Class 2A contender Steel Valley building around Donald Barksdale

By: Jonathan Bombulie
Friday, August 16, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 23.

Even though Steel Valley is easily one of the favorites to claim the WPIAL Class 2A championship this season, the Ironmen have some holes to fill, just like any high school team does.

Maybe their line isn’t as experienced as coach Ray Braszo would like. Maybe they have some playmakers to replace on defense.

But the one thing they have that few high school teams can boast is a star to center all their rebuilding efforts around. They can always lean on Donald Barksdale.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior who rushed for 2,056 yards and 32 touchdowns last season is one of the most dynamic players around.

“Donald is a the key to our offense,” Braszo said. “He’s a great runner, a great ballplayer, great on defense. He’s a special teams guy. He’s a great weapon to have. He makes big plays. We’re working on a lot of the other guys, the young guys on the line and other places, but we’re building around him.”

At some point this season, Barksdale should be joined in the backfield by his younger brother, Da’Ron “Daedae” Barksdale, who is recovering from a knee injury suffered last season.

Braszo said he doesn’t necessarily expect Da’Ron Barksdale back for the season opener, but he thinks he could return by the time the conference schedule starts.

So in Week Zero, with a solid, experienced quarterback in Jaden Cabbagestalk under center, the Ironmen should have a dangerous offense.

When Da’Ron Barksdale, who also has quarterback experience, returns, the options will be wide open and the Steel Valley offense could be downright terrifying.

“I feel good about the group,” Braszo said. “They’ve been working pretty hard in the offseason. That’s the plus right there. We’re hoping to fill some of the holes, there were a few key guys that we lost, but we’re ready to go. I think the team’s excited.”

In addition to Donald Barkdsale, the Ironmen have two other all-conference players returning in Del Shields and Rasaun Hough.

Shields is the team’s top returning receiver who is also a force in the secondary. Hough is a formidable, two-way lineman who scored a 77-yard touchdown on a fumble return in the WPIAL championship game a year ago.

Shields will be joined in the receiving corps by speedster Tyrell Breland. Tight end Isaiah Johnson is also expected to contribute.

Hough will be joined on the line by Dylan Smith and Holden Labishak, who average 300 pounds between them, as well as Amir Randall.

The defense will be led by Cay’son Simpkins, an undersized middle linebacker who has earned praise from Braszo for his playmaking abilities.

“He’ll be one of our top defensive guys and will probably be our captain,” Braszo said.

Linemen Ameer Berry and Tristian Banks are also expected to play key roles, especially on defense.

The Ironmen will find themselves vying for the top spot of a new-look Allegheny Conference this season. Gone are second-place Imani Christian and third-place Serra Catholic. South Park, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Shady Side Academy have moved in to replace them.

Braszo isn’t sure how the reconfigured conference will play out. He praised South Park as a consistently solid program and admitted that the private schools are a bit of a wild card.

“You never know what those teams got,” Braszo said.

But he knows what his team’s got: Donald Barksdale in the backfield, and that should take them a long way.

Steel Valley

Coach: Ray Braszo

2023 record: 10-2, 7-0 in the Class 2A Allegheny Conference

All-time record: 327-216-12

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24 Clairton at Woodland Hills, noon

8.30 Washington, 7

9.6 at Bishop Canevin, 7

9.13 at South Park*, 7

9.20 Waynesburg, 7

9.27 at Shady Side Academy*, 7

10.4 Apollo-Ridge*, 7

10.11 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart*, 7

10.18 at Ligonier Valley*, 7

10.25 South Allegheny*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Tyson Barron

33-58, 604 yards, 7 TDs

Rushing: Donald Barksdale

262-2,056 yards, 32 TDs

Receiving: Del Shields

15-326 yards, 1 TD

FAST FACTS

• Steel Valley has won five WPIAL championships, taking the title in 1982, 1988, 1989, 2016 and 2018.

• The Ironmen open their season against three nonconference opponents – Clairton, Washington and Bishop Canevin – that have combined to win 23 WPIAL titles.

• Steel Valley’s opener against Clairton (noon, Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Wolvarena) is part of the five-game KDKA Kickoff Classic.

• Steel Valley lost two all-conference picks to graduation. Lineman Mike Crist is at Slippery Rock and DB Carlos Scott is at IUP.

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.

Tags: Steel Valley