Penn-Trafford notebook: Patrick Driscoll pulls double duty with golf, cross country

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, October 4, 2020 | 11:01 AM

Previous Next

Penn-Trafford senior Patrick Driscoll has been pulling double duty this fall.

He’s a starter on the boys golf team that qualified for the WPIAL Class AAA team tournament, and he’s the top runner on the cross country team.

“I like both sports pretty equally, but I do recognize I’m a little better at running,” Driscoll said. “I have a bigger role on the cross country team, but golf as well.”

Driscoll considers himself as one of the top runners in WPIAL Class AAA. He finished 20th recently at the Red, White and Blue Invitational where he recorded a personal best time of 17 minutes, 4 seconds.

To make it to the state meet, Driscoll said he knows he has to post a lower time because all of the great runners in the WPIAL. Only the top 5 finishers at the WPIAL meet, who don’t qualify with their teams, will advance to Hershey for the PIAA championships.

“I want to improve on last year’s finish,” said Driscoll, who placed 54th at last year’s WPIAL meet with a time of 18:13. “It’s going to be hard to make it because all of the talent. I have to follow my plan and be more rested.”

Yacamelli scores 4 times

Penn-Trafford junior Cade Yacamelli only touched the football five times when the Warriors played Shaler on Sept. 25.

But they were very productive touches. He scored four touchdowns.

Yacamelli, who recently received a scholarship offer from Penn, returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a score. That was the start of things.

He also added touchdown runs of 43, 3 and 20 yards. He also had 15 yard run to finish with four carries for 81 yards.

Playoff bound

The Penn-Trafford boys golf team qualified for the WPIAL team tournament by defeating Hempfield and Greensburg Salem on Sept. 30 at Manor Valley.

Senior Alex Turowski led the way with a 3-under 33. His round consisted of an eagle on No. 7, four birdies (Nos. 1, 2, 6 and 9), a bogey on No. 3 and a double bogey on No. 8.

His brother Nick followed with an even-par 36. He had an eagle on No. 6, a birdie on No. 1, two bogeys and he too doubled No. 8.

Josh Kapcin had a 37, Chase Crissman a 38, Antonio Damico a 40 and Driscoll a 41 for a team total of 184.

Hempfield had a 213 and Greensburg Salem a 220.

The girls’ golf team ended up third in the section behind Franklin Regional and Indiana.

Senior Lauren Barber is slated to participate in the WPIAL championship at Oakmont Country Club on Oct. 8, while the Turowskis competed in the WPIAL boys championship Oct. 6 at South Hills Country Club.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford