loss in the 2017 first round.

The veteran coach knows his team has a tough task Friday.

“They have big, strong players, have good speed and play good defense,” Loughran said. “They have a good program, and they’re tough to prepare for with their offensive and defensive schemes.”

Meanwhile, Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane is taking no chances, even with a top seeding.

“It’s a nice regular-season accomplishment but ultimately doesn’t mean much come this Friday night,” Ruane said. “Everybody that’s in the bracket is good. It’s going to be a tough ride for whoever wins the championship.”

Ruane is in his 10th season at Penn-Trafford and has compiled an 88-25 record. The Warriors made the WPIAL finals in 2017, losing to Gateway, and in 2015, losing to Central Catholic.

Last Friday’s 21-0 victory over Franklin Regional was the 300th in Penn-Trafford history. It came in the school’s 500th game.

Penn-Trafford is led by quarterback and two-way threat Gabe Dunlap, who has passed for 1,426 yards and rushed for 804 yards. Ethan Carr has caught 30 passes for 537 yards.

“We’re excited to get started on the playoffs,” Ruane said. “Fox Chapel’s a great team. We had an awesome football playoff game two years ago, and we expect a tight game this Friday. We’re expecting big things from Gabe in the playoffs, but this is the time of year where the role guys step up and have to be heroes at some point.”

Fox Chapel’s Shane Susnak is one of Class 5A’s passing leaders with 1,791 yards on 139 completions.

Three Foxes receivers — Lorenzo Jenkins, Alex Wecht and Warner Macklin — have more than 20 receptions.

Sam Brown, a key on both sides of the ball for Fox Chapel, did not play against Shaler and will be a game-time decision Friday, according to Loughran.

Penn-Trafford’s only loss this season came to national power Massillon, Ohio.

Tags: Fox Chapel, Penn-Trafford