Longest WPIAL football playoff drought now belongs to Leechburg

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, October 27, 2019 | 11:07 PM

And then there was one.

With the longest playoff drought ending this fall, there is only one WPIAL football program that has not made the district playoffs this century.

It has been 31 years since Leechburg qualified for the WPIAL football postseason.

Back then, four classifications were in their early years and the PIAA football playoffs were brand new.

For the second straight year, the Blue Devils finished the season 5-5 overall.

Leechburg finished in fourth place in the Class A Eastern Conference behind playoff bound Clairton, Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic.

That would have been good enough for a playoff spot up until last year when the WPIAL shrunk the number of Class A playoff teams from 16 to 8.

Southmoreland finished in fourth place in the Class 2A Century Conference this year to end a 40-year playoff drought.

The Scotties came into this season having not made the district postseason since 1979.

Here are the schools wioth the longest playoff absences:

1. Leechburg, 1988

2. Brownsville, 2000

3. Carlynton, 2001

4. Albert Gallatin*, 2005

5. Uniontown, 2009

6. Ellwood City, 2011

7t. Burrell, 2012

7t. Butler, 2012

7t. Hopewell, 2012

7t. Jefferson-Morgan, 2012

7t. South Allegheny, 2012

*- Did not play in the WPIAL in 2019