Trib HSSN football player of the week for Aug. 31, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, August 31, 2025 | 7:18 PM

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Trib HSSN football player of the week – James “BooBoo” Armstrong

School – Hopewell

Class – Sophomore

Height/weight – 6-foot-2, 215 pounds

Position – Quarterback

#Earned – Coming off a big freshman season in which he threw for 1,344 yards and 10 touchdowns and led the team in rushing with 787 yards and also led in scoring with 15 touchdowns, there has been no sign of slowing down in 2025 for Hopewell sophomore quarterback sensation James “BooBoo” Armstrong. Following up on a big game in Week Zero in which he threw for 218 yards and three touchdown passes, Armstrong completed 16 of his 19 passes for 229 yards this past Friday. He also carried the ball 21 times for 120 yards and scored on four short touchdown runs of 1, 2, 1 and 3 yards as the Vikings improved to 2-0 with a home win over New Castle, 31-6.

Background – Even though he is two games into his sophomore football season, Armstrong has already received Division I football offers from Pitt, Akron and Sacramento State. Thus far this season, Armstrong has hit on 30 of 39 passes for 447 yards and three touchdown tosses, plus he has rushed for 195 yards on 26 carries with four scores. The nickname BooBoo was given to him he believes by his older brother when he was young and is known by his unusual nickname today, claiming hardly anybody calls him James. He not only excels on the gridiron, but he was also a standout player on the Hopewell basketball and baseball teams his freshman year. His pitching was cut short by a shoulder injury this past spring. The left-hander began playing football in fourth grade, basketball in fifth grade and baseball when he was about 3 years old.

What coach says – “What stood out about James’ performance against New Castle to me is that he really stepped up,” Hopewell coach Matt Mottes said. “He held the team together whenever we had four turnovers. It wasn’t just stats; it was his leadership ability as an underclassman and you see how our team responded to him.”

“It’s hard to say what’s more dangerous,” Mottes said when asked about the dual threat aspect of Armstrong as a quarterback. “He can run you over or pick you apart. I guess it’s kind of a pick-your-poison situation.”

“He’s improved his poise and decision making,” Mottes said. “He sees the field so clearly with his ability to read defenses and he always makes the right decision. He doesn’t try to force any bad passes.”

“I can’t narrow down one thing that makes James special,” Mottes said. “Some would argue it’s his arm, others can say it’s his legs or smarts. Honestly it’s his character. He is just such a great kid. He is always smiling and just creates such a positive vibe in the locker room.”

WPIAL Week 1 Honorable Mentions

Roman Thompson – Central Catholic

In a Week 1 showdown of district powerhouses with plenty of star power on both sidelines, Central Catholic junior running back Roman Thompson shined bright. He carried the ball 16 times and rushed for 123 yards and scored three touchdowns. The first score was highlight worthy as he showed power in breaking three tackles, then kicked in the speed as he raced down the near sidelines for a game-tying second quarter touchdown. He scored the other two TDs in the second half on short runs to lead the Vikings past Pine-Richland, 34-20.

Drew Welhorsky and Aayden Wright – South Fayette

South Fayette got major contributions from a dynamic duo at each end of the grade spectrum in a Friday victory at Shaler. First, there was senior quarterback Drew Welhorsky, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, but also rushed for 169 yards on 18 carries. Then there was freshman wide receiver Aayden Wright, who returned not one, but two kickoffs 90 yards for touchdowns as the Lions improved to 2-0 with a nonconference victory over the Titans, 35-27.

Javon Johnston – Shady Side Academy

Duel-threat quarterbacks can burn you with their arm and their legs. However on Friday, Shady Side Academy sophomore QB Javon Johnston did most of his damage through the air. Johnston hit on 14 of 19 passes for 357 yards and scoring passes of 57 and 45 yards to B.J. Mallory. Then he connected with Cam Mallory on an 82-yard scoring toss. He also added four scoring runs as the Bulldogs outslugged Burrell, 56-26.

Tim Andrasy – Leechburg

In a Week Zero loss at Apollo-Ridge, the Leechburg offense scored 16 points in a four-point loss to the Vikings. In Week 1, Blue Devils senior running back Tim Andrasy nearly matched that total in the first quarter. For the game, Andrasy rushed for 310 yards on 31 workman-like carries and scored six touchdowns on runs of 3, 10, 1, 4, 28 and 68 yards, plus he added a seventh touchdown when he returned the game’s opening kickoff 92 yards for a TD as Leechburg rolled past host Beth-Center, 58-6.

2025 HSSN Players of the Week

Week Zero – Gabriel Jenkins, Imani Christian

Tags: Hopewell