Leechburg beats Bishop Canevin, moves 1 win from 400 in school history

By: George Guido
Saturday, October 10, 2020 | 10:33 PM

Even though Leechburg will miss the WPIAL playoffs for the 32nd straight season, the Blue Devils have plenty for which to play.

Leechburg won the 399th football game in school history Friday with a 35-13 victory over Bishop Canevin at Dormont Stadium.

With victories in the final two games against Riverview and Imani Christian, the Blue Devils (2-3, 2-3 Class A Eastern Conference) would secure their first winning season since 1992.

Dylan Cook passed for 115 yards in Saturday night’s conference encounter. Sophomore Braylan Lovelace ran for 164 yards on 19 carries.

Bishop Canevin fell to 2-2, 3-2, but the result was up for grabs in the latter part of the game.

Leechburg led 21-13 as the Crusaders were driving at the Leechburg 31 behind the strong running of freshman Marquis Carter.

After a snap over the quarterback’s head, Blue Devils lineman Eli Rich picked up the loose ball and raced to the Bishop Canevin 9. On fourth down, Cook found Rich on a slant left for a touchdown.

Cook went over 1,000 passing yards on the season with the play.

The Crusaders had to punt, and Lovelace put the icing on the cake with a 63-yard scoring run around the right side.

“We knew they were a tough team, and this was going to be a very physical game,” Cook said. “We weren’t being physical enough the last couple weeks, and that’s why we were losing.”

The Blue Devils lost to Clairton, Springdale and Jeannette the past three weeks.

“They did a great job,” coach Randy Walters said of his team. “They’re starting to come together and believe in each other. I just wish I had a few more kids.”

Leechburg finished the game with 18 players dressed.

Said Walters: “We’re just playing one game at a time. We had a good win here, and the next one will be number 400 for Leechburg.”

Injuries continue to mount also for the Crusaders. Xavier Nelson, one of Class A’s most exciting performers, was hurt late in the first half on his second fake punt of the night.

He was hurt on a colliding tackle with Sebastian Mason. Neither Nelson nor Mason returned.

“Our kids never gave up,” said Bishop Canevin first-year coach Richard Johnson. “In the past, people would be saying Bishop Canevin was laying down. We had kids playing positions they never played before in their lives. Somebody got injured, another guy came in.”

After a scoreless first quarter, an interception and a touchdown by Crusaders senior Jordan Ruffing on the opening play of the second quarter was called back for an illegal block. But Bishop Canevin had possession and scored seven plays later on a keeper by Willie Banks-Hicks.

Ruffing recovered a Blue Devils fumble at the Crusaders 6, two plays after a 54-yard run by Lovelace put Leechburg in scoring position.

But Bishop Canevin couldn’t convert as Banks-Hicks barely got out of the end zone on one play.

A 13-yard punt put the Blue Devils in business at the Crusaders 16.

Lovelace found a hole on the left side and scored on the following play. Cook ran in the 2-point conversion, and Leechburg had an 8-7 lead with 4 minutes, 10 seconds left in the half.

Leechburg linebacker Marcus Cleveland recovered a fumble at the Bishop Canevin 12 with 4 seconds to go. Lovelace got open on the left side and scored with no time left on the clock.

A 40-yard pass to Andrew Jones from Banks-Hicks with 3:56 left in the third quarter brought the Crusaders within 21-13.

Banks-Hicks finished with 148 passing yards, and Carter had 124 yards rushing on 24 carries.

Leechburg’s defense, led by Rich and Jacob Reinke, had 13 tackles for losses.

The Blue Devils played without regular kicker Ryan Shaw, who was ill.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Leechburg