Leechburg continues to build on trips to WPIAL playoffs

By: Michael Love
Monday, August 19, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Leechburg football made history last year becoming the first Blue Devils team to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs three years in a row.

The postseason streak came about after Leechburg had not made the WPIAL playoffs since 1988.

Jake Cummings and his senior teammates want to add on to their legacy and become the first class to qualify all four years.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound veteran tight end/linebacker said he hopes the momentum built from recent success will carry over for the 2024 season.

“We are so excited to get this season going and see what we can do,” said Cummings, Leechburg’s leading receiver last year with 43 grabs for more than 500 yards.

“We have to keep this playoff streak going, and we know we have the pieces in place to do that. That has been such a big thing for the seniors, and I know the juniors, sophomores and even the freshman are so ready to get after it. After all the lifting work in the offseason and the work we did on the field, we have so much momentum.”

Leechburg coach Randy Walters knows this senior class can add on to what it already has accomplished and help lead the team to a strong showing in the Eastern Conference.

“To get into the playoffs every year of their career — I don’t have a big senior class with just six kids (out of 28 overall) — that is a very special thing,” Walters said.

“They understand the expectations and how we’ve done things that helped us to where we are and how we are going to stay where we are as a program. Everyone is a big part of it with how they work and the legacy they leave behind. Every year, there are opportunities available to be on that field. It comes down to seizing those opportunities with hard work and doing the right things.”

Cummings earned first-team Eastern Conference all-star laurels last year at both tight end and linebacker. He was one of two returning Blue Devils players selected to the first team. Senior Lucas Gamble got the first-team nod at defensive end.

“Jake is a kid who believes so deeply in what we are doing here in the program,” Walters said.

“He is such a leader. He wants to go to a military academy, and every school in the (Presidents’ Athletic Conference) loves him. He’s always up at the field. He’s running routes. You can’t keep him out of the weight room. He’s committed to everything you ask him to do.”

Jayden Floyd enters his senior season coming off a standout 2023 where he became just the 17th quarterback in WPIAL history to both throw and rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season.

Floyd accounted for 2,624 yards and 26 touchdowns.

“Jayden is as tough as it gets,” Walters said. “What he did last year was phenomenal. You just can’t keep him out of a football game. He probably got knocked out of a game four times for just one play, and he was right back in there.”

Walters said Gamble, while a little undersized at his position, used his strength and quickness to record more than a dozen sacks from his defensive end spot.

“He was another one who worked his tail off in the weight room,” Walters said. “He is such an explosive player off the ball.”

Walters said the offense will lean on a youthful line this season that has the potential to be good. The line, he said, fared well in a lineman challenge late last month at Burrell.

Leechburg finished 6-5 overall and 3-3 (fourth) in the Eastern Conference standings last fall behind Clairton, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette. Clairton, the defending conference champion, made it to the WPIAL semifinals last year before falling to South Side.

“Until one of us beats Clairton, they will be the standard of the conference,” Walters said.

“They’re always highly skilled, and coach (Wayne) Wade always does a great job with them. I know they’ve been doing some serious damage in 7-on-7s, which is not surprising.”

Leechburg opens the season with its rivalry game against Apollo-Ridge at Veterans Stadium. The Vikings won a close one last year 18-16 and also were victorious in 2022, 34-28.

“It’s a 15-minute drive or less from here to there or from there to here, and the kids all know each other so well,” Walters said.

“This is what Week Zero is supposed to be. It’s always a tough game because both teams take so much pride in winning it. We’ve had two pretty good games with them the past two years. Hopefully, we can get it this year.”

Leechburg

Coach: Randy Walters

2023 record: 6-5, 3-3 in Class A Eastern Conference

All-time record: 422-526-38

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 Apollo-Ridge, 7

8.30 Beth-Center, 7

9.6 at Serra Catholic, 7

9.13 Riverview*, 7

9.20 at Jeannette*, 7

9.27 Springdale*, 7

10.4 at Frazier*, 7

10.11 Clairton*, 7

10.18 at Brentwood*, 7

10.25 Greensburg Central Catholic*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Jayden Floyd

126-225, 1,469 yards, 8 TDs

Rushing: Floyd

166-1,155 yards, 18 TDs

Receiving: Jake Cummings

43-507 yards, 4 TDs.

FAST FACTS

• The series between Leechburg and Apollo-Ridge went on hiatus in 2020 and 2021. Before that, the Vikings won 28-12 in 2019. The Blue Devils captured the 2018 meeting, 28-13.

• Randy Walters enters his fifth season as head coach at Leechburg with an overall record of 26-16.

• Leechburg averaged 29.4 points a game last season and gave up 28.7.

• The Blue Devils made the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 1953 and have qualified nine times overall.

ROSTER

No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.

1, Brady Rollinger, WR/FS, 6-0/160, sr.

6, Rocco Vigna, WR/CB, 5-9/155, jr.

7, Jayden Floyd, QB/FS, 5-11/190, sr.

9, Matt Williams, TB/LB, 5-9/185, jr.

10, Brice Gilmer, HB/SS, 5-10/205, jr.

11, Gabe Santiago, WR/CB, 6-1/165, jr.

13, Jaxon Vargo, QB/FS, 5-9/175, so.

14, Owen Sazalsky, WR/DB, 5-10/160, sr.

18, Mason Scitticatt, WR/K, 5-8/155, jr.

21, Tim Andrasy, RB/CB, 5-6/155, jr.

23, Lucas Gamble, FB/DE, 5-10/190, sr.

29, Dylan Bilbie, WR/DB, 6-2/135, jr.

51, Brady Shearer, C/DT, 5-10/220, jr.

52, Doug Corbett, OL/DL, 5-8/170, fr.

58, Ben Talerico, T/DE, 6-0/190, jr.

59, Logan Turiak, OL/LB, 5-9/215, fr.

60, Lucas Oldfield, G/DT, 5-9/190, jr.

64, Chris Guthrie, G/DT, 5-7/190, so.

70, Geno Granata, G/DT, 6-0/225, jr.

73, Jayden Rosenberger, T/DT, 6-3/290, jr

74, Jon Kemp, OL/DL, 5-9/240, fr.

76, Philup Rearick, T/DT, 6-0/260, jr.

79, Eric Guo, G/DE, 5-7/175, sr.

85, Kaedyn Joris, TE/DE, 5-10/185, so.

86, Nick Hilty, DE/OT, 6-1/180, so.

88, Jake Cummings, TE/H/LB, 6-1/200, sr.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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