Trib HSSN high school football team of the week for Sept. 15, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Monday, September 15, 2025 | 8:24 PM

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Trib HSSN football team of the week – Avella Eagles

Coach: Ryan Cecchini (15th season)

Result: Avella 18, West Greene 7

Record: 1-0 in the Class A Tri-County South, 4-0 overall

#Earned: From 2015-2024, the Avella football program finished with more than three wins in a season twice with five victories in 2020 and a 4-6 overall record in 2023. The Eagles have made the playoffs three times this century and last won a district postseason game when they blanked Washington Township, 13-0, to win the 1961 WPIAL championship, the school’s third football title (joining 1941 and 1957). However, after winning their Class A Tri-County South opener this past Friday, Avella is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2013. As it did Friday in hosting West Greene, Avella has leaned heavily on its defense in its hot start, yielding only six points in each of the four wins, including an 18-6 triumph for the Eagles over the Pioneers in which Avella scored touchdowns in the first, third and fourth quarter while giving up six to West Greene in the final quarter.

Statistical standouts: In the conference opener Friday, senior running back Noah Kimberland scored the only points of the first half on a 5-yard run for Avella. Junior quarterback Charles Rush capped off the scoring with touchdown runs of 1 yard in the third quarter and 8 yards in the fourth. Rush was 5 of 7 passing for 147 yards while adding 16 yards and 2TDs on the ground. Kimberland led the Eagles on the ground with 84 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Bryce Wright had three receptions for 112 yards and added 43 yards rushing on seven carries. For the season, Rush is 20 of 33 passing for 415 yards and five touchdowns while also leading on the ground with 228 yards on 49 carries and five touchdowns. Both Kimberland and Wright have scored four touchdowns this season for the Eagles.

Last year: The start to the 2025 season for Avella is nothing like the beginning of the 2024 campaign. Last year, the Eagles lost to Mapletown and Carlynton in the first two games by a combined score of 41-6. Following a shutout of Springdale in Week 2, Avella lost its first two Tri-County South Conference games to West Greene, 23-12, and at California, 40-0. The Eagles finished in sixth place in the eight-team TCS last year with a 2-5 conference record and a 3-7 mark overall. Rush combined for nearly 1,000 yards as a sophomore quarterback with 341 yards passing and 619 yards rushing.

Remember when: Avella made the WPIAL playoffs three times under 15th-year coach Ryan Cecchini, losing first-round games to Jeannette in 2020, North Catholic in 2014 and Sto-Rox in 2013. That postseason berth for the Eagles in Cecchini’s third season ended a 37-year playoff drought. The program had not made the playoffs since 1976. The last WPIAL playoff win for Avella came in the 1961 Class A championship game. Ryan Cecchini’s late father Bill was a member of that title winning team.

Week 3 honorable mention

Gateway Gators

It has been a frustrating start for a perennial playoff program in Gateway, which had been outscored 105-28 in losses to State College, North Allegheny and Plum. What better reset button to hit than the Class 5A Big East Conference opener with the Gators hosting Kiski Area? Gateway quarterback Mayson Mitchell had a big night, completing 25 of 41 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns to Kacey Carter, Tyree Gowder and Shawn Moorefield, plus he scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown on a short run as the Gators held on to beat the Cavaliers, 34-31, for a share of first place in the Big East.

Aliquippa Quips

The world did not get bumped off its axis, the earth didn’t quiver and quake and the sun actually came up the next day after Aliquippa suffered a very rare home loss in Week 2. Yes, eyebrows were raised when Avonworth knocked off the Quips at Heinz Field, but those folks who thought the season was doomed for one of the district football powers were proven wrong Friday. It may have taken a while, but the Quips rallied for 19 points in the fourth quarter to improve to 2-1. J.J. Work scored twice and Qa’Lil Goode returned a pick 45 yards for a score as Aliquippa handed Mars its first loss, 19-6.

Avonworth Antelopes

Perhaps one of the toughest back-to-back tuneups for a conference opener in recent WPIAL football history is what defending Class 3A champion Avonworth had to deal with after beating Burrell and West Mifflin in its first two games. The Antelopes accepted the challenge of visiting Aliquippa and hosting Thomas Jefferson and knocked that possible curveball out of the park. Following a win over the Quips by 16 points, Avonworth rolled past the Jaguars as Dimitri Valisaris and the ‘Lopes defense scored twice in a convincing victory heading into Class 3A Western Hills Conference play, 41-14.

Freedom Bulldogs

Last year, the Freedom football team struggled with only one Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference victory and a total of two victories in eight games. What a difference a year makes as the Bulldogs won their conference opener on Friday and picked up their third victory in four games. Kaden Bailey rushed for 110 yards and scored three touchdowns on runs of 14, 1 and 57 yards, while Bulldogs teammate Karter Brown and Mason O’Donnell also added scoring runs as Freedom torched previously undefeated New Brighton, 42-0.

2025 HSSN teams of the week

Week 2 – Southmoreland Scotties

Week 1 – Mars Fightin’ Planets

Week Zero – Upper St. Clair Panthers

Tags: Avella