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Volpatti vaulting Bethel Park to the top

By Eleanor Bailey Sports Editor Ebailey@thealmanac.Net 4 min read
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Tanner Volpatti

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Tanner Volpatti

Nine years ago, Tanner Volpatti followed Bethel Park football all the way to Heinz Field as a fan. Today, he hopes to take the Hawks back there as a player.

After rushing for a career-high 348 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-21 romp over Hempfield, Volpatti believes the best is yet to come for his Hawks, who are 6-1 overall after a 27-14 win against Seneca Valley and 4-0 in the conference after a 48-16 win against Canon-McMillan.

“I’m hoping the highlight (in my career) is yet to come,” said the 17-year-old son of Joe and Michele Volpatti.

“I remember watching every game that year,” added Volpatti of the 2008 season that produced BP’s first WPIAL champion and PIAA state runner-up. “My dad and I went to all the games. It was so cool. Those guys set the standard. I would love to do that for sure. That would be awesome, particularly my senior year. That would cap my career.”

Volpatti’s career, however, nearly was halted before it started. When he entered high school, he suffered a serious injury during the team’s first scrimmage. While running the ball on offense, he extended his leg and planted his foot to cut back when Volpatti heard a “weird” pop. He had shattered his femur.

“It just snapped. Worst pain ever,” Volpatti recalled.

For nine months, he was out of action. He missed school. He had to learn to walk again. Today, four screws still secure the bone to his knee.

While he suffered a broken collarbone playing defensive back, missing much of his sophomore season, Volpatti had returned to form. Though he admitted he lost some “speed” and “strength” to the freak mishap on the football field, Volpatti is ripping up the WPIAL. He has gained more than 800 yards and has rushed for 18 touchdowns for the Hawks.

“I wish I was a little faster but everything really came back well,” Volpatti said. “It took time and effort to get where I wanted to be. I’m satisfied.”

Volpatti’s coaches are equally content. They point to his resilience and backbone for his comeback.

“Tanner’s worked hard to overcome his injuries and he has taken advantage of the opportunities he has been given,” Jeff Metheny said. “I’m fortunate to have outstanding kids like him. He works hard, has good character, a strong work ethic and he’s a good student.

“He’s tough, too,” the BP coach continued. “When he runs the ball, he hits the holes and finishes things off. He has great vision, good instincts and he protects the ball. He’s strong and he knows what he should do and how to finish off the run. On defense, he’s not just a cover guy. He makes the big hits when we need them. He’s physical and makes great defensive decisions. He fills the gaps, helps the team, does a nice job and is a good teammate.”

Volpatti is truly a team player. In fact, he decided that he will run track this spring. He hopes to fill a gap on the 4-by-100 relay that captured the WPIAL title.

“I’m really good friends with James (Krandel),” explained Volpatti of the senior wide receiver who was a member of that relay unit and finished sixth individually in the state finals in the 100-meter dash. “Running track will get me faster to play in college, but I really want to do it to help James and those guys defend their title. Try to at least,” added Volpatti, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds.

Since he started playing football at age 6, Volpatti has always tried to outdo himself as a running back.

“When I got a chance to play, I fell in love with the position,” he said.

Volpatti knows he would not have achieved his status as one of the top tailbacks in the WPIAL were it not for the play of James Gmiter, Connor Wholey, Gavin Vargesko, Dan Kwiatkowski and Liam Williams.

“Without my offensive linemen, I couldn’t have done any of this,” Volpatti said. “All my success goes back to them. They are all my real good friends. It’s why it works. We have a great bond.

“Most of us are seniors and it’s our last year of playing together so we want to play as well as we can, win the conference and possibly the WPIAL championship. To do that though we have to play one game at a time and focus on winning that week. We can’t take a play off and we have to play every play like it our last.”

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