From three wins, to seven, to eight, Jeannette football has climbed back to respectability in three short seasons under Tommy Paulone's leadership.
The gaping wound left by the departure of nearly a dozen transfers in 2021 has all but healed.
The rough patch in a proud program's history is fading in the rearview mirror as Jeannette moves ahead in the playoffs.
All seems right again in the Glass City.
"I think about the state of our middle school program and us having 20 on the roster (in '21)," said Paulone, 32, a former Jayhawks quarterback who replaced Roy Hall as head coach. "Then I look at what we did (last Friday at Neshannock). We have kids who want to be here. I want to see us protect the tradition. ... It never stops. We're getting things back on course."
From a team on the brink of merging with another program less than a year after winning its 10th WPIAL championship in 2020 to one that rounded up band members to fill out roster spots, the Jayhawks (8-3) are back in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals and ready to face rival Greensburg Central Catholic (8-2) on Friday night at Norwin.
Some of the transfers left for GCC. While they have all moved on to college football or otherwise, the sting of their departure lingered until the program regained traction.
Jeannette, the No. 13 seed on the playoff bracket, stunned No. 4 Neshannock last week, 23-7. It was the Jayhawks' first playoff win since 2020.
After Neshannock's quarterback, Jino Mozzocio, was knocked out of the game with an injury in the first half, Jayce Powell took a third-quarter kickoff back for an 87-yard touchdown to put the Jayhawks up 14-7, and they built from there.
The team lost its playoff opener the last two years after going 1-9 in 2021.
"Yeah, I think we're back," Paulone said. "We have tough kids. Typical Jeannette kids.
"Jeannette guys always believe they can win. We might be out-numbered and out-sized, but we believe. It's been that way for a long time. It means so much for me to come here and help to turn things around."
Paulone and his staff had to replace eight starters on both sides of the ball. Having outstanding playmakers like junior Kymon'e Brown and sophomore Jayce Powell helps, but getting the players to trust his system -- from a simplified playbook to teaching the players how to act responsibly, how to be humble and how to be gentlemen around women -- is all part of Paulone's well-rounded approach.
"'Coach P' has done a lot and has brought a lot of good things back to the program," senior lineman and four-year starter Nick Stuchell said. "I started off high school going 1-9 and one of the first things he said was he won't let that happen again. He pushes us every day at practice to make sure we are the best we can be on both sides of the ball. That's why everyone can see the changes to the record ever since he was named head coach."
Paulone is a former Jeannette class president who was an assistant at Chartiers Valley before taking over a dream situation at his alma mater.
The Waynesburg University alum followed a line of Jeannette grads to coach before him in Joe Mucci, Art Tragesser, Bob Murphy, Ray Reitz and Hall.
The coach who reshuffled a house of cards with a steady hand has his team trying to run down another title, something that was unthinkable in the recent past.
His passion for the end goal is unwavering.
As Paulone posted on X/Twitter recently, "Jayhawk Born, Jayhawk Bred, and when I die, I'll be Jayhawk dead!" an incantation he's heard somewhere before.
Asked if the community is rallying around its football team again, Paulone said yes.
Where does he get the most feedback?
"In church," he said. "What we're doing, it's all part of God's plan. It's all for a reason."
The Jeannette-GCC rivalry runs deep with Paulone. His grandfather, the late Aldo Paulone, is credited with hiring the legendary Mucci away from GCC in 1968.
"It all started back then," Tommy Paulone said. "That's when the rivalry started. My dad is one of seven kids. My two aunts went to GCC. After (Mucci left), the other five went to Jeannette."
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at [email protected].