Trib HSSN high school football team of the week for Sept. 29, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Monday, September 29, 2025 | 8:01 PM

Trib HSSN football team of the week – Albert Gallatin Colonials

Coach: Drew Dindl (eighth season)

Result: Albert Gallatin 63, Allegany (Md.) 56

Record: 6-0 overall

#Earned: Marching against an independent schedule for seven years has brought excitement and competitive football back to a once fading program. The numbers in the first 18 years of this century painted a bleak picture for Albert Gallatin football. From 2000-2018, the Colonials had 26 wins and 151 losses, and most of those were via the running clock mercy rule. In their final season as a member of the WPIAL, the Colonials were 0-10 and were outscored 650-46. Something needed to change. Prior to the 2019 season, district officials made the tough decision and became one of the first schools to leave District 7 in football only and play an independent schedule with the hopes of building the program back. The positive results were quick as Albert Gallatin finished 5-3 in the 2019 season. Under coach Drew Dindl, the program enjoyed winning records in 2020, 2021 and again in 2024, winning as many as six games in a season twice. This past week in a wild offensive showing by both teams, Albert Gallatin made the long trip to Maryland and defeated Allegany, 63-56. The win kept the Colonials undefeated for the season at 6-0.

Statistical standouts: Colonials senior running back Tee Guesman had a monster game in disposing of the host Campers on Friday. Guseman rushed for 285 yards and scored seven touchdowns. For the season, he is closing in on 1K rushing with 867 yards and he leads the Colonials with 15 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Bronx Jamison hasn’t been asked to throw much, but he does have more than 200 yards passing and five touchdown tosses. Jamison, Guseman and senior running back Adam Pegg man the run-heavy offense for Albert Gallatin, which is averaging 46.5 points per game in its six wins. The team heads back south to Maryland this Friday for a game at Clear Spring, then is home to Hedgesville (W. Va.) and Weir (W. Va.) to close out the season with a road game at Brownsville in between.

Last year: Following two straight losing seasons in 2022 and 2023 in which they were a combined 7-11, last fall was a bounce-back season of sorts for Albert Gallatin as it finished with six wins, matching the 2021 Colonials. AG finished strong with three straight wins over Clear Spring (Md.), Brownsville and Weir (W. Va.) by a combined score of 137-47. The Colonials had three losses last year, falling to Greensburg Salem, Northern Garrett (Md.) and Allegany (Md.). Albert Gallatin swept Fayette County with wins over Brownsville, Uniontown and a rare victory over Connellsville, 29-26.

Remember when: For all the struggles in the latter years of the 20th century and its days as a district member this century, Albert Gallatin has won a WPIAL football championship not once, but twice. Back in 1961, the Colonials played in the WPIAL Class 2A title game and defeated Penn Joint, 19-6. Penn Joint later merged with Trafford to form Penn-Trafford. Then 51 years ago, Albert Gallatin again won the District 7 Class 2A championship when it knocked off Freeport in the 1974 finals, 41-6.

Week 5 honorable mention

Mt. Lebanon

Excuse members of the Mt. Lebanon football program if they think the calendar still reads 2024. A year ago, the Blue Devils lost their first five games, defeated Seneca Valley at home in Week 5, then finished with two more wins to end up in third place with a Class 6A playoff spot. Here in 2025, Lebo entered this past week winless in five games before senior quarterback Patrick Smith exploded with a touchdown pass and four scoring runs as the Blue Devils rolled past the host Raiders, 41-20.

Peters Township

Two of the top three teams in Class 5A met for the first time to open up play in the uber competitive Allegheny Six Conference. Route 19 rivals Peters Township and Upper St. Clair met twice last season with USC winning in the regular season and PT claiming victory in the 5A semifinals. Nolan DiLucia completed 15 of 22 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns while running back Cole Neupaver rushed for 123 yards and scored on a 4-yard run as the Indians edged the Panthers, 24-20.

New Castle

New Castle won its first four games last fall and looked like it was set to make a run in the Class 4A Parkway Conference and beyond. However, signs of glory days for the Red Hurricanes quickly went south when they lost four straight contests. This year, Ne-Ca High won four of its first five with four shutout victories heading into a home game last week against Aliquippa. Freshman quarterback Marino Graham threw for 179 yards and rushed for 105 with two touchdowns, including the game winner with 26 seconds left as the Red Hurricanes stunned the Quips, 18-12.

Charleroi and Summit Academy

Heading into the start of the second half of the regular season, there were 13 WPIAL football teams that had yet to taste the sweet nectar of victory. That list has been whittled to 11 as both Charleroi and Summit Academy picked up their first wins of this season in Week 5. Brody DeUnger and Elijah Alah each scored twice and Dylan Klinger had a scoring pass and a TD run as the Cougars kept Sto-Rox winless, 45-26. Then Saturday in another battle of winless teams, the Knights defeated Rochester, 30-22.

2025 Trib HSSN teams of the week

Week 4 – Aliquippa Quips

Week 3 – Avella Eagles

Week 2 – Southmoreland Scotties

Week 1 – Mars Fightin’ Planets

Week Zero – Upper St. Clair Panthers

Tags: Albert Gallatin