PA high school football 2025: Top 10 games you don’t want to miss in Butler County this season
It’s almost as if one can hear the marching band playing and smell the concession food in the air. It’s three-and-a-half weeks out from the beginning of the high school football season.
Programs in the Butler County area have a lot to look forward to. A few, such as Freeport and Karns City, are looking to build off solid showings last year. Others — Knoch, Moniteau and Seneca Valley — are breaking in new coaches.
Before the touchdowns and tackles, here are the best games to attend each week this fall:
To kick things off, let’s head to a clash between two playoff teams from last season.
Personnel-wise, Eric Kasperowicz’ Planets will look different but do bring back game-breaking receiver Gabe Hein, who recently committed to Sacred Heart and figures to be a cornerstone as a fourth-year starter.
At one point last season, Beaver won six of including, including a commanding 48-10 win over North Catholic.
This one was a defensive battle last season, with North Hills winning 13-6 at home.
The site changes this time around. As does the Raiders’ leadership, now that former SV standout Don Barclay has taken over.
The Raiders also feature Power Four Division I talent in tight end and Vanderbilt commit Adam Gehm, who could be poised for a big season.
There’s nothing like watching contrasting offensive philosophies go at it.
The Gremlins’ Hunter Scherer, Cole Johnston and Owen Heginbotham, all back, combined for 1,983 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground last season. DuBois passer Trey Wingard threw for 3,099 yards, 38 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Wingard’s leading returning receiver had only eight grabs last year. Will Karns City’s ground-heavy approach roll?
Whereas Joe Sherwin’s Karns City program has remained steady, Moniteau is looking to build a new foundation.
The Warriors lost the nine games decided on the field by an average of 40.5 points in 2024. Their 0-10 campaign began with an 59-0 home loss to the neighboring rival Gremlins.
Head coach Clay Kohlmeyer has taken over for Moniteau. Bet the Warriors alumnus has this game circled on the calendar.
Westinghouse was the best team in the Pittsburgh City League last season, a slate in which it beat Butler 28-17. After three consecutive home games, Eric Christy’s Golden Tornado should know who they are by the time they board the bus for this one.
Butler wants to gain all the momentum it can as an independent program. Finding a way to beat a team that reached the PIAA Class 1A quarterfinals last year would certainly give the Tornado something to point to.
The Yellowjackets won’t have any turnover at two key offensive positions. Quarterback Drew Ross threw for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, while tailback Amos Glenn rumbled for almost 1,400 yards and 15 scores.
John Gaillot’s team should have a chance to compete for an Allegheny 7 Conference crown, and against a Valley team that hasn’t been very competitive in past years, this could be a banner night for the offensive duo.
Dating back to 2020, Mars has won the last three installations of this series between nearby schools, including a 42-7 romp last season.
The Planets have the same expectations this year as last, when they reached the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals. Meanwhile, T.J. Wiley and the Knights are building something new. It should be an interesting crossroads.
This one features a list of compelling draws. It’s a rematch of last year’s WPIAL Class 4A semifinal taking place in a football-crazed town that fields the nation’s top running back in the Class of 2027.
McKeesport’s Kemon Spell ran for touchdowns of 55, 36 and 56 yards and finished with 280 rushing yards in the Tigers’ 35-7 win last November.
Slowing Spell would be a huge boon for the Planets as they hope to be rounding into postseason form by this point.
Avonworth finished atop the Western Hills Conference in 2024 while the Trojans were middle of the pack.
North Catholic has had a full offseason to build upon its passing attack, spearheaded by signal-caller Joey Felitsky and receiver Ryker Kennedy. Former Butler wideout Preston Simko joined the Trojans this offseason, adding another threat.
If Chris Rizzo’s team has its way, this outing will have conference championship implications.
The Tigers have had Seneca Valley’s number over the past three seasons. North Allegheny outscored the Raiders 87-14 in the last two meetings.
It’s possible in front of a home crowd things won’t be nearly as lopsided this time around. Not to mention, Barclay’s team could need to win this one to punch their playoff ticket.
