Penn-Trafford QB Gabe Dunlap stands tall after playoff loss to Peters Township

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, November 16, 2019 | 4:44 PM

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Penn-Trafford football players filed out of the locker room at West Mifflin on Friday night, their collective demeanor one of sadness and frustration.

There were tears and dejected spirits after the top-seeded Warriors lost to Peters Township, 28-10, in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals.

Suddenly, a promising season was halted at 11-2. No WPIAL championship game appearance next week at neighboring Norwin.

But senior quarterback Gabe Dunlap was an outlier on this night as he passed by a few reporters who were waiting to get a word with coach John Ruane.

“Do you need to interview me?” Dunlap asked, sniffling and wiping his face. “I can talk if you want.”

In a stand-up gesture, Dunlap wanted to let people know publicly how proud he was of his teammates.

Penn-Trafford played its worst offensive game of the season at the worst possible time — it surrendered five turnovers, four of them interceptions — but Dunlap said the loss had nothing to do with his team’s effort. He acknowledged Peters Township’s talent before praising his teammates.

“They are a great team, but we hurt ourselves tonight,” Dunlap said. “They made plays, and we didn’t. We kept fighting and never quit. We thought we could come back. It is tough for us, but our younger guys continued to get better and proved how bright our future is. I can tell you, we left it all out there on the field.”

Dunlap finished as one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in Warriors history. He is the only Penn-Trafford QB to pass and run for more than 1,000 yards in the same season.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford