Eastern: Leechburg, Clairton earn top individual awards on all-conference team
By:
Tuesday, December 14, 2021 | 5:00 AM
Leechburg quarterback Thomas Burke tries to avoid Bishop Canevin’s Lesae Lacks in a game Oct. 8 at Leechburg’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Leechburg quarterback Thomas Burke finished fifth among all WPIAL passers this season, earning the senior Offensive Player of the Year honors in the Eastern Conference.
Burke finished with 2,232 passing yards and 18 touchdowns for the Blue Devils, who also had senior Eli Rich named the conference’s top lineman. Both also earned first-team honors on both sides of the ball in the Class A conference.
The team was chosen by conference coaches.
Clairton’s Kanye Hawkins was selected as the top defensive player, and Bears coach Wayne Wade was coach of the year.
First team offense
Thomas Burke, Leechburg, QB, 5-9, 165, sr.
Braylan Lovelace, Leechburg, RB, 6-3, 190, jr.
Logan Dexter, Springdale, RB, 6-2, 180, sr.
Logan Kline, Leechburg, WR, 6-1, 180, jr.
Lesae Lacks, Bishop Canevin, WR, 5-5, 135, jr.
Xavier Nelson, Bishop Canevin, WR, 5-7, 160, jr.
Brooklyn Cannon, Clairton, WR, 5-11, 165, sr.
Eli Rich, Leechburg, TE, 6-5, 240, sr.
Taafe Koontz, Clairton, C, 5-10, 215, sr.
Keith Meade, Clairton, G, 6-0, 255, sr.
Joseph Semelka, Greensburg Central Catholic, G, 6-1, 235, sr.
Kanye Hawkins, Clairton, OT, 6-4, 245, sr.
Darrel Strong, Imani Christian, OT, 6-3, 275, sr.
Jason Cross, Bishop Canevin, Utility, 5-10, 150, so.
Ryan Reitler, Greensburg Central Catholic, K, 6-1, 150, sr.
Kameron Lewis, Clairton, KR, 5-6, 170, sr.
First team defense
Willie Banks, Bishop Canevin, DE, 6-3, 220, sr.
Eli Rich, Leechburg, DE, 6-5, 240, sr.
Kanye Hawkins, Clairton, DT, 6-4, 245, sr.
Jaiden Collins, Bishop Canevin, DT, 5-10, 285, so.
Braylan Lovelace, Leechburg, LB, 6-3, 190, jr.
Keshawn Harris, Bishop Canevin, LB, 5-11, 185, sr.
Kiantae Robinson, Greensburg Central Catholic, LB, 5-8, 175, sr.
Christian Wade, Clairton, LB, 5-10, 190, sr.
Thomas Burke, Leechburg, CB, 5-9, 165, sr.
Amari Mack, Greensburg Central Catholic, CB, 6-0, 180, jr.
Xavier Nelson, Bishop Canevin, CB, 5-7, 160, sr.
Brooklyn Cannon, Clairton, CB, 5-11, 165, sr.
Logan Dexter, Springdale, S, 6-2, 180, sr.
Jason Cross, Bishop Canevin, S, 5-10, 150, so.
Gio Savko, Springdale, Utility, 5-8, 200, sr.
Andrew Haus, Springdale, P, 5-10, 170, sr.
Lesae Lacks, Bishop Canevin, PR, 5-5, 135, jr.
Offensive Player of the Year: Thomas Burke, Leechburg
Defensive Player of the Year: Kanye Hawkins, Clairton
Lineman of the Year: Eli Rich, Leechburg
Coach of the Year: Wayne Wade, Clairton
•••
2021 WPIAL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Bishop Canevin, Clairton, Greensburg C.C., Imani Christian, Jeannette, Leechburg, Riverview, Springdale
More High School Football
• Peters Township linebacker Mickey Vaccarello commits to Stanford• Girls flag football tops 100-team threshold, on road to becoming PIAA-sanctioned sport
• WPIAL to hold hearings for 2 Aliquippa football transfers, approves 3 others
• Westmoreland high school notebook: Penn-Trafford football to honor newest hall of fame class
• Central Catholic QB Payton Wehner wins Willie Thrower Award
