After snapping postseason drought, Leechburg takes aim at playoff victories

By: George Guido
Saturday, October 30, 2021 | 9:20 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Leechburg has spent much of the last month checking off goals attained.

First winning season since 1991 — check.

First time in the WPIAL playoffs since 1988 — check.

First eight-victory season since 1980 — check.

And now, the first home playoff game in the 75-year history of Leechburg Veterans Stadium.

The No. 7-seeded Blue Devils (8-2) will take on No. 10 California (7-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs.

The last time Leechburg played the Trojans in the postseason, it was the 1965 championship game, a 37-7 Blue Devils victory at Wilkinsburg’s Graham Field.

“We figured the winner of (Friday) night’s game against Greensburg Central Catholic would get a home game,” Leechburg coach Randy Walters said. “I talked to their coach, Marko Thomas, and he said the same thing.”

The Blue Devils won 31-27 on a touchdown with 46 seconds to go.

“I know our kids will be excited and the community will be excited, and we should have a good crowd,” Walters said.

Now, Leechburg is seeking its first playoff win since 1978 when the Blue Devils defeated Neshannock, 7-0.

The only other WPIAL playoff game at Leechburg was in 1975 when Kittanning beat Union. In that era, the hosting conference got to pick a stadium to host a neutral-site playoff game.

Leechburg is one of seven Alle-Kiski Valley teams that have been bracketed for the 2021 playoffs. All games Friday will start at 7 p.m., a change from the traditional 7:30 kickoffs.

Not long ago, it looked like the only thing Highlands would be doing at Golden Rams Stadium this week was turning in equipment.

Now, No. 8 Highlands (7-3) will be preparing to host a home playoff game against No. 9 New Castle (6-4) on Friday after must-win victories the past two weeks.

“Actually, last weekend I told my wife that I had the feeling we’d be playing New Castle if we got in,” coach Dom Girardi said. “Now, we have them here at home. I think our maturity since the start of the season has been amazing, and the kids deserve the credit.”

The Golden Rams are in the playoffs for the first time in six seasons and will play the Red Hurricanes, 12-time WPIAL champions.

Highlands is 1-2 against New Castle in past playoff games, losing in 1982 and ’83 and winning 24-19 in 2013.

Also getting a home playoff game is Freeport. The Yellowjackets will play their first playoff game at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium. The last time Freeport hosted a playoff game was the grand finale at James Swartz Stadium in 2015 when the Yellowjackets knocked off McGuffey, 45-6.

No. 5 Freeport (5-4) will host No. 12 Ambridge (2-8), a team on the upswing after winning just one game in the previous five seasons, in the Class 3A first round.

Fox Chapel is seeking its first playoff victory since defeating North Allegheny in 1997. The No. 10 Foxes (4-6) will visit No. 7 Upper St. Clair (6-4) in the Class 5A first round Friday. The Panthers are in the playoffs for the 35th time in the last 36 seasons.

Springdale was the last local team to qualify for the playoffs, defeating Riverview, 35-0, Saturday in a win-and-you’re-in game. The 13th-seeded Dynamos (6-4) will make the long trek to the corner of southwestern Pennsylvania to play No. 4 West Greene (8-2) in the Class A opening round.

“We definitely had them on our radar as one of the teams we could be playing,” Dynamos coach Seth Napierkowski said. “We know we have a long bus ride, and we’re both running teams, so the game might take just an hour to play.”

No. 13 Plum (3-7), in the Class 4A playoffs by virtue of Friday’s exciting win over Greensburg Salem, will be on the road to face conference champion No. 4 Hampton (10-0). The WPIAL usually doesn’t pair teams from the same conference, but in these days of three conferences in some classes, it’s unavoidable.

It turned out Burrell’s season came down to basically one big play. It was at Deer Lakes on Oct. 8. The Bucs were trailing Deer Lakes and facing a fourth and 4 at the Lancers’ 26. Many were expecting running back Caden DiCaprio to get the ball. He got the ball, but threw an option pass to Kam Marmo at the Lancers 1 and scored from there to get a 28-24 victory and make the playoffs by virtue of the tiebreaker win against Deer Lakes.

“Scared money don’t make money,” coach Shawn Liotta said about the gamble after the game.

The No. 11 Bucs (3-7) will travel to No. 6 Mt. Pleasant (5-4) for a Class 3A first-round game Friday. Burrell lost to Mt. Pleasant in its last playoff appearance in 2012, 48-28. The Bucs beat the Vikings, 10-0, in the 1998 opening round.

No. 1 seeds were awarded to Mt. Lebanon in Class 6A, Moon in 5A, Belle Vernon in 4A, Central Valley in 3A, Steel Valley in 2A and Clairton in A.

The WPIAL announced the Class 6A championship game will be Nov. 20 at Norwin.

The other five championship games will be at Heinz Field on Nov. 26 and 27. The Class A and Class 2A games will be on Nov. 26, and the 3A, 4A and 5A games on Nov. 27.

Tags: Burrell, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Leechburg, Plum, Springdale