The high school football season around the country has wrapped up and with that comes honors for coaches and players from the 2025 season. One state out of the East Coast region that has always produced some impressive talent and teams from around the country is Pennsylvania high school football.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state finals ended several weeks ago and we decided to get right to it when it comes to end of the year honors.

We continue into the Keystone State of Pennsylvania as Rivals looked through the season and selected award nominees from this past season. Who were the best players for the 2025 Pennsylvania high school football season, though?

Rivals give you the Pennsylvania high school football honorees for the 2025 season.

Player of the Year: Joey O’Brien, ATH, La Salle College

What didn’t the Notre Dame five-star signee defensive back do for the Class 6A state champion La Salle College Explorers this past 2025 season? Joey O’Brien played a major role on both sides of the ball as the Explorers made a run to the 6A title game and winning in decisive fashion. Though O’Brien is heading to the Fighting Irish to play on the defensive side of the ball, he lit it up at wide receiver this fall, hauling in 86 catches for 1,249 yards and 18 scores. Defensively, the Rivals All-American made his presence felt and totaled 50 tackles and intercepted four passes.

Offensive Player of the Year: Gavin Sidwar, QB, La Salle College

There was plenty of worthy candidates for this award of Offensive Player of the Year out of the Keystone State, but when it came to signal callers out of Pennsylvania, it’s hard to argue that Gavin Sidwar wasn’t the most important as a passer an all-around offense player. The Missouri signee was superb throughout the 2025 campaign for the Class 6A state champions, with Sidwar completing 238 of 333 passes for 3,374 yards and 41 total touchdowns to only a mere five interceptions.

Defensive Player of the Year: Ashton Blatt, EDGE, Central Catholic

The combination of being one of the state’s top talents plus statistically putting up some great numbers and playing on a Top 10 team equaled our reasons for Central Catholic senior three-star EDGE Ashton Blatt finishing as the Pennsylvania Player of the Year. Blatt has received numerous honors from the 2025 season as the EDGE has already signed on with Bill Belichick‘s North Carolina Tar Heels. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end finished the season racking up 57 total tackles, 22.5 for a loss and notching 15.5 sacks for the Vikings.

Coach of the Year: Duke Johncour, Avonworth

Being in the Pennsylvania high school football state championship conversation is always the standard over at Avonworth, but Antelopes head coach Duke Johncour led the team to an undefeated campaign, something the program hasn’t done in over two decades. Johncour guided Avonworth back to the Class 3A state championship game in a rematch against a Northwestern Lehigh team they lost to in a 36-33 overtime loss a year ago. This time around, the Antelopes left no doubt as they rolled to a 31-7 rout, completing the perfect 15-0 season, something no other team in the state did in 2025.

For Pennsylvania high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Keystone State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Pennsylvania high school football excitement across the state.