With bevy of returning starters, Washington looks poised for bounce-back year

By: Jonathan Bombulie
Sunday, August 17, 2025 | 5:01 AM

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Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22. Due to production schedule conflicts, the Charleroi preview will be published later in the week.

Mike Bosnic has been at this a while, entering his 17th season as Washington’s football coach, but he still gets excited at the start of a new year.

His level of excitement isn’t determined by the number of starters he has returning or how many rushing yards or tackles those players had the season before.

It’s determined by the attitude and work ethic of the team.

And at the start of this season, Bosnic is excited.

“The kids that we’re really relying on as seniors this year are stepping up and being leaders,” Bosic said. “It’s been refreshing. The kids are holding each other accountable and encouraging each other and trying to listen to their coaches and get better. It’s just really exciting for me when you get a group of kids like that.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have nine starters back on both sides of the ball, including a Division I recruit as a third-year starter at quarterback.

That’s Tristan Reed, who has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons. At 6-foot-4, 180 pounds with a reported 40 time of 4.51, he was recruited by Miami (Ohio) as a wide receiver.

Bosnic said Reed will play under center this season, but depending on the development of two sophomore quarterbacks on the roster, he could move to wide receiver.

“He’s a great athlete and he’s a guy we want to get the ball in his hands as much as possible because he can make a play at any time,” Bosnic said.

The Prexies have so many returning starters this year because of the way last year played out. En route to going 5-6 and falling to Steel Valley in the first round of the playoffs, Washington was hit hard by injuries and turned to underclassmen in important roles all over the field.

“There were times I looked out on the field and we had five or six freshmen out there playing — and doing pretty well for themselves,” Bosnic said. “Now, it’s a good thing. Coming into this year, those guys have a lot of experience.”

The cream of that freshman crop was Ameer Nelson, who earned all-conference honors as both a wide receiver and defensive back.

“Ameer’s a heck of a football player,” Bosnic said. “I’m excited. We have three more years with him. He’s going to be a great, great player for us.”

Running back Trenton Grooms, who ran for more than 800 yards last season, is another all-conference player coming back.

The Prexies have tremendous depth on the lines, led by 2023 all-conference pick Joe Wilson and 6-5 tackle Jayden Nemeth. Tackle Nyjah Dudley and guards Jamarion Fitzgerald, Eric Everett and Oscar Fregoso-Morgan are also back, as is wide receiver Caleb Patton, an all-conference performer as a specialist.

The linebacking corps looks to be a strenth of the defense, with all-conference player Jahvon Woods leading the way. He’ll be joined by Grooms and Blake Naraskivitch. Safety Tyler Crawford also returns.

“We’re bringing back a lot of guys, a lot of experience,” Bosnic said. “We’re getting guys back who missed a lot of time last season with injuries or maybe even missed the whole season. We’re going to have some experience everywhere.”

A month or two ago, when Seton LaSalle was chock full of playmakers, Washington might have come into this season as a decided underdog in the Century Conference. Now, with the personnel losses the Rebels suffered, the Prexies look to have as good a chance as anyone to claim a conference crown.

“With us, there’s always the expectation of winning the conference and winning playoff games, and that’s not going to change,” Bosnic said. “Hopefully we can continue to get better and develop these guys and win the conference.”

Washington

Coach: Mike Bosnic

2024 record: 5-6, 3-3 in Class 2A Century Conference

All-time record: 747-386-56

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.22 McGuffey, 7

8.29 Steel Valley, 7

9.5 at Union, 7

9.12 at Waynesburg*, 7

9.19 Sto-Rox*, 7

9.26 at South Park, 7

10.3 Keystone Oaks*, 7

10.10 at Charleroi*, 7

10.17 Carlynton*, 7

10.24 at Seton-LaSalle*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Tristan Reed

52-105, 812 yards, 9 TDs

Rushing: Trenton Grooms

123-837 yards, 4 TDs

Receiving: Caleb Patton

23-479 yards, 7 TDs

FAST FACTS

• Washington is fourth in all-time wins among active WPIAL programs with 747, behind only Aliquippa (790), Jeannette (786) and New Castle (760).

• Washington has won seven WPIAL championships, its most recent in 2017 and its first a century earlier in 1917.

• Last year’s 5-6 campaign was Washington’s first losing season since going 2-7 in 2006.

• Washington gave up at least 25 points in five of its last six games last season.

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.

Tags: Washington