Da’Ron Barksdale, nicknamed Daedae, is a senior at Steel Valley who these days is an absolute star running the football.
Barkdsale, a Pitt defensive back recruit, leads WPIAL Class 2A in rushing, has scored 31 touchdowns, and has surpassed 100 yards in each of his team’s 12 games.
But when Barksdale and the Ironmen take the field for Saturday’s WPIAL Class 2A championship, a running back who has been tremendous in his own right will be on the other side. That would be Seton LaSalle sophomore Kymarr Freeman, who has emerged as one of the area’s top backs this season. Freeman is second in the class in rushing, has scored 24 touchdowns, and has broken 100 yards eight games in row.
“Watching them and watching us, it’s pretty similar,” Steel Valley coach Ray Braszo said. “When you get a good running back, they can control a lot of things you do otherwise. I guess it will be a big fight up front. Whoever can win that front line will probably win the game.”
The matchup between the two most productive running backs in the classification and a pair of terrific offensive lines should be one of the top storylines when No. 1 Seton LaSalle (11-1) meets No. 3 Steel Valley (9-3) for the title at 2 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium.
The reason why it should be is that there’s a chance Freeman doesn’t play. Freeman left Seton LaSalle’s semifinal win early due to an ankle injury. While Freeman is questionable to play, Rebels coach Tim Storino sounded optimistic that his top playmaker will be good to go.
“We hope so,” Storino said. “He’s been rehabbing it. We’re going to see this week. We found a way to win [the semifinal] without him, but we’re going to need him Saturday.”
Steel Valley has won six WPIAL titles and Seton LaSalle five. Seton LaSalle, which captured its most recent title in 2004, was the runner-up a season ago. Steel Valley is seeking its second title in four years. The Ironmen claimed the top prize in 2022 before losing in the final a year later. The two are familiar with one another as they are meeting for the fourth consecutive season. They were in the same conference in 2022 and 2023, and are squaring off in the playoffs for the second year in a row. Seton LaSalle defeated Steel Valley, 27-13, in last year’s semifinals.
Barksdale (5 feet 11, 190 pounds) is one of the WPIAL’s top players, regardless of class. The previous few seasons, Barksdale was Robin to his brother’s Batman. Donald Barksdale, a senior last season, often put the Ironmen on his back. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards each of his last two seasons before moving on to Youngstown State. But this year it’s little bro who is leading the way. Da’Ron has rushed for 1,960 yards and is averaging 7.7 yards per carry. He has been especially good as of late, running for 871 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns in Steel Valley’s last four games. He has carried the ball at least 30 times each of the past three games.
“Every game he’s been getting better and better as far as running the ball, and he’s been great as a defensive back,” Braszo said. “He’s a great athlete who could play almost anywhere. We try to control the ball and keep it away from teams we’ve played that have good offenses. We’ve kept on the ground, and teams have been having trouble stopping him.”
Count Storino as being a big fan of Barksdale, who actually began the season as the starting quarterback before giving way to senior Tyson Barron. There might not be a player in the WPIAL who has scored touchdowns in more different ways. Barksdale has thrown, rushed and caught touchdowns, while also returning an interception and fumble for scores. Defensively, Barksdale has four interceptions and has collected 44 tackles.
“He’s one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached against,” Storino said of Barksdale, who ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s meeting. “I love the way he competes, and I love his character. He plays hard and he’s all about picking up his teammates and opponents. He’s a great player and is very difficult to stop. They’re going to give him a ball and we have to find a way to stop him.”
The same goes for Steel Valley, which must find a way to slow down Freeman (5-9, 165), a first-year starter at running back who Storino said dominated in junior varsity action last season when he was one of the backup running backs on the varsity team. He also earned the starting gig at free safety late in the season and started in the championship game.
“I knew coming in that he’d be one of the better kids,” Storino said. “He’s really stepped up. Other than Barksdale, I think he’s the best player in 2A.”
The statistics certainly back that up. Freeman has rushed for 1,607 yards and is averaging a robust 11.8 yards per carry. That eight-game 100-yard streak includes 152 yards and two touchdowns in a quarterfinal win against Mohawk and 134 yards and a touchdown against Washington in the semifinals before he exited because of the injury.
Of course, having a dominant rushing attack also has a lot to do with the play of the offensive line, and both teams have outstanding, veteran units. Steel Valley returned four starters from last season, a group that includes senior tackles Holden Labishak and Dylan Smith, senior guard Amir Randall and senior center Ryan Conroy.
“We just get behind Daedae and that line,” Braszo said.
Seton LaSalle boasts three starters along the line who also started in last year’s title game — sophomore tackle Ray Piaggesi, junior guard Dom Fani and junior center Brody Dilla.
It has been an interesting season for Seton LaSalle, which made headlines this summer after several all-conference players transferred out, among them wide receiver Khalil Taylor, who will play for Pine-Richland in the WPIAL Class 5A final. The Rebels also lost quarterback Anthony Smith, who transferred to Seton LaSalle from Southmoreland over the summer. After being ruled ineligible due to transfer rules, Smith transferred to a school in West Virginia.
All of that forced Storino, his staff and players to adjust on the fly less than a month before the start of the season. Seton LaSalle was thumped by North Catholic, 47-14, in the season opener but hasn’t lost since.
“It seemed like things were moving really fast,” Storino said. “It wasn’t an enjoyable experience. Not only were we losing transfers, but when kids leave, you have those relationships with them, and it’s difficult. But our leaders didn’t let it phase them. We really pushed through it. We weren’t ready to play football at that point. It was bad. But we started getting better each week, and right now I know we’re a good football team.”
Speaking of those leaders, Storino pointed to senior tight end-linebacker Will Martin and senior tight end-defensive end Aaron Loritts as being the ringleaders. They are also two of the team’s top players. Martin is a Duquesne recruit, and Loritts owns several Division I offers.
Sophomore Kia Jones has performed well as Seton LaSalle’s first-year starting quarterback. Jones, who already owns a few FBS offers, has thrown for 1,051 yards and 10 touchdowns while also rushing for more than 500 yards and six scores. Sophomore Matt Brodzinski has been his favorite receiver.
While Steel Valley will try to win a second title in four years, Seton LaSalle hopes to win its first in 21 years. And a matchup between teams with similar personnel and strengths should make for an entertaining game.
Said Braszo, “If we can move the ball regularly, get some good drives, and not turn the ball over, I think we have a good chance.”
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.