West Allegheny’s Tracy big in debut
In Native American, the word Nodin means “wind.”
Well, the Nodin who plays for the West Allegheny Indians ran like the wind — and flashed in other ways, as well — in his team’s season opener, and if the performance is of any indication, he could be in for a huge senior season.
Nodin Tracy’s name may begin with the letters “No,” but the standout running back- outside linebacker had West Allegheny fans screaming “Yes” over and over again in a 41-0 win at Moon last Friday. Tracy rushed for three touchdowns and had a touchdown catch, while also adding an interception and sack on defense.
“He’s a heck of an athlete,” West Allegheny coach Dave Schoppe said. “He’s come a long way. In the offseason, he really dedicated himself to the team and his teammates. He stepped forward and did the things he needed to do to be one of our leaders.”
Tracy ( 5 feet 11, 185 pounds) has led the Indians statistically a lot in his career. As a junior, he paced the Indians in rushing (638 yards) and touchdowns (eight), and tied for the team lead with 20 receptions. A year earlier, he scored a team- best seven touchdowns and was second with 26 receptions.
Tracy’s senior season could end up being his best yet, and he got off to a great start by scoring four touchdowns, all in the first half. They came on a 2-yard run, 16-yard run, 44-yard reception from quarterback Gage Upton, and a 1-yard run. For the game, Tracy had 14 offensive touches (12 rushes, 2 receptions) and covered 92 yards on them.
Which of the touchdowns was Tracy’s favorite?
“The post route [leading to the touchdown catch],” he said. “It was on the third drive. I feel like that killed Moon’s whole vibe.”
Moon had actually been West Allegheny’s most recent opponent, trouncing the Indians, 46-10, in last year’s regular-season finale before going on to reach the WPIAL Class 5A championship game. This is a year of transition for Moon, which graduated a large senior class and returned only a few starters.
Tracy was a difference maker on defense last Friday, too, making a leaping interception deep in Moon territory and then registering a sack for a 10-yard loss.
Schoppe, whose team hosts South Fayette (1-0) Friday, said that a big part of his team’s game plan revolves around Tracy’s talents. Tracy will also return kicks and punts for the Indians.
“An athlete like that, you try to get him the ball as much as you can and quickly as you can,” said Schoppe, who is in his third season.
Tracy plans to put together some impressive film over the first couple of Tracy plans to put together some impressive film over the first couple of built. And I’m still proud of them. You care about the kids. But I’m a big “be where your feet are” guy. I’ve made great bonds with the kids at Trinity. I love the work. And at the end of the night, I’ll still care about the kids on both sidelines.”
“I’ve got a lot to prove,” Tracy said. “Everyone tells me these first three games I need to ball out.”
Trinity
Dan Knause will make his home debut as Trinity’s head coach Friday. Adding some intrigue to the evening is the fact that the team on the other sideline is the one Knause coached the previous five seasons.
Knause came to Trinity from Chartiers Valley, where Knause coached from 2017-2021 and guided the Colts to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals in 2020. But Knause jumped to Trinity in April, a move that was made in part because Knause was also hired as an assistant high school principal at Trinity.
“Honestly, me leaving Chartiers Valley, there were many factors and none were football related,” said Knause, a 1996 Chartiers Valley graduate. “I’m proud of those kids and proud of the program we
built. And I’m still proud of them. You care about the kids. But I’m a big “be where your feet are” guy. I’ve made great bonds with the kids at Trinity. I love the work. And at the end of the night, I’ll still care about the kids on both sidelines.”
At Trinity, Knause replaced Dan Miller, whose position was opened after the 2021 season, his seventh as head coach. Trinity opened the season last Friday with a 43-20 loss at Central Valley, last year’s PIAA Class 3A champion which has now won 28 games in a row. Chartiers Valley also dropped its opener, 35-0, at South Fayette.
Latrobe
Robert Fulton didn’t get many opportunities to run the ball at Central Catholic last season. In 10 games, he carried just three times for 14 yards. But after three years with the Vikings, Fulton transferred to Latrobe this summer. His impact has been instant.
Fulton, a 5-foot-11, 205pound senior running back-linebacker, had quite a debut with Latrobe, rushing for 211 yards and five first-half touchdowns in a 55-0 non-conference win at Derry. Fulton needed only 12 carries to reach that yardage total, which included scoring runs of 63, 12, 7, 29 and 10 yards. The Wildcats piled up 448 yards on the ground overall.
Chances are Fulton will make a sizable impact defensively, as well. He was a standout at linebacker last season while playing for a Central Catholic team that reached the WPIAL Class 6A final. Fulton had 28 tackles — including eight for loss — and also six sacks, which ranked second on the team behind only current Notre Dame defensive lineman Donovan Hinish.
Upper St. Clair
Ty Lagoni is good at catching things. As a junior on the Upper St. Clair baseball team, he was an all- section catcher and helped the Panthers reach the WPIAL Class 6A title game. But Lagoni’s catching ability extends to football, as well, and it showed in his team’s 42- 6 win against Norwin in Week 0.
Lagoni, a senior safety, intercepted a pair of passes and returned both for touchdowns. Both came in the second quarter — one came on a return of 32 yards and the other 74 yards. The picks were among four collected by Upper St. Clair in the game. Fellow seniors Jacob Hufnagel and Gordon Groninger had the others.