Trib HSSN football player of the week for Sept. 21, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, September 21, 2025 | 7:58 PM

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Trib HSSN football player of the week – David Dennison

School – Bethel Park

Class – Senior

Height/weight – 6-foot-2, 190 pounds

Position – Running back, outside linebacker

#Earned – Bethel Park running back David Dennison sat and waited his turn. Oh, he got his fair share of playing time with 125 carries in his sophomore and junior seasons and finished second on the team in rushing each year, but JaVaughn Moore was the bell cow of the Black Hawks offense, rushing for over 2,000 yards a year ago. With Moore having graduated, this season Dennison has become the bull of the Bethel Park ground game and has delivered big time. Against Trinity on Friday, Bethel Park ran the ball 41 times, with Dennison carrying the workload with 28 carries and rushing for 317 yards for an average of more than 11 yards per tote. Six of his carries ended up in the end zone as he scored on runs of 34, 51 and 41 yards in the first half, then added touchdown runs of 5, 25 and 16 yards as the Black Hawks scored four times in the fourth quarter to pull away from the host Hillers, 51-35. The victory improved the high-flying Hawks to 4-1 for the season as they prepare for the gauntlet that is the Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference.

Background – Dennison is getting some college interest and hopes to continue his academic and football career next fall at a school to be determined. For the season, Dennison has rushed for 900 yards on 118 carries for an average of 7.62 yards per carry. His six touchdowns have lifted his end zone totals to 14 through five games. He only had one catch against Trinity, but for the season, Dennison has 16 receptions for 239 yards, which is second on the team behind Will Sabatos. In his sophomore and junior seasons, Dennison rushed for 720 yards and nine touchdowns.

WPIAL Week 4 Honorable Mentions

Mayson Mitchell, Gateway

You never know when opportunity will knock. Gateway used a sophomore and a junior quarterback in its first three games, while also using a ninth grade signal-caller here and there in starting the season 0-3. In the Gators’ Class 5A Big East Conference opener last week, freshman Mayson Mitchell started and has been marvelous in leading Gateway to two wins. He followed up a 258-yard and three-touchdown performance by completing 14 of 21 pass for 313 yards and four touchdowns as the Gators beat Franklin Regional, 33-28, on Friday.

Ayden Yocum, Mars

Mars bounced back in a big way from its only loss of the season with a road victory over Montour in a battle of ranked teams in Class 4A. While points were hard to come by in a loss to Aliquippa the previous week, Fightin’ Planets seniors Frank Knezovich and Ayden Yocum each registered a hat trick against the Spartans. Knezovich booted home three field goals, while Yocum rushed for 324 yards on 37 carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 51, 5 and 56 yards as Mars defeated Montour, 29-21.

D.J. Cain, Ambridge

Through the first four weeks of the 2025 season, the bridge to success for the Ambridge football team has been closed with an unpassable detour. However, the path to victory was found Friday in the final tune-up for Class 4A Parkway Conference play. Senior quarterback D.J. Cain hurt visiting Greensburg Salem through the air and on the ground, passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 118 yards and two scores as the Bridgers beat the Golden Lions, 42-32.

Tim Andrasy, Leechburg

After decades of struggles at Leechburg, players such as Jayden Floyd and Braylan Lovelace helped turned the tides and help make the Blue Devils a contender for most of this decade. That success isn’t going away soon thanks to another gritty bunch of players led by senior running back Tim Andrasy. On Friday, he carried the ball 36 times and gained 259 yards while scoring four touchdowns as host Leechburg stunned Jeannette, 36-27.

2025 HSSN Players of the Week

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: Bethel Park