Tremba creates memories on way to West Point
Ask Trey Tremba about his accomplishments and, just as he made so many memorable twists and turns on the football field for Parkland this fall, he finds a way to bend the conversation back to others.
Tremba would rather talk about his teammates and his family than himself.
When told he was The Morning Call’s Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Offensive Player of the Year and one of just three EPC players to earn all-state honors on Friday, Tremba credited others.
“Obviously, it feels really good to earn these honors, but I couldn’t have done it without my coaches and my teammates there supporting me every day,” he said. “Without them, I couldn’t have gone far at all.”
Tremba, who is the defending District 11 track champ in the100-meter dash and a threetime district champ overall, covered a lot of ground in his senior season for the EPC South champion Trojans, who were ranked as high as No. 2 in the state in 6A and finished 12-1.
He ran for 1,844 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per carry, and scored 30 touchdowns overall — 25 rushing, four receiving and one on a punt return.
He also caught 31 passes for 408 yards and was an all-EPC South first-team choice as an outside linebacker where he made 25 tackles, including three for losses, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
On eight kickoff returns, he averaged 24.1 yards and average 8.9 yards on 14 punt returns.
Parkland coach Tim Moncman has coached a lot of great athletes in his time at Parkland previously at Liberty where he led the Hurricanes to three state finals
in four years and the 2008 PIAA title in Class 4A, then the highest classification.
He compared Tremba to one of the Hurricanes’ all-time greats, Dan Persa, who had an outstanding career in the Big Ten as a quarterback at Northwestern.
“I told one of our assistants, I think it was Andy Millen, that he’s like Danny Persa without the throwing arm,” Moncman said. “Danny was the same kind of runner … fast and physical. Trey never wanted to come off the field and while his offensive numbers were obviously outstanding, people forget about his defense. He was one heck of a linebacker for us.”
Tremba ended the 2022 season on the sidelines after suffering a concussion in the District 11 championship game against Freedom.
He had 15 carries for 115 yards and three touchdowns all in the first half of a 35-10 win before sitting out the second half with the concussion. He was unavailable for the state playoff game the following week against St. Joe’s Prep.
“Seeing the team lose without me kind of stung a little bit,” Tremba said. “It motivated me in the offseason and I just tried to stay healthy the whole year.”
He was able to accomplish that despite getting 216 carries, the most in the EPC.
When quarterback Luke Spang suffered an injury late in the first half of the District 11 semifinals against Emmaus, everyone, including the Green Hornets, knew Tremba was going to get the ball. He still couldn’t be stopped. He ended up carrying the ball 33 times for 220 yards and scored two second-half touchdowns to allow the Trojans to survive a valiant upset bid by Emmaus and hold on for a 21-14 win.
“We gave them our best,” said Emmaus defensive end and The Morning Call’s Defensive Player of the Year Mario Landino. “But Tremba is a hell of a player. He ran the ball down our throats and that’s how the game went.”
Moncman said Tremba has great hands, great vision and great strength and speed. He expects him to do well playing for Army.
“I’ve known [Army assistant] John Loose for a long time from his time at Lafayette and with his Lauren’s First and Goal clinic, and he told me Trey’s the one he really wanted to get from the Valley,” Moncman said. “I know [Army head coach] Jeff Monken and I know he’s excited as well about Trey. It’s a tremendous commitment to play at a place like West Point, but that’s what Trey is all about.”
Tremba’s father, Matt, was a Marine and then worked 22 years with the Pennsylvania State Police.
His father’s influence on Tremba in terms of discipline and dedication and being unafraid of any situation has been immense and he said he always leaning toward a potential military career.
“Seeing what my dad has done in his career and growing up around it has inspired me to have my own military career and want to give back to people,” he said. “Going into my freshman year I was trying to decide if I wanted to do military or football, and then when I found out I could do both at the academies, that really pushed me toward my decision.
Honestly, if I had to decide between playing football and the academy, I’d take the academy because that’s really what I want to do.”
Tremba said from his dad he learned discipline and the need to be selfless.
“It could be 12 o’clock at night and he’d get a call and he’d tell us he had to go to take down a bad guy,” Tremba said. “He was really selfless in his desire to help people and protect. He has all kinds of stories. When he was with the SERT [Special Emergency Response Team] that’s when he had to go into some tough places and he was like the first one in the door and had the shield and everything. And then his last three years he served as a lieutenant before he retired.”
Tremba has also been influenced by his brother, Ty, who is having a solid college career as a quarterback at F&M.
“He inspired me to get on the field and be a leader,” Tremba said. “He taught me how to deal with adversity and be a vocal leader and just work hard.”
His younger sister, Teagan, is a freshman at Parkland and also an athlete who might want to pursue a career in sports journalism. His mother, Kelli, has been his biggest supporter.
“She’s always here for me whether I have a good game or a bad game,” he said. “She works hard for us and does everything she can to help us succeed.”
With that kind of support system there’s little doubt that Tremba will remain successful as he moves on to the next level.
But he has some unfinished business as a Parkland athlete. He is looking forward to repeated as a district track champ in the 100 and get another shot at states where he tweaked his hamstring and couldn’t compete last year.
“That’s my goal … I want to bring back a state championship in the 100 and I worked hard at it,” he said.
Even if that state gold happens, chances are Tremba will credit others. Asked what he’d like to be remembered for as a Parkland athlete, he said:
“I just want to be remembered as a team player willing to do anything to help the team win,” Tremba said. “That’s what I’ve tried to be all about.”