A-K Valley HOF inductee Jeff Cortileso kept eye on Leechburg’s football resurgence

By: George Guido
Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 3:55 PM

Jeff Cortileso was happy to see his alma mater, Leechburg, get back to becoming one of the area’s top football programs.

It brought back memories of his time with the Blue Devils when Leechburg often was a contender for postseason play.

“I think they had a great year,” said Cortileso, who resides in Allegheny Township. “I followed them, and it seemed like they had a pretty exciting team.”

With Cortileso on the team, the Blue Devils made the AIC Bowl three times, and he won all-WPIAL, all-AIC conference and all-state accolades. He was named to the Big 33 team before finding more football success at West Virginia.

For his football accomplishments and becoming a well-respected game official and businessman later in life, Cortileso will be one of 10 inductees at the 51st Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame banquet May 21 at the New Kensington Quality Inn.

Cortileso’s time was an era of quality scholastic football in the A-K Valley.

Said Cortileso: “I tell people when I was playing, Leechburg also had bleachers across the field between the 20s that were packed. When we played Freeport or Apollo-Ridge, people four and five deep stood around the field. It was amazing. We were blessed to play in Western Pennsylvania. Friday night was the highlight of the week.”

These days, Cortileso is coaching the Kiski Area trap shooting team.

“When we started three years ago, we had four of five kids. Now we have 48 in grades seven through 12,” Cortileso said. “It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the country. Not everyone can play football, baseball or basketball. We compete against Connellsville, Norwin and Latrobe. Franklin Regional is joining this season.”

Trap is a club sport that is not sponsored by the school district, nor does it have WPIAL or PIAA affiliation. It could happen, however, if 100 schools around the state pledge to sponsor the sport.

Following his days at Leechburg, where he also lettered in basketball, Cortileso headed to West Virginia and played under the incomparable Bobby Bowden, who was loved by his players and by media people always looking for a good quote.

“He was a great guy and a sweet man,” Cortileso said of Bowden. “ He would never swear. He’d say ‘dad-gummit.’ He was a good Christian man.”

After Bowden left for Florida State, Cortileso played under former Leechburg coach Frank Cignetti Sr. The Mountaineers went to the Peach Bowl and played their games at old Mountaineer Field in downtown Morgantown.

“It was shaped like a horseshoe,” Cortileso recalled.”The front row of the stands were maybe five feet from the field. It was an outstanding place to play.”

After his playing days, Cortileso became a well-regarded PIAA football official, working a notable number of championship games in the WPIAL, PIAA and City League. He also officiated college football in Divisions II and III.

Cortileso continues to experience success operating an industrial park on an old mill site in Trafford.

Tags: Leechburg