VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH • SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 • 25
LEECHBURG STILL HUNGRY
AFTER MEMORABLE SEASON
DAN’SAPPLIANCE EVERYTHING WE SELL IS MADE IN AMERICA
168 THIRD ST. LEECHBURG, PA 15656 • 724-845-8141
Coach: Randy Walters
2021 record: 9-3, 5-2 in
Class A Eastern Conference
All-time record: 409-517-38#
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
8.26 at Apollo-Ridge 7
9.3 at Summit Academy 12:30
9.9 Bentworth 7
9.16 Springdale* 7
9.23 at Clairton* 7
9.30 Frazier* 7
10.7 at Jeannette* 7
10.14 Riverview* 7
10.21 Shenango 7
10.28 at Greensburg Central Catholic* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Thomas Burke III*
134-218 2,213 yards, 18 TDs
Receiving: Logan Kline
36-614, 11 TDs
Rushing: Braylan Lovelace
171-1,506, 30 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACT
• Leechburg is 5-4 all-time
in WPIAL playoff games after
last year. The Blue Devils won
WPIAL titles in 1953, ’65 and
’66 and defeated Neshannock
in 1978 and California last
season.
GO BLUE
DEVILS!
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
5 Logan Kline WR/S 6-1/190 Sr.
10 Jayden Floyd QB 5-11/185 So.
13 Owen McDermott WR/C 6-1/175 Sr.
18 Ryan Shaw K 5-9/175 Jr.
21 Braylan Lovelace RB/LB 6-3/200 Sr.
22 Tim Andrasy RB/C 5-4/135 Fr.
23 Lucas Gamble HB/DE 5-9/180 So.
25 Matt Williams HB/LB 5-10/180 Fr.
28 Tristan Zalenski WR/S 6-0/160 Fr.
32 Jessie McMillen WR/C 5-9/170 Jr.
33 Brice Gilmer HB/LB 5-7/150 Fr.
34 Brandin Gilmer HB/RB/LB 6-0/195 Jr.
45 Lucas Oldfield OL/DL 5-9/180 Fr.
51 Zane Iuzi OL/DL 5-10/170 Jr.
52 Aden Adams WR/C 6-0/165 Jr.
53 Philup Rearick OL/DL 5-9/205 Fr.
55 Owen Nuttall OL/DL 5-11/185 Jr.
57 Sebastian Mason LB 5-7/155 Jr.
58 Brady Shearer OL/DL 5-10/200 Fr.
62 Dylan Long OL/DL 5-10/240 Jr.
65 Geno Granata OL/DL 5-10/180 Fr.
67 Alex Pulkownik OL/DL 5-10/190 Sr.
71 Colin Cook OL/DL 5-10/180 Sr.
73 Jayden Rosenberger OL/DL 6-2/240 Fr.
75 Brandan Lucas OL/DL 6-2/250 Sr.
79 Eric Guo OL/DL 5-6/140 So.
81 Tyler Foley WR/C 6-0/165 Sr.
83 Gabe Santiago WR/S 6-0/140 Fr.
86 Ben Talerico Y/DE 6-0/175 Fr.
88 Jake Cummings Y/LB 5-11/180 So.
ROSTER
By now, many are familiar with
the season of firsts for the 2021
Leechburg Blue Devils.
First winning season since 1991.
First time in the playoffs since
1988. First playoff victory since
1978. First team in Alle-Kiski Valley
history to score 500 points in a
season make playoffs. The list goes
on and on.
The Blue Devils
finished 9-3 overall
before being eliminated
by Cornell in
the Class A quarterfinals.
“We reached a lot
of milestones last year,” said Blue
Devils coach Randy Walters. “We
did it with such a small roster. We
never dressed more than 26 kids
for any game. Just loved the way
the kids played.”
But now the question is: What
does Leechburg do for an encore?
“We’re going for it all. We want
to go to the championship,” said
tailback/linebacker Braylan Lovelace.
“This is my senior season and
for our seniors, this is our last year
playing together. I’ve known some
since I was 6 years old, others since
seventh grade.”
“We had nine wins last year, but
there’s always more to achieve,
more to improve on,” senior receiver
Logan Kline said. “Our goal
is to get farther than we did last
year. We wanted another home
playoff game. Last year the atmosphere
was crazy here. It was like
a 5A football game.”
Walters thought the turning
point was the Brentwood game
on Sept. 10.
Said Walters: “It was our first
game on turf, they’re a Double-A
team, and we were concerned
when we saw them on film. But
we put it to them pretty good and
rolled from there.”
The roster appears to be a slightly
larger than last year, but some
who attended spring workouts
haven’t been back. Walters hopes
they return at some point.
The Blue Devils will have to replace
quarterback Thomas Burke
III, last year’s Valley News Dispatch
Offensive Player of the Year.
Now at Waynesburg University,
Burke passed for 2,213 yards last
season with 18 touchdowns.
Leechburg will now shift to sophomore
Jayden Floyd.
“He’s one of those players who’s
better when they put the pads on,”
said Walters. “He’s tough. We can
run the ball with him. He’ll be fine.”
Lovelace, who ran for 1,506 yards
and 30 touchdowns last season, is
back for his senior season. The Pitt
commit has run for 2,801 yards thus
far in his three previous seasons.
Kline and Tyler Foley are back
as receivers. Kline had 36 receptions
in 2021 and Foley chipped in
33 catches.
Leechburg starts the season with
a trip to Apollo-Ridge. The rivalry
between the variations of the two
schools dates to 1919.
“I’m really excited to play them
again,” Foley said. “When we
played them my freshman year, we
didn’t get the result we wanted. I
think it’s going to be a good game.”
Leechburg has to also replace
tight end/defensive end Eli Rich,
a first-team Valley News Dispatch
all-star.
Sophomore Jake Cummings and
seniors Brandin Gilmer and Owen
McDermott will help to replace
Rich.
Walters also looks to have several
freshmen contribute.
Senior Brandon Lucas, injured
all of last season, is expected to
help anchor both lines.
Although last year’s WPIAL
champion, Bishop Canevin, has
left the conference, the Eastern
Conference remains strong,
producing eight of the last nine
WPIAL champions.
“Nobody is above Clairton till
somebody beats Clairton,” Walters
said. “You also have Greensburg
Central Catholic in there. Frazier
is now in the conference and
Springdale has a new coach. So
what I want is for us to be in the
mix for one of those top four playoff
spots and we’ll see what shakes
out from there.”
by GEORGE GUIDO
LOGAN KLINE
JAYDEN FLOYD
LEECHBURG • EASTERN
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