There’s a running joke among Tasso Whipple and the rest of his Penn-Trafford teammates, and even some opposing players and coaches around the WPIAL and City League seem to have caught on to it, too.
Whipple has no “drip.”
For those who aren’t aware, “drip” is a term used to describe the gear, accessories and everything else that goes into making a player’s game-day uniform stand out. For some players, it’s a crucial part of their game-day attire to wear gloves, cleats, socks and sleeves with flashy colors and custom designs. As the old saying goes, “Look good, feel good, play good.”
As for Whipple, there are only two things on his mind on Friday nights — running the rock and running over anybody who gets in his way.
“That’s kind of an ongoing joke with my friends,” Whipple said. “I’m not the ‘drippiest’ guy on the field. Last year against [Woodland Hills], I had a T-shirt sticking out of my jersey. That wasn’t the best look.
“It’s all about getting the job done.”
One white wristband is enough for Whipple, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior who doubles as a bruising tailback on offense as well as a versatile outside linebacker on defense. After rushing for 1,388 yards with 17 touchdowns as a junior, Whipple is picking up right where he left off in his senior season for the Warriors. The hard-nosed runner ranks third in the WPIAL with 749 yards rushing on 86 carries, and he also has nine receptions for 137 yards.
“Tasso is a special kid,” said Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane. “He plays with such a sense of urgency. I guess the best way I can describe him is that he’s a pure football player. Whatever we ask him to do, he does. He’s a terrific runner, he’s a terrific blocker, he’s great at catching the ball out of the backfield, and then he goes out there and plays defense.
“He’s just a great physical specimen.”
Now, with five games left to go in the regular season, Whipple suddenly finds himself approaching the top five on the Warriors’ all-time rushing leaderboard. According to team historian Rush Pedder, Whipple is currently in seventh place with 2,529 career yards. Caleb Lisbon, a 2020 Penn-Trafford grad, is just in front of Whipple with 2,564 yards, and 2022 grad Cade Yacamelli — now a junior running back at Wisconsin — sits at No. 5 with 2,755.
Only four players in school history have reached the 3,000-yard mark — and Whipple has his sights set on joining the prestigious club.
“Coach Ruane and all the other coaches, they have a wall in their office for 3,000-yard rushers. I would love to be on that board,” Whipple said. “I don’t really look at my stats too much. The only goal for me personally was to be on that wall.”
On top of his football accolades, Whipple is also a talented wrestler with a career record of 70-35 on the mat — including 42 pins. He won 34 matches and claimed a section title as a 172-pound sophomore, finishing fourth in the WPIAL and qualifying for the PIAA tournament. As a junior, he posted a record of 27-12 and finished fifth in the WPIAL at 189 pounds.
Whipple still considers football his main sport and the sport he would be most likely to play in college, and he currently holds a scholarship offer from Slippery Rock. Still, there’s no doubt his wrestling prowess plays a major role in his success on the gridiron — just ask anybody who’s been on the receiving end of one of his vicious stiff arms or hit-stick tackles.
“He doesn’t get enough credit for being athletic,” Ruane said. “He’s very athletic. He has terrific vision. He really makes good cuts at the second level, and he’s tough to bring down. I think his wrestling background is enormous for him, with his leverage and center of gravity and just general toughness.”
Last year, Whipple teamed up with breakout freshman Ben Grabowski to form one of the top rushing tandems in the WPIAL, with Grabowski tallying 779 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground in his debut season. With both talented backs returning for one more year together, Warriors fans had high hopes for their two-pronged rushing attack going into the 2024 season. But an injury has prevented Grabowski from taking the field yet this fall, and Whipple is hoping to team up with his backfield mate at least one more time before he graduates.
In the meantime, more pressure is on Whipple’s shoulders to step up than ever before — and he’s making the most of his moment in the spotlight.
“I try not to think about [Grabowski’s injury], because I love Ben so much,” Whipple said. “I try to keep it out of my mind and just try to do my job and put points on the board. … Losing Ben was heartbreaking. I’m hoping he comes back this year.”
After entering the season as the PUP’s No. 2-ranked team in Class 5A, the Warriors stumbled to a surprising 26-14 defeat in their season opener Aug. 23 at Norwin, though Whipple certainly wasn’t to blame. He rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the loss, then followed that up with 136 yards and a score in a 28-7 win against Mt. Lebanon on Aug. 30.
In a 14-7 win against Moon in Week 2, Whipple went for 161 yards and a touchdown, then he helped Penn-Trafford bounce back from a 35-21 defeat against Woodland Hills in Week 3 with a season-high 186-yard outburst along with another TD in a 33-7 win against Kiski Area last Friday.
“Tasso’s workload has picked up significantly without Ben,” Ruane said. “He was a unanimous choice as captain, and it’s for a reason. He lives it. He doesn’t just say it.”
Having started his career as a freshman on the Warriors’ 2021 WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A championship-winning team — the only WPIAL and PIAA titles in program history — Whipple has seen firsthand what it takes to achieve greatness. That team also had a star senior running back in Yacamelli, along with an imposing line and several impact players on defense.
Of course, Whipple isn’t about to compare himself to Yacamelli, but he does believe this year’s Penn-Trafford team has similar traits to the 2021 version — including a stout line led by seniors Ethan Septak, Kellan Taylor and Brandon Long. And although he has never been one to crave attention, there’s no denying Whipple’s place among the top running backs in the Warriors’ long and storied history.
He might not have the “drip,” but he certainly has the numbers and the tape to prove it.
“It all starts with the line. I trust those guys with my life,” Whipple said. “I was very fortunate to be able to see what a great running back was [growing up]. Very fortunate to see what it takes and the work ethic and the commitment.
“Penn-Trafford has had amazing, great running backs in the past. That’s what they live by here is the run game. I take a lot of pride in being a part of that.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
