Trib HSSN Head of the Class 2024: Football players of the year in each classification

By: Don Rebel
Monday, December 16, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Back in the day, when students did well in the classroom, they were moved to the front of the class.

Like a gold star on the forehead, the tradition continues as Trib HSSN is once again moving that prized student to the head of the class.

There were plenty of players who stood out for their performances on the gridiron around the WPIAL and City League in 2024, and some of those players will be recognized with the soon-to-be-released Trib Terrific 25.

However, these seven players were a cut above the rest and deserve a classroom salute.

Usually this list is dominated by quarterbacks and running backs, but this season, the big man gets some love with two linemen, a linebacker and two wide receivers making this dean’s list.

The following have reached the HSSN Head of the Class for this past season and are our Trib Players of the Year in each of the six WPIAL classifications and City League.

Class 6A

Bradley Gompers, Central Catholic

Bradley Gompers and the rest of the Central Catholic seniors finally became the brides after three years of bridesmaid status. Gompers was a big part of the Vikings finally winning district gold after losing in the WPIAL title game the last three seasons. On offense, the tight end was third on the team in receptions with 30 but led Central Catholic with 826 yards and a gaudy 27.5 yards-per-catch average. The Duke commit was tied for second on the team with 12 touchdowns. On defense, he was a big reason why the Vikings allowed only 54 points in six Class 6A victories and 17 points per game in finishing as PIAA runners-up with a 12-3 record. The linebacker had 91 total tackles, 16 for losses, five sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles.

Class 5A

Nate Stohl, Upper St. Clair

While there was no gold or silver at the end of the journey, it was a near-perfect season for Upper St. Clair and its outstanding senior lineman, Nate Stohl. The Panthers won all but one game thanks to a defense that allowed only 9.2 points per game, second best in the WPIAL. The defensive end had a team high 55 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, four sacks and one blocked field goal. As an offensive guard, he helped lead the USC running attack that rushed for 3,152 yards and 23 touchdowns. The run game averaged 267.7 yards per game and 7.2 yards per carry. Upper St. Clair had 13 players reach 100 yards rushing in 12 games. Stohl, who has a 4.375 GPA and has committed to play in the Ivy League at Princeton, won the 2024 Bill Fralic Memorial Award for best district lineman.

Class 4A

Shep Turk, Thomas Jefferson

In NFL training camps, the only thing young players trying to make the roster don’t want is a “dreaded visit from The Turk.” He is the guy who shows up on cutdown day, advising players to see coach and bring their playbook. Lifelong dreams come to an end. That is how opposing defensive players hoping to blowup a play against Thomas Jefferson felt when they had to go through tackle Shep Turk. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound senior also played on the defensive line for the Jaguars but is projected as an offensive tackle at Pitt. He helped a TJ running attack led by sophomore Tyler Eber amass a team total of 2,879 yards and protected quarterback Luke Kosko, allowing him to throw for 1, 991 yards and 24 touchdowns as the Jaguars captured district gold for the first time in four years.

Class 3A

Dayshaun Burnett, Imani Christian

As Imani Christian climbed the ladder from Class 2A to 3A this season, two-way star athlete Dayshaun Burnett was soaring to success on both sides of the ball while wearing many hats. Listed as a tight end on offense, he was used in many ways to get the ball in his hands. He led the Saints in receiving with 562 yards on 34 catches for an average of 16.5 yards per reception. He was fifth on the team in rushing and second on the team in scoring with 12 touchdowns. He was even 8 of 16 passing for 70 yards. As a linebacker, he was a big part of the Imani Christian defense that allowed an average of 10.3 points per game, one of the best in the district. He had 75 tackles, 25 solo tackles, 11½ sacks and 21 QB hurries. Heavily recruited by top Division I programs, Burnett will be playing his college ball at Penn State.

Class 2A

Donald Barksdale, Steel Valley

For the second straight season, this Steel Valley senior had much more bite than bark to his game. Donald Barksdale capped off an incredible two-year run as one of the top players in the district by rushing for 2,150 yards on 187 carries for an average of 11.5 yards per tote. The Youngstown State commit was second in the WPIAL in rushing, finishing 126 yards behind Tyler Eber of Thomas Jefferson despite having 233 fewer carries. His average yards per carry was tops in the district for rushers with at least 110 carries. His team-high 32 touchdowns were tied for third in the WPIAL. The Ironmen legacy continues as for a fourth straight year, a Steel Valley player is the Trib HSSN Class 2A Player of the Year. Barksdale won it in 2023, Cruce Brookins in 2022 and Nijhay Burt in 2021.

Class A

Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry

Fort Cherry quarterback Matt Sieg has accomplished so much in his scholastic career, yet the bad news for Class A teams in the district and across the state is he’s only a junior. For the third straight year, Sieg led the Rangers in passing and rushing. Despite playing with a broken thumb suffered early in the season that greatly limited his passing, he connected on 89 of 156 passes for 1,340 yards and 20 touchdown passes. The Penn State commit rushed for 1,840 yards on 246 carries for an average of 7.7 yards per carry and scored 33 touchdowns, which was second-most in the district. Prior to winning a second straight WPIAL title, in a semifinals victory over Jeannette, Sieg joined an exclusive club with Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette as the only other member of the 4K passing and 4K rushing club in WPIAL history.

City League

Lloyd Penn, Westinghouse

He wore No. 0 on the playing field, but the play of Lloyd Penn helped make Westinghouse No. 1 in the City League for a third straight year. The senior wide receiver who also played some defensive back enjoyed a big season that included a fourth straight District 8 title game appearance, a third straight City League championship and a third straight trip to the PIAA playoffs. Penn caught 46 passes for 1,109 yards and 29 touchdowns for a big-time 24.1 yards-per-catch average. He had a big game in the City League title game victory over Allderdice, catching four passes for 81 yards with all four receptions going for touchdowns.

Tags: Central Catholic, Fort Cherry, Imani Christian, Steel Valley, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair, Westinghouse