Penn-Trafford coach Ruane endures ‘unique’ week teaching at Gateway

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 15, 2017 | 5:15 PM

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You could say Penn-Trafford took Gateway to school when the teams met in Week 5.

The Warriors rolled to a 28-0 win, forcing three turnovers and allowing minus-6 yards rushing in the Gators' first regular-season shutout since 2006.

Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane literally takes Gateway players to school. Well, he teaches them at least.

Ruane is a business teacher at Gateway, his alma mater. He was a pretty good quarterback for the Gators, but his school spirit will be vacant this week, a blind eye turned to his relationships.

“He's a great guy,” Gateway quarterback Brady Walker said. “We talk about football. He says some funny things sometimes, like, is it going to rain this Saturday?”

Four Penn-Trafford assistant coaches also work in the Gateway School District.

While Ruane wanted to downplay the connection this week in anticipation the teams' meeting in the WPIAL Class 5A championship Saturday evening at Heinz Field, he admits the dynamic is rather uncommon.

“It's not often that the coach from the other team is on a personal basis with players,” Ruane said. “They're great kids, humble kids. They treat me very well, and I try to treat them very well. It's a good relationship; it's odd, it's awkward, I'm not going to lie. But it's unique going into work every day knowing that's who you're going to line up against on Saturday.”

Top-seeded Penn-Trafford (11-1) is back in the finals for the second time in three years and for the third time in school history. The Warriors lost to Upper St. Clair in 1997, and Central Catholic in 2015.

“We're going there to win this time,” Warriors senior lineman Logan Hawkins said.

No. 2 Gateway (11-1), in the finals for the first time since 2009 and seeking its first WPIAL title since 1986, is a fellow Big East Conference opponent and gives the Warriors a sense of familiarity-driven confidence.

“It's going to come down to who is more physical and who wants to win the game more,” said Penn-Trafford senior running back John Gay IV, who has rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns. “That's who wins, and I think that's going to be us.”

Gay presents another connection to Gateway. His father, John III, was a 3,000-yard rusher for the Gators before playing at West Virginia and spending two years in the NFL with the Steelers and Patriots.

John Gay II was a standout back for Braddock in the 1950s.

“He'll talk to me about his past experiences and help me with my game,” the younger Gay said of his father. “He's rooting for Penn-Trafford, and he tells me what I need to do to help my team win.”

And father assures his allegiance is with the green and gold.

“I'm on the (Penn-Trafford) side for sure,” John Gay III said. “Let's go get it done.”

In addition, Gay IV's cousin plays on Gateway's line. He is No. 55, Canaan Cleveland.

While the examples of kinship between the schools are interesting, both teams think they'll be irrelevant come kickoff Saturday.

John Gay IV hopes the Warriors roll like they did earlier in the season. Of course, a win will still be a close shave for him. Gay has been growing out his hair for weeks and promised his teammates he'd cut his hair if they win the championship.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Gateway, Penn-Trafford