Trib HSSN high school football team of the week for Oct. 27, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Monday, October 27, 2025 | 8:29 PM

Trib HSSN football team of the week – Steel Valley Ironmen

Coach: Ray Braszo (38th season overall, 11th season at Steel Valley, seventh season in second stint at SV)

Result: Steel Valley 33, South Allegheny 12

Record: 7-3 overall, 5-1 in Class 2A Allegheny Conference

#Earned: South Allegheny entered Week 9 alone in first place in the Class 2A Allegheny Conference, one victory away from not only winning the conference crown outright, but many believed the No. 1 seed in the 2A playoff bracket. With all the newfound excitement centering around the Gladiators, somebody forgot to tell Steel Valley, and the six-time WPIAL champion Ironmen rained on SA’s parade in Glassport. The teams exchanged first-quarter touchdowns before Steel Valley scored two more times before the half to lead, 21-6. South Allegheny pulled to within nine points with a TD in the third, but the Ironmen iced it with two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a second defensive score, to win going away, 33-12. The Steel Valley victory, along with an Apollo-Ridge win over Ligonier Valley, forced a three-way tie for the conference title. WPIAL tiebreaker points ended with the Ironmen at plus-46, the Gladiators at plus-40 and the Vikings at plus-32, giving Steel Valley the top seed out of the conference. Steel Valley earned a No. 3 seed and a first-round playoff bye while South Allegheny and Apollo-Ridge will have home playoff games in the opening round Friday.

Statistical standouts: Following years of Donald Barksdale’s dominance leading Steel Valley to recent success, younger brother Da’Ron Barksdale has carried the torch for the 2025 Ironmen. A stud on defense for a team that has allowed only 104 points all season, the Pitt recruit is in the top five in rushing in the WPIAL with 1,508 yards and 24 touchdowns. In the conference-clinching win at South Allegheny, Barksdale rushed for 179 yards and scored three touchdowns on runs of 10, 19 and 5 yards. The two other Steel Valley scores Friday were defensive touchdowns. Junior defensive back Ashad Dye made a great play to score on an 89-yard interception return that turned that game in the visiting Ironmen’s favor in the second quarter. The cherry on top of the victory ice cream came when senior Lamarion Rucker had a scoop-and-score from 42 yards out that iced the win for Steel Valley.

Last year: The 2024 season started slowly for the 2022 WPIAL Class 2A champions as Steel Valley lost to Clairton, Bishop Canevin and South Park in their 2A Allegheny Conference opener to sit at 1-3. The Ironmen turned it around dramatically over the final six weeks of the regular season, finishing 5-1 and in second place in the conference and 7-3 overall. In the 2A playoffs, Steel Valley first eliminated Washington in the opening round, 49-28, and then knocked out Western Beaver in the quarterfinals, 36-13. The season ended in the district semifinals, though, as the Ironmen lost to undefeated Seton LaSalle, 27-13, to finish 9-4 on the season and end their two-year run of championship game appearances.

Remember when: After several championship game losses when he was head coach at West Mifflin, Steel Valley coach Ray Braszo finally led his team to a WPIAL title in 2022 when the Ironmen rolled past Beaver Falls at Acrisure Stadium, 34-14. However, Braszo was an assistant coach on the first Steel Valley district championship team. He was a young offensive coordinator under George Novak when Steel Valley defeated Aliquippa in the 1982 Class 3A finals, 10-0. He coached under Jack Giran for a couple of years before leaving for his first head coaching job at West Mifflin in 1988, the same year the Ironmen won the first of back-to-back WPIAL crowns by shutting out Center in the 1988 2A title game, 6-0. The following year, the Ironmen repeated by edging Freeport, 20-14.

Week 9 honorable mention

Plum

Talk about winning in dramatic fashion. Facing a must-win scenario, host Plum and Penn Hills were tied 14-14 heading into the moments of regulation when the Mustangs drove inside the 10 and lined up with seconds remaining for a game-winning field goal. Plum kicker Austin Kolankowski was a hero, but not for booting home the winning points. His kick was blocked, and he picked up the loose ball and was pushed into the end zone for the win and eventually a Class 5A postseason wild card berth.

Chartiers Valley

Following wins in six of its first seven games, Chartiers Valley’s hopes of winning a Class 4A Big Six Conference ended and its playoff hopes were fading away with back-to-back losses in Weeks 7 and 8 to Trinity and Thomas Jefferson. However, needing a win to stay alive for a 4A wild card, Tayshaun Lewis rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns as the Colts blanked Ringgold, 38-0, and galloped into the playoffs a day later as a 4A wild card team.

North Catholic

Last year, the highlight of Week 9 was a wild Class 3A Western Hills Conference game in which North Catholic outlasted Hopewell, 55-43. Then-junior quarterback Joey Felitsky threw for 370 yards and three TDs in leading the Trojans. Points were not hard to come by this past Friday when the two met again. Felitsky was 23 of 28 passing for 332 yards and four touchdowns tosses as North Catholic beat Hopewell again, 44-36. The Trojans clinched Friday and the Vikings earned a 3A wild card Saturday.

Greensburg Central Catholic

Coming into the final week of the regular season, one of the big questions in Class A was would the Tri-County South Conference have four playoff teams. The answer was yes, but for a second straight year, the Eastern Conference earned five playoff spots. Greensburg Central Catholic came up with a large effort thanks to Samir Crosby, who threw for 176 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 150 yards and two scores, as the Centurions shocked Eastern runner-up Leechburg, 36-7. It was enough to earn fifth-place GCC a Class A wild card spot.

2025 HSSN teams of the week

Week 8 – Moon Tigers

Week 7 – North Allegheny Tigers

Week 6 – Apollo-Ridge Vikings

Week 5 – Albert Gallatin Colonials

Week 4 – Aliquippa Quips

Week 3 – Avella Eagles

Week 2 – Southmoreland Scotties

Week 1 – Mars Fightin’ Planets

Week Zero – Upper St. Clair Panthers

Tags: Steel Valley