Trib HSSN high school football player of the week for Nov. 10, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Monday, November 10, 2025 | 8:41 PM

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Trib HSSN football player of the week – Khalil Taylor

School: Pine-Richland

Class: Junior

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 185 pounds

Position: Wide receiver/defensive back

#Earned: Usually, one reception is not going to garner the attention needed for player of the week consideration. However, on Friday in the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals, Pine-Richland wide receiver and defensive back Khalil Taylor proved he is a jack of all trades and a master of each. The junior was the total package on the football field on offense, defense and special teams in the Rams’ victory over visiting Shaler. Taylor’s impressive night began with a bang from the start, returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. In what was his only reception of the night, Taylor caught a 30-yard scoring pass from Aaron Strader to ignite a 28-point second quarter as Pine-Richland extended its lead to 14-3. Moments later, on the Titans’ next possession, Taylor scored his third touchdown on a 9-yard interception return for a score. His fourth and final touchdown of the game came in the third quarter when he returned a Shaler punt 87 yards for a four-score night. In all, Taylor had one catch for 30 yards and a TD, two kickoff returns for 113 yards and a score, one punt return for 87 yards and a touchdown, one tackle and one pick-six on defense, and when the Rams punter was banged up, he stepped in and had one punt for 54 yards that was downed at the 1-yard line as defending champion Pine-Richland headed back to the semifinals with a convincing win over Shaler, 42-10.

Background: Khalil Taylor had committed to Penn State but decommitted in the wake of the firing of Nittany Lions coach James Franklin last month. He has received more than a dozen Power 4 offers since reopening his recruitment process from Pitt, West Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland, Nebraska, Rutgers, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Virginia and Syracuse. In the last week, he has had offers from two Big Ten heavy hitters, Oregon and Ohio State. The recruiting website Rivals rates him a four-star prospect and has him ranked 11th among wide receivers in the country. Last year as a sophomore at Seton LaSalle, Taylor had 51 receptions for 932 yards and 22 touchdowns in helping the Rebels reach the Class 2A championship game. He transferred from Seton LaSalle to Pine-Richland this summer when he moved from living with his mother in the Hill District to living with his father in the Pine-Richland school district following the shooting death of his cousin near his home. This season for the Rams, he has 30 catches for 506 yards with a team-high 22 touchdowns. Taylor is a two-sport star, having run track nearly his entire life. As a freshman, he finished fifth at the WPIAL championships in the 100-meter dash.

What coach says: “Everyone knows the type of player Khalil is. He can take over a game at any point,” Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne said. “His calm and collectiveness sets him apart. He is a big team player, worried more about team success than individual accolades.”

“I am sure the last several months have been hard for him, but he has handled it in stride,” LeDonne said about attending and playing at a new school. “He is a very quiet, keep-to-himself kid, but he is starting to loosen up a little bit around the team. He is building relationships, becoming more comfortable and starting to showcase his talents.”

“We always talk about special teams being one-third of the game, and how winning the special teams battle gives you a good chance to win the game,” LeDonne said. “Coach Joe Walton always said one or two games a year will be determined by special teams. We place much emphasis on it daily. Our special teams guys do a great job getting us prepared.”

“Continue to focus on us,” LeDonne said when asked what Taylor and his Rams teammates must do for success against Moon in the semifinals. “We are who we are, and we need to dictate that. Taking care of the football and establishing the line of scrimmage will be key.”

Week 11 honorable mention

Cole Neupaver, Peters Township

Peters Township has had great success the last couple of seasons thanks in part to the quarterback play of senior Nolan DiLucia and a staunch defense. Now a new weapon has been taking the limelight and running downfield with it. Senior running back Cole Neupaver carried the ball 28 times and for 135 yards while scoring four touchdowns on runs of 1, 4, 8 and 13 yards as Peters Township advanced to the semifinals and remained undefeated with a quarterfinal win over rival Bethel Park, 42-14.

J.J. Work, Aliquippa

Eyebrows around the district were raised last week with the unexpected return of Marques Council Jr. at quarterback for Aliquippa as he sparked the team to a late comeback win over No. 2 seed Trinity. However, the Quips got back to their life’s work last week of running the ball with great success in a semifinal victory over New Castle. Senior running back J.J. Work rushed for 167 yards and broke a scoreless tie in the third quarter with a 39-yard scoring run as the Quips blanked the Red Hurricanes, 14-0.

Da’Ron Barksdale, Steel Valley

Steel Valley opponents prepare all week to come up with a defensive strategy that could slow down No. 2 in maroon and gold. Plan all you want, but most times, Ironmen running back Da’Ron Barksdale is going to feast. The senior Pitt commit was busy Friday in the quarterfinals, toting the ball 30 times for 213 yards, an average of more than seven yards per carry. Barksdale also scored five touchdowns on runs of 4, 1, 4, 3 and 10 yards as Steel Valley advanced to the Class 2A semifinals with a win over Ellwood City, 42-6.

Eli Salvini, Fort Cherry

We saluted a Fort Cherry senior as our player of the week last month, and he has been mentioned a couple of times, including last week in this “honorable mention” space. Here is another tip of the helmet for a Rangers player, but this time, it’s not Matt Sieg. Junior running back Eli Salvini showed the future for Fort Cherry is bright by rushing for 206 yards on 23 carries and scoring touchdowns on runs of 69 and 35 yards as the Rangers remained undefeated with a win over Neshannock, 36-9.

2025 Trib HSSN Players of the Week

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 “Booboo” Armstrong, Hopewell

Week Zero – Gabriel Jenkins, Imani Christian

Tags: Pine-Richland