Westmoreland County football Q&A with Penn-Trafford’s Niko Rosso

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 | 4:39 PM

At this time last season, Niko Rosso was watching his Penn-Trafford teammates prepare for the WPIAL playoffs from the sidelines.

Rosso injured his elbow and missed the entire postseason: the exciting wins over Fox Chapel and Upper St. Clair, and the close loss to Gateway in the Class 5A championship game at Heinz Field.

“It was tough not being able to help us,” Rosso said.

The Warriors still wonder if the outcome of the title game might have been different had he played.

But that’s all in the past.

Rosso is focused on now, and that means being able to play an active role in another postseason run for Penn-Trafford (8-2), which opens the playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against North Hills (6-4).

“That was a big blow to our defense (last year),” Warriors coach John Ruane said of losing Rosso. “He makes such a difference. It’s been great to have him back because he plays on a totally different level. He has been dominant. He’s might be the most physical kid I’ve coached. And he knows what’s coming up next; he has become a technician as well as a playmaker.”

With Rosso commanding things at linebacker, the Warriors’ starting defense allowed just nine points over their final eight regular-season games. The Warriors gave up 71 points over their first two games — long-ago losses to Norwin and Gateway — but they’ve been stingy since, powering past teams with a fly-to-the-ball defense and a sound running game.

Rosso has a team-best 65 tackles (44 solo), three sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Rosso, who Ruane believes can play at the Division I level, also is a valuable blocking H-back on offense.

Rosso took a few plays off from practice to be this week’s Westmoreland Q&A.

How excited are you to be able to be on the field for the playoffs?

This will be the first playoff game of my career. I am even more motivated because I wasn’t able to play. You never know when a game will be your last.

The WPIAL 5A championship is not at Heinz Field but rather at the home of your team’s biggest rival, Norwin. How do you feel about that?

It’s definitely interesting. But it’s kind of nice if we’re able to get there. It’s so close to home for us. It would almost be like another home game for us.

So why don’t you go by Niko on the roster?

It’s a nickname I picked up from family. My dad wanted to name me Niko because he liked the name. But he knew someone that had that name and he didn’t like them, so they went with Dominic. It still got shortened to Niko. I always have to tell people, yes, that’s me. Same thing with teachers in school for tests and things like that.

Your role has been crucial on both sides of the ball?

Yes. I knew my role would increase when I came back. I knew there would be expectations. The guys who graduated said this is your team now.

What’s it like playing for coach Ruane and his structured program?

Our coaches do a great job preparing us. Everything is planned out. They put us in the right position, we just have to execute and get the job done. No questions asked.

Do you wish you had the ball in your hands more on offense?

Maybe. But I like my role. I think I am better at blocking than carrying the ball. I’d rather see Caleb (Lisbon) or Gabe (Dunlap) make a big run or get into the end zone because I helped them with a block.

Last week, Penn-Trafford was ready to give away a truck at halftime for a field-goal contest. How would you have fared?

I’d probably be wide left or the ball would go like 10 yards.

What’s it mean to you to have a home game again in the first round? The team is on an 11-game winning streak at Warrior Stadium.

Our fans make it a great atmosphere so it’s great to play at home. And for us seniors, this is our last home game no matter what.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Penn-Trafford