2024 TribLive HSSN Terrific 25 Football All-Stars

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, December 20, 2024 | 6:00 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

Here’s a look at the TribLive High School Sports Network’s Terrific 25 football all-stars for the 2024 season.

Terrific 25

Donald Barksdale

Steel Valley, RB/LB

5-11, 185, senior

Barksdale posted his second straight 2,000-yard rushing season and finished his career with more than 5,000 yards. The Youngstown State recruit rushed for 2,239 yards on 204 carries as Steel Valley reached the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals this year. Barksdale scored 33 touchdowns and reached the end zone five different ways, earning all-conference honors for offense and defense. Along with 29 rushing TDs, he caught a touchdown pass and returned a fumble, a punt and a kickoff for scores. He also threw a touchdown pass.

Watch Donald Barksdale highlights

Dayshaun Burnett

Imani Christian, WR/DE

6-4, 220, senior

Burnett was voted as the defensive MVP and the top defensive lineman in the Allegheny 7, but his talents on both sides of the ball helped the Saints earn the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. He caught 34 passes for 562 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. The Penn State recruit helped the team reach the WPIAL semifinals with two touchdowns a week earlier. A four-star linebacker, Burnett committed to Nittany Lions over finalists Pitt and Rutgers.

Watch Dayshaun Burnett highlights

Brock Cornell

West Allegheny, RB/DB

5-11, 185, senior

Whether lined up at running back or safety, Cornell played with a fearless physicality. On defense, he made a team-high 97 tackles, including 46 solo stops. The Penn recruit also intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble while earning all-conference honors on both sides of the ball. He battled through a hurt shoulder to rush for 1,010 yards and 10 touchdowns on 113 carries, leading the Indians to a share of the Parkway Conference title.

Watch Brock Cornell highlights

Parker Cunningham

South Park, OL/DL

6-4, 300, seniors

South Park won its first WPIAL title in 19 years thanks to powerful offensive and defensive lines. A James Madison recruit, Cunningham anchored those units along with twin brother Troy. The Eagles rushed for more than 3,400 yards to win the WPIAL Class 2A title. In the finals, the team ran the ball 53 times and attempted only three passes. Coaches voted Cunningham as the top offensive lineman in the Allegheny while his brother earned the equivalent conference award for defense.

Watch Parker Cunningham highlights

Eric Doerue

South Park, RB

6-0, 210, senior

Doerue was the featured back for an offense determined to run the ball. That proved to be a championship-winning strategy. Doerue rushed for 1,781 yards on 280 carries and scored 27 touchdowns, earning all-conference honors. In the WPIAL finals, he ran for 149 yards and scored twice on 34 carries as the Eagles won the Class 2A title. The WPIAL title was the team’s third overall and first since 2005. He’ll graduate with 4,871 career yards and 62 touchdowns. Uncommitted, he listed offers from Edinboro and Robert Morris.

Watch Eric Doerue highlights

Bradley Gompers

Central Catholic, WR/LB

6-4, 213, senior

Gompers was a difference maker on both sides of the ball for the WPIAL Class 6A champion and state runner-up. On defense, the Duke recruit made 91 total tackles, including 59 solo stops, 16 tackles for a loss and five sacks. He also forced two fumbles, intercepted a pass and scored a defensive TD. He had 30 catches for 826 yards and 11 touchdowns. Coaches voted him the conference player of the year and a first-team pick at linebacker.

Watch Bradley Gompers highlights

Tyler Eber

Thomas Jefferson, RB

5-10, 175, sophomore

Eber’s most impressive trait might be his durability. He carried the ball 420 times in 14 games, topping 30 carries nine times and 40 carries three times. His season high was 48 carries. But he also showed himself to be a talented runner. He rushed for 2,276 yards and 33 touchdowns, leading the Jaguars to the WPIAL Class 4A title. He averaged 163 yards per game. He also caught 13 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown, earning all-conference honors.

Watch Tyler Eber highlights

Elijah Faulkner

Central Catholic, RB

5-9, 185, senior

The leading rusher in WPIAL Class 6A, Faulkner shouldered 283 carries for 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns. He averaged 110 yards per game for the WPIAL champion and state runner-up. In the WPIAL finals, Faulkner rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Coaches voted him a first-team all-conference running back. He rushed for more than 3,600 career yards and 44 touchdowns. Uncommitted, he listed nine Division I offers.

Watch Elijah Faulkner highlights

Tikey Hayes

Aliquippa, RB/DB

6-0, 205, senior

Hayes became only the ninth player in WPIAL history to surpass 6,000 career rushing yards. Injuries limited the Penn State recruit to 114 carries this season, but Hayes still managed to rush for 979 yards and 16 touchdowns. In his Aliquippa career, Hayes was a three-time WPIAL champion, two-time state champion and once was a state runner-up. He helped the Quips win a share of the Parkway title this fall and earned conference offensive MVP honors.

Watch Tikey Hayes highlights

Lincoln Hoke

North Allegheny, OL/DL

6-2, 260, junior

A year after earning all-conference honors for offense, Hoke was recognized this season for his work on defense. The defensive lineman made 66 tackles, including nine tackles for a loss and 6½ sacks. He forced two fumbles, intercepted a pass and blocked two kicks for the WPIAL Class 6A runner-up. As an offensive lineman, he helped the Tigers rush for 171 yards per game. His father, Chris, played defensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Watch Lincoln Hoke highlights

Nick McCullough

Peters Township, WR/DB

6-0, 165, senior

McCullough was a Swiss Army knife for Peters Township by making key plays on offense, defense and special teams. Offensively, he caught 54 passes for 1,071 yards and 11 touchdowns. On defense, he intercepted five passes and made 21 tackles, including two sacks. On special teams, he returned five kicks for touchdowns, including a game-winning 97-yarder in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. McCullough earned all-conference honors for both offense and defense. Uncommitted, he holds college offers from nine FCS schools.

Watch Nick McCullough highlights

Mason Metz

Avonworth, OL/DL

6-1, 215, senior

Voted the defensive MVP in the Western Hills, Metz was a two-way anchor up front for the WPIAL Class 3A champion and state runner-up. He made 75 tackles, including 29 tackles for a loss and 20 sacks, while also forcing three fumbles. On offense, his blocks helped the Antelopes rush for 3,258 yards and 47 touchdowns. He was named all-conference on both sides of the ball. A multi-sport athlete, Metz signed with Seton Hill to play baseball.

Watch Mason Metz highlights

Naytel Mitchell

Penn Hills, RB/DB

5-10, 190, senior

Mitchell was voted conference player of the year in the Northeast as a two-way standout. As a running back, Mitchell rushed 213 times for 1,321 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning all-conference honors in the backfield. He accounted for 245 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries in a WPIAL Class 5A first-round win. As a safety, Mitchell had 83 tackles and two interceptions. Uncommitted, he listed college offers from Albany and Robert Morris.

Watch Naytel Mitchell highlights

JaVaughn Moore

Bethel Park, RB

5-11, 185, senior

Moore was a dangerous playmaker on one of the WPIAL’s top offenses. The workhorse back rushed for 2,084 yards and 32 touchdowns on 285 carries, which ranked second-most in the WPIAL. He also caught 26 passes for another 398 yards. The Black Hawks averaged 40.6 points per game and reached the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. Moore earned all-conference honors at running back in the Allegheny Six. Uncommitted, Moore has listed several NCAA Division III offers.

Watch JaVaughn Moore highlights

Tanner Pfeuffer

Bethel Park, QB

6-6, 195, senior

A three-year starter for the Black Hawks, Pfeuffer surpassed 6,000 passing yards for his career. He completed 156 of 260 passes for 2,656 yards this season and tied for the WPIAL lead with 31 touchdowns. He also rushed for six touchdowns and earned all-conference honors. His offense was the second-highest scoring unit in the WPIAL overall and led Class 5A (40.6 ppg). He threw for 66 touchdowns in his three seasons. Uncommitted, Pfeuffer lists college offers from NCAA Division II schools.

Watch Tanner Pfeuffer highlights

Matt Sieg

Fort Cherry, QB/DB

6-1, 185, junior

Seig joined WPIAL legend Terrelle Pryor as the only two players in league history with more than 4,000 career yards both rushing and passing. In fact, Sieg already has more than 6,000 rushing yards. The Penn State recruit passed this season for 1,345 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 1,832 yards and 32 scores. The Rangers repeated as WPIAL Class A champions. In the finals, Sieg rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another.

Watch Matt Sieg highlights

Scoop Smith

Woodland Hills, WR/DB

5-7, 150, junior

Voted as the conference player of the year in the Class 5A Big East, Smith is electric with the ball in his hands. The longest of his 17 touchdowns included an 80-yard pass, runs of 82 and 86 yards and kickoff returns of 75 and 99 yards. As a wide receiver, he caught 44 passes for 851 yards and earned all-conference honors. A multi-sport athlete, Smith is an all-section guard in basketball and the reigning WPIAL 100-meter dash champion in track. He lists Temple and Toledo among his half-dozen college offers.

Watch Scoop Smith highlights

Kemon Spell

McKeesport, RB/DB

5-9, 185, sophomore

McKeesport cast a Spell on many defenses. The Penn State-bound sophomore scored 24 touchdowns for the WPIAL Class 4A runner-up. Eight times he scored on runs from the other side of the 50-yard line. His longest touchdown run was a 71-yarder. He finished the season with 1,617 yards on 142 carries – an impressive average of 11.4 yards per carry. Spell committed in August to the Nittany Lions over offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Florida State and Michigan, among others.

Watch Kemon Spell highlights

Nate Stohl

Upper St. Clair, OL/DL

6-3, 270, senior

Stohl is a two-way lineman yet was so impactful that Allegheny Six coaches voted him as the conference’s player of the year. A Princeton recruit, Stohl for the second year in a row earned all-conference honors for both offense and defense. He made a team-high 55 tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss and four sacks. On offense, his blocks helped Upper St. Clair average 262.7 rushing yards per game. The Panthers, who reached the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals, averaged 7.2 yards per carry and had a rusher top 100 yards 13 times in 12 games.

Watch Nate Stohl highlights

Khalil Taylor

Seton LaSalle, WR/DB

6-1, 185, sophomore

Taylor introduced himself to the WPIAL a year ago with an all-conference freshman year. He followed that with another strong season, leading the Rebels to the WPIAL Class 2A finals. The highly recruited wideout caught 51 passes for 932 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. He was voted all-conference for the second year in a row, and this time, he was also named the Century’s top athlete. Pitt and Penn State are among the FBS schools to already offer him a scholarship.

Watch Khalil Taylor highlights

Xxavier Thomas

Central Catholic, WR/DB

5-11, 180, senior

Quarterbacks didn’t challenge the Penn State-bound defensive all too often, but he still managed to intercept six passes. Thomas earned first-team all-conference honors at defensive back. He also caught a team-high 34 passes for 677 yards and nine touchdowns for the WPIAL Class 6A champion and state runner-up. A three-way threat, Thomas also returned three punt returns for touchdowns.

Watch Xxavier Thomas highlights

Jay Timmons

Pine-Richland, WR/DB

5-10, 175, junior

Timmons was a big-play source for the Rams in their run to the WPIAL Class 5A title. He scored 12 touchdowns, a total that included two on fumble returns and two on interceptions, earning all-conference honors at defensive back. He picked off four passes, forced three fumbles, recovered two and made 42 tackles. On offense, he caught 40 passes for 755 yards. The son of a former Steelers linebacker, Timmons lists Pitt and West Virginia offers among his seven FBS schools.

Watch Jay Timmons highlights

Shep Turk

Thomas Jefferson, OL/DL

6-5, 285, senior

Opponents often guessed right that the Jaguars would be running behind Turk often, but they still rarely stopped it. The offensive line was arguably the team’s biggest strength, and Turk was its anchor. He sometimes switched from left tackle to right depending on the play. The Pitt-bound lineman helped TJ win the WPIAL Class 4A title. The team rushed for 2,862 yards (190.8 per game) while also passing for 2,044. He earned all-conference honors for both offense and defense, where he contributed 31 tackles.

Watch Shep Turk highlights

Mickey Vaccarello

Peters Township, TE/LB

6-3, 215, senior

Vaccarello was a disruptor at outside linebacker on a defense that reached the WPIAL Class 5A finals. The Indians allowed 10.7 points per game. A Stanford recruit, Vaccarello made 22 tackles for a loss among his 42 tackles. He had eight sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and two defensive touchdowns. He was voted first-team all-conference at both linebacker and tight end, where he caught five passes.

Watch Mickey Vaccarello highlights

Brayden White

Thomas Jefferson, WR/DB

6-1, 175, senior

White’s big-play potential showed through in the WPIAL finals when he caught a 53-yard touchdown pass and returned an interception 85 yards for another score. His touchdowns came just 76 seconds apart for the Jaguars, who won the Class 4A title. The South Dakota recruit caught 68 passes for 1,287 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning offensive player of the year in the Big Six. He also had 43 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He was voted all-conference on both sides of the ball.

Watch Brayden White highlights

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Avonworth, Bethel Park, Central Catholic, Fort Cherry, Imani Christian, McKeesport, North Allegheny, Penn Hills, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Seton La Salle, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair