Trib HSSN football players to watch for 2022 Week Zero

By: Bill Hartlep
Thursday, August 25, 2022 | 12:01 AM

Here are four WPIAL high school football players to watch in Week Zero:

Bobbie Boyd Jr.

McKeesport, sr., RB/S

Boyd will be a focal point of McKeesport’s vaunted rushing attack again this season after rushing for 1,545 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. The Trib HSSN preseason all-star has offers from Akron, Austin Peay, Duquesne, Long Island, Richmond, Robert Morris and St. Francis (Pa.). He will lead the Tigers into a nonconference game Friday at West Mifflin.

DaiQuan Chatfield

Serra Catholic, sr., WR/DB

Serra Catholic won 15 games last season, including the WPIAL Class 2A championship. They were hit hard by graduation, but return a few talented skill players to help defend the title. Chatfield has been contributor since his freshman season and is stepping into a more prominent role at receiver. He and the No. 5-ranked Eagles will be tested Friday in a nonconference home game against Class 4A No. 5 North Catholic.

Julian Dugger

Penn Hills, jr., QB

The Indians’ junior quarterback threw for more than 1,300 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 651 yards and 11 scores last season when Penn Hills reached the Class 5A semifinals. Expectations are high again for the young signal-caller and the third-ranked Indians, who will open the 2022 campaign in a tough nonconference game against Class 6A No. 2 Seneca Valley. The Trib HSSN preseason all-star has scholarship offers from Pitt, Toledo and UMass.

Nodin Tracy

West Allegheny, sr., RB/LB

Tracy led West Allegheny in rushing, receiving and scoring last year when he ran for 638 yards and eight scores and caught 20 passes for 342 yards and eight scores. He will be relied on to be a playmaker again this season, starting with a road test at nearby Moon in a nonconference game Friday night.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.