We have reached the final week of the high school football regular season with plenty of storylines still to be written in 2025. This past week, four players put up massive statistical performances to help their teams to impressive victories.
This season, KDKA Radio will again nominate players each week to join the KDKA Radio Super 7 Awards watch list. Every Monday, a new crop of players will be unveiled based on their efforts that previous Friday night. At the end of the year, KDKA Radio will announce the winners of the award for each WPIAL classification, as well as the Pittsburgh City League.
Here are the top performances from Week 8:
Andrew Cross, Moon
One of the big upsets of Week 8 went to Moon, which stunned Upper St. Clair in double overtime, 20-13, hanging the Panthers their second loss of the season.
Cross led the way, passing for 209 yards and rushing for two touchdowns — including the deciding score in the second overtimes.
A standout baseball player, Cross is committed to play at Penn State next year.
Moon finishes its season Friday at South Fayette in a game you can hear on KDKA Radio.
Luca Neal, Avonworth
Avonworth has dominated its way through the regular season thanks to its physical play on both sides of the ball.
On Friday, the Antelopes held one of the WPIAL’s best offenses in check, dropping a dynamic North Catholic team 42-10.
On the offensive side, Neal led the way with 225 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Neal, a senior, was an all-state selection last season, and will look to five the Antelopes an unbeaten regular season Friday against Beaver.
Ben Hays, Bentworth
Bentworth picked up its fifth win in a row Friday with a blowout win over Mapletown.
Hays accounted for all of the Bearcats’ touchdowns, rushing for 210 yards and six scores in the 42-0 win over the Maples.
The victory helped Bentworth clinch a playoff spot in Class 1A’s Tri-County South Conference.
Hays, who is also a tremendous basketball player, has rushed for nearly 1700 yards and has scored 30 touchdowns this season.
Owen Gardner, Trinity
Following a slow, 1-4 start to the season, Trinity enters Week 9 with a chance to win a conference title.
The Hillers set up a big matchup Friday to win the conference crown by way of a 48-0 win over Laurel Highlands Friday.
In the win, Gardner rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
This season, the junior tailback has rushed for 991 yards and has four straight 100-yard games entering Friday’s game against Belle Vernon.