Trib HSSN football player of the week for Nov. 23, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 8:47 PM

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Trib HSSN football player of the week – Luca Neal

School – Avonworth

Class – Senior

Height/weight – 5-foot-10, 190

Position – Wide receiver, outside linebacker, safety

#Earned – November high school football is the time of year where champions rise from the ranks of contenders. It has also become the time of year when a wildcat leads the Antelopes to gold. A year ago, brothers Nico and Luca Neal took turns in the district and state postseason running for big yards out of the wildcat formation, a look hardly used by Avonworth during the regular season. Their success helped the Antelopes win a WPIAL championship and finish as runner-up in the PIAA Class 3A playoffs. This season, quarterback Carson Bellinger and running back Dimitri Velisaris each enjoyed big seasons, Bellinger with more than 2,000 yards passing and Velisaris with just under 1,500 yards on the ground as the ‘Lopes were a perfect 12-0 heading into the Class 3A finals against fellow unbeaten Imani Christian. Luca Neal, who leads the Antelopes in receiving, had only carried the ball 18 times for 284 yards in the regular season. Midway through the second quarter with Avonworth leading Imani Christian, 10-0, Neal took over in the wildcat formation. On his second series and his seventh carry of the evening, he bolted 67 yards for a touchdown with only 34 seconds left in the half for a backbreaking score. He ended up with 12 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown, had three receptions for 61 yards, and he had a punt return for 16 yards for a total of 184 all-purpose yards. On defense, Neal finished with five tackles and one tackle for a loss.

Background – Luca Neal is undecided where he will be going to college, although he wants to continue his football career at the next level. Neal leads the Antelopes in receiving with 43 catches for 849 yards, is second on the team in rushing with 40 carries for 523 yards and has scored 19 total touchdowns, which is second on the team behind Velisaris. A year ago, Luca Neal led the Antelopes in receiving with 26 catches for 489 yards, led the team in rushing with 1,018 yards and was tops in scoring with 13 touchdowns. He is part of the Avonworth boys basketball team that finished 19-7 and lost in the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA first round. Luca is the middle of five children. His older brother Nico was a key member of the Antelopes 2024 championship team. Luca also has a younger brother who plays football.

What coach says – “Luca is an incredible football player on both sides of the ball, and he shines on the biggest of stages,” Avonworth coach Duke Johncour said. “His play has been great all season.”

“He has been in the garage most of the year and it was his time to run,” Johncour said about his decision to go wildcat formation with Neal midway through the second quarter. “You can never go wrong with the ball in Luca’s hands.”

“His calming effect for the team,” Johncour said about his biggest attributes as a leader. “He is so grounded and has a great personality and attitude. He makes everyone smile.”

“We need to do what we have done all year and focus on going 1-0 this week,” Johncour said about preparing for Penn Cambria in the PIAA semifinals.

WPIAL Week 13 Honorable Mention

Cole Neupaver – Peters Township

Through the first half of the WPIAL Class 5A championship game, senior running back Cole Neupaver and his teammates on the Peters Township offense could do nothing as they went to halftime trailing defending champion Pine-Richland, 19-0. Fortunately for the Indians, football is a four quarter game. Neupaver lit the fire with a 74-yard third quarter touchdown, on his way to 107 yards and two more touchdowns on runs of 22 and 1 yard as the Indians stunned the Rams, 20-19.

Will Martin – Seton LaSalle

For three quarters, Class 2A top seed Seton LaSalle was relying on its one-two sophomore punch on offense of quarterback Kia Jones and running back Kymarr Freeman. The two combined for 229 yards on 32 carries. But when Will Martin took over in the wildcat formation, the Rebels would not be denied. Following a game-changing interception, Martin wiped out a 14-point deficit with scoring runs of 8, 6 and 11 yards, the final one in the last minute, as Seton LaSalle edged Steel Valley, 21-14.

Owen Herrick – Central Catholic

Having captured district gold the week before, Central Catholic went to work for state supremacy with a PIAA quarterfinal game against District 6 champion State College. Sophomore quarterback Owen Herrick enjoyed a big night, completing 13 of 21 passes for 244 yards and touchdown tosses to Aiden Nasiadka, Maceo-King Watkins and Chrys Black as the Vikings rolled past the Little Lions, 42-21, to advance to the PIAA Class 6A semifinals.

2025 HSSN Players of the Week

Week 12 – Marques Council Jr., Aliquippa

Week 11 – Khalil Taylor, Pine-Richland

Week 10 – Tyler Smiley, Ellwood City

Week 9 – Bobby Fadden, Mohawk

Week 8 – Tyler Eber, Thomas Jefferson

Week 7 – Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry

Week 6 – Marino Graham, New Castle

Week 5 – Jonah Williamson, Trinity

Week 4 – David Dennison, Bethel Park

Week 3 – Scoop Smith, Woodland Hills

Week 2 – Joey Felitsky and Logan Schade, North Catholic

Week 1 – James Armstrong, Hopewell

Week Zero – Gabriel Jenkins, Imani Christian

Tags: Avonworth