With a brand-new season set to get underway this Friday, every team is starting out with a clean slate and plenty to look forward to — but not all expectations are created equal.
While some local teams will take the field with dreams of competing for a City League title later this fall, things are a little bit different at Westinghouse. Winners of three consecutive City League crowns and five of the past six, the Bulldogs have raised the standard to a level that hasn’t been seen for an inner-city school in more than two decades — not since Perry and its “Blue Steel” defense ruled over the city in the late-1990s and early-2000s.
Those legendary Commodores teams made their mark by not only dominating the City League competition but also flexing their muscles against some of the best teams the WPIAL and the rest of the state had to offer. And in six years since the hiring of program-changing coach Donta Green, Westinghouse has already proven capable of doing the same thing year in and year out.
“It’s kind of cool that that has become the standard,” said Green, who holds a career record of 55-9 during his six-year tenure. “Of course, the City League championship is No. 1 and finishing what is on our plate before looking ahead for dessert, but it’s cool to see that is what the kids work for. Their commitment, their sacrifice, their work ethic all reflects that.”
While competing in Class 2A in 2022, the Bulldogs advanced to their first state championship game in program history, putting up a valiant effort before falling to mighty Southern Columbia, 37-22. The teams met again one year later, and this time, Westinghouse was on the brink of a historic victory until a last-minute touchdown gave Southern Columbia a 21-20 comeback win for its seventh consecutive state title.
The Bulldogs then dropped down to Class 1A for the 2024-25 cycle, and many expected them to make a run at a third consecutive state finals appearance after cruising through their regular-season schedule and blasting Allderdice in the City League championship game, 40-12. But Bishop Guilfoyle foiled those plans, turning a handful of turnovers into a 56-15 rout in the PIAA quarterfinals.
That blowout loss left an extremely sour taste in the mouths of Green and each of his returning players, who now enter the 2025 season with a renewed chip on their shoulders, hungrier than ever before to finally bring home the sport’s ultimate prize.
“It’s something that we don’t talk about, but it’s a taste that we’ll never forget,” Green said. “It’s the worst game we’ve lost since I’ve taken over, and our guys felt it. You could tell by the energy during the offseason that they want to make sure that never happens again.”
Several key pieces are gone from last year’s squad, including dual-threat quarterback Khalil Green and standout receiver-defensive back Lloyd Penn. But Westinghouse’s cupboard is far from bare, and the Bulldogs also received a major boost in the form of sophomore quarterback Zahir Ismaeli, who transferred from West Mifflin after a stellar debut season.
Speedy junior K-Shawn Hawkins is a dangerous deep threat who will likely serve as Ismaeli’s top target in the passing game, while Jaylen Stanford and Jordan Reid are also reliable receivers with plenty of big-game experience for Westinghouse. And with Ismaeli’s game-breaking speed and elusiveness combined with the vision and explosiveness of junior tailback Dameon Hill, this could be the Bulldogs’ most potent rushing attack yet since Green’s arrival in 2019.
“Intellectually, [Ismaeli] is extremely gifted, and he’s an amazing student, which is the main thing,” Green said. “Just his athleticism — we’ll do some 7-on-7 stuff, and when he gets outside the pocket, he’s very dangerous. … He can fly.”
Much like those great Perry teams of yesteryear, though, it all starts with the defense at Westinghouse. A force on the defensive line for the past three seasons, senior Josiah Collins (6-2, 230) will be counted on even more this season to bring the pressure up front — and he appears to be up to the challenge.
“He plays every single position on the D-line,” Green said. “I didn’t think he could, but he has gotten better over the offseason. He is playing at another level right now.”
Elsewhere, sophomore DaeJour Pinckney (6-3, 220) is another elite edge rusher who is already receiving interest from several Power Four schools, and Green is expecting a big breakout season out of him in 2025. As for the fastest player on the team? Junior outside linebacker Daisaun Blanchard, who runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.
In the secondary, Reid will start at cornerback alongside freshman Keontae Robinson, while Stanford will line up at free safety next to strong safety DeJheerit Mellix. All in all, this has the makings of another ferocious defensive unit for the Bulldogs, who have much bigger goals in mind than simply winning a fourth consecutive City League title.
“We’re really young, but really talented,” Green said. “Guys have been around the program for the last couple years. We’re excited to see what these young guys can do.”
Thrust into emotional turmoil following the death of longtime coach Jerry Haslett only a month before the start of the 2024 season, Allderdice rallied together under new coach Mark Matson to win four of its first five games on its way to a five-win season, one that culminated in a trip to the City League championship game for the Dragons. Allderdice gave heavily favored Westinghouse all it could handle before the Bulldogs broke open a 12-12 tie with 28 unanswered points, but the message was clear — the Dragons are here to stay. Senior tight end-edge rusher Lukas Stead, a three-sport standout who is receiving FBS interest in football, is the unquestioned leader for Allderdice. Senior running back Nasir Scott is another key playmaker returning for the Dragons alongside quarterback Trecyn Ford and wide receiver Brandon Beachum.
Since the program’s inception in 2011, University Prep has always been a threat to contend for the City League title year in and year out. But with the Wildcats entering year No. 15 under venerable coach Lou Berry, it has been almost a full decade since they last claimed the city crown in 2016. Standout linebacker Xair Stevenson will be tough to replace, but University Prep has a trio of all-city performers returning in Zion Hauser, Micah Saunders and Damondtae Stevenson.
Perry earned the fourth and final postseason bid in the City League last fall, but the Commodores’ season ended in lopsided fashion in a 68-0 loss to Westinghouse in the semifinal round. Perry finished 1-6 overall, earning its lone win against Brashear, and the Commodores will likely feature all-city wide receiver Deonte Herring heavily in their quest to advance to the championship game.
The 2024 season was one to forget for Brashear, as the Bulls finished winless in eight games while getting shut out five times. That being said, they did finish the season with a bit of momentum to build on, scoring 13 combined points over the course of their final two games after scoring just two points in their first six games of the season.
While competing against an independent schedule in 2024, coach Dennis “Shor D” Wolford helped Carrick win three of its final six games during his second season at the helm. The Raiders picked up blowout victories against Brashear and Brownsville along with a narrow triumph over Perry, but they must find a way to fill a major void under center after the graduation of three-year starter Zion Frye.
Players to watch
Josiah Collins, Westinghouse, 6-2, 230, DL, Sr. — One of the most ferocious pass rushers in all of Western Pa., Collins will be the leader of a punishing defensive front as the Bulldogs pursue a fourth consecutive City League crown.
K-Shawn Hawkins, Westinghouse, 5-7, 175, WR, Jr. — An impact player since his freshman year, Hawkins is a speedy big-play threat who will step into an even larger role as the No. 1 receiving target for the Bulldogs this fall.
Zahir Ismaeli, Westinghouse, 5-11, 160, QB, Soph. — After turning heads as a dangerous dual-threat quarterback in his freshman year at West Mifflin, Ismaeli will take over as the starting signal caller for a Bulldogs team with legitimate PIAA championship aspirations.
Nasir Scott, Allderdice, 5-10, 200, RB, Sr. — The engine that makes the Dragons’ offense go, Scott will look to build on a solid junior campaign in which he registered two separate games with 200-plus yards on the ground.
Lukas Stead, Allderdice, 6-4, 230, TE-DE, Sr. — A three-sport standout and two-time all-city selection at tight end, Stead also excels as a fearsome edge rusher on defense, where he projects as an FBS-level player in college.
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
