Green energy powers Penn-Trafford on both sides of the ball

By: Paul Schofield
Thursday, December 2, 2021 | 5:10 PM

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When Penn-Trafford is on offense, opponents just can’t key on senior running back Cade Yacamelli.

That’s because senior quarterback Carter Green can’t be ignored.

He and Yacamelli give Penn-Trafford a rock-solid 1-2 running punch.

“I can’t say enough about this kid,” Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane said. “You look at him, he’s not your prototypical quarterback and he’s not your prototypical safety. But all he does is compete.”

Green has rushed for 1,106 yards and 15 touchdowns and Yacamelli for 1,649 yards and 20 touchdowns. Green scored the game-winning touchdown on a 29-yard run against Moon in the WPIAL finals Saturday.

Green can also hurt opponents with his arm. He’s completed 71 of 123 passes for 1,125 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I just do what is asked of me,” Green said about his role as a quarterback. “If my number is called, I do my best. Obviously, the guys up front deserve all the credit. They give me a crease, and I get it done.”

While Green quarterbacks the offense, he also is the quarterback on the defense from his safety spot.

“My role is to make sure everyone is on the same page.” Green said. “I’m giving all the calls to the defense to make sure we’re in the right coverage and right set. Then we just play ball from there.”

Ruane added: “We took his skill set and we changed our offense to fit it. We didn’t totally change what we do. We said that he’s really good at this, this and this, and at the same time he can throw the ball.

“Ultimately, he’s just a competitor. He knows how to get things done and he understands the urgency of the situation.”

Green was in on five tackles against Moon. He also the team’s punt returner.

Ruane said he hardly comes off the field.

“I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Ruane said. “He’s come such a long way. On defense, he’s a physical tackling safety who covers well. He’s very intelligent, studies film and he knows the game. Most kids just play quarterback and that’s it.”

As Penn-Trafford prepares for Friday’s PIAA game, Green said the celebration of winning the school’s first WPIAL title ended Sunday. It was back to work Monday.

“Nothing has changed this week,” Green said. “We came back to practice and prepared for another game like we usually do.

“We have two more weeks, and we can make bigger memories. We just want to keep adding on.”

Even though the team lost back-to-back games early in the season, Green was confident the Warriors would be in this position.

“We were down on ourselves for the two weeks in a row,” Green said. “We hit a bump in the road, but I knew we’d recover. That’s a sign of a championship team.

“Our mindset has been the difference. We see what happens when we play a bad game, and we never want that to happen again.”

Green won’t play football in college. He’s going to play lacrosse at Seton Hill.

“This is what Seton Hill is going to get out of him,” Ruane said. “He never gets tired. It’s crazy. He has a motor that is nonstop. They’re getting a winner.”

PIAA Class 5A semifinals

Exeter Township (10-3) vs. Penn-Trafford (11-2)

7 p.m. Friday at Bald Eagle Area High School, Wingate

On the air: KDKA-AM 1020, WHJB-FM 107.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com

Ticket information: Tickets are $8 and must be purchased online at piaa.org or via the HomeTown Fan app. There will be no tickets sold at the gate.

Winner plays: Winner of Imhotep Charter (10-1) and Strath Haven (13-1) in PIAA finals Dec. 10 at Hersheypark Stadium

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