It was an early summer evening at Acrisure Stadium, just weeks before the high school football season was set to begin. Two players from Propel Braddock Hills — Gabe Jenkins and Davon Johnson — stood near the tunnel at one end of the massive venue, taking in the scene above the playing surface. The stadium, home to the Pittsburgh Steelers, loomed around them, a fitting backdrop for a team determined to rewrite its narrative.
The Braddock Hills Panthers had reached the pinnacle of Pennsylvania high school football last season, only to come up short in the championship game. That loss still hangs over the program, but instead of letting it weigh the team down, Jenkins and Johnson say the players are channeling it into motivation. The media day event at Acrisure was meant to kick off the new season with fanfare, but for these athletes, it carried a deeper purpose: a public statement that they are hungry for redemption.
Propel Braddock Hills is a charter school in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and its football program has been on a remarkable rise in recent years. The team's run to the title game was seen as a breakthrough moment for the school, which serves students across the greater Braddock community. Now, with nearly the entire core roster back, the expectations have shifted from being a surprise contender to being a bona fide championship favorite.
Coaches and players have spoken about how the loss sharpened their focus. Younger players who watched from the stands last season are now key contributors on the field. Veterans like Jenkins and Johnson are using their experiences to mentor the next wave of Panthers. The summer conditioning program was reportedly more intense than in previous years, with players volunteering for extra workouts long before practice officially began.
The upcoming season promises to be competitive, with several strong programs in the region also reloading. But the message from the Braddock Hills locker room is clear — last season's heartbreak was not the end of their story, but the beginning of something bigger. As they stood at Acrisure Stadium, looking down at the turf where they hoped to write a new ending, the message from the Panthers was unambiguous: they are coming for the title again.
