Football Game Preview: South Allegheny Gladiators vs. Steel Valley Ironmen

South Allegheny is 0-5 against Steel Valley since September of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Gladiators will welcome the Ironmen at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Steel Valley will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: South Allegheny extended their winning streak to nine on Friday. The Gladiators claimed a resounding 64-14 victory over Sto-Rox. With the Gladiators ahead 56-6 at the half, the game was all but over already.

South Allegheny got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Drew Cook out in front who picked up 128 receiving yards and two scores. Cook got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 79 yards. Another player making a difference was Tyrone Claytor, who rushed for 50 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

South Allegheny was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 220 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 167 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, while Steel Valley put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Ligonier Valley. The Ironmen blew past the Rams 49-0. With that victory, the Ironmen brought their scoring average up to 26.4 points per game.

South Allegheny better keep an eye on Da`Ron Barksdale. He was instrumental in Steel Valley's win, rushing for 240 yards and four TDs on only eight carries. Thanks to that big game, Barksdale is now up to 19 rushing touchdowns on the season. Tyson Barron was another key player, throwing for 189 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 85.7% of his passes.

South Allegheny's win bumped their record up to 9-0. As for Steel Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.

South Allegheny took a serious blow against Steel Valley in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 45-7. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Gladiators were down 20-0.