Football
A-K Valley football teams leaning on their lines this season
August 17, 2025
Nick Anderson felt confident at the start of last season.
WPIAL Class A preview: 3-peat within reach for Fort Cherry, but contenders are lurking
Fort Cherry defeated Clairton by the slimmest margin in the WPIAL football final at Acrisure Stadium last season. That 21-20 victory showed just how evenly matched the Class A powerhouses were.
WPIAL Class 6A preview: A decade in, 6-class system produces little big-school drama
Welcome to the 10th season of Class 6A football in the WPIAL and PIAA.
WPIAL Class 5A preview: Pine-Richland looks to break back-to-back curse
Can reigning WPIAL champion Pine-Richland break the Class 5A curse?
WPIAL Class 4A preview: Star-studded McKeesport among contenders to Thomas Jefferson’s throne
Thomas Jefferson found itself in familiar territory last year.
With bevy of returning starters, Washington looks poised for bounce-back year
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22. Due to production schedule conflicts, the Charleroi preview will be published later in the week.
Productive offseason provides optimism as Sto-Rox rebuild continues
Brendan Blair knows the grind of football in Western Pennsylvania.
Seton LaSalle to lean on defensive dominance
Seton LaSalle coach Tim Storino is anticipating that the team’s recent growth pattern continues in 2025.
Keystone Oaks players adjusting to new roles after playoff season
Keystone Oaks coach Steve McCormick identified Owen Gearhart as a strong option at quarterback. The benefit of rotating players into different roles is that when a new year comes around, they are capable of handling a variety of tasks.
Expectations elevated for Carlynton after snapping playoff drought
Carlynton senior linebacker Grant Freidhoff has an idea of what things should look like when everything is going well. The Cougars closed out last season with three consecutive wins to end a 23-year playoff drought and earn a WPIAL Class 2A playoff spot out of the Century Conference.
Monessen’s Taylor provides passionate leadership
August 16, 2025
The clunking of dumbbells and iron plates in the Monessen weight room at 4 a.m. likely went unnoticed. Of course it did. Who is awake at that hour?
Little bit of rebuilding won’t faze resurgent Ellwood City
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22.
After challenging season, tradition-rich Beaver Falls eyes success in MAC
When your football program boasts 122 years of tradition, not to mention six WPIAL football titles, you can consider yourself among the elite programs in Western Pennsylvania’s storied history.
Western Beaver ready to shine under Friday night lights
The book (and movie and TV show) wasn’t called “Saturday Afternoon Sunshine.”
Union to lean on young players in 2nd season in Class 2A
There is an old saying that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. And in the case of Kim Niedbala, his coaching legacy starts with his father Rich, who spent 31 years in charge at Western Beaver.
With 11 starters back from playoff team, Riverside expects even more in 2025
Rob Magnifico returns for a second season as head coach at Riverside in 2025 after leading the Panthers to the WPIAL playoffs last season.
After big step forward last season, New Brighton seniors still want more
After two consecutive seasons without a single win, New Brighton coach John Macuga set a goal in 2024 to change the mentality of his players and help them establish a winning persona.
Freedom football looking to follow baseball team’s example
For visitors meeting with Freedom football coach Ron Balog before the start of preseason camp, the most striking sight on campus was probably the baseball turf being torn up awaiting a new surface.
Countdown to Kickoff ’25: Saturday games not extinct just yet in WPIAL football
August 15, 2025
There was a time when Saturday afternoon marked a busy end to a high school football weekend around the WPIAL.
New Shady Side Academy coach favors grit over glamour
Spending time on campus during the first few weeks of football camp has given Shady Side Academy football coach Andrew Geisler the feeling he is where he needs to be. The former Bulldogs captain was hired in January to take over the program after a tumultuous season last year.
