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By Staff Reports

Published: Saturday, December 1, 2012, 5:54 p.m.
Updated: Monday, February 11, 2013

North Allegheny senior quarterback Mack Leftwich joined an elite club of WPIAL passers Friday night after his 284-yard performance against McDowell. With his 5,138 career yards, he became the 22nd member of the 5,000-yard club.

“During the middle of the season we kind of grinded out some wins (on the ground), but it feels good to be airing it out again,” said Leftwich, who accumulated the gaudy statistics in just two seasons at North Allegheny.

He ranks 19th in WPIAL history, just behind 1997 Upper St. Clair grad Mac McArdle (5,334). The group also includes Seneca Valley senior Jordan Brown (5,409) and Sto-Rox junior Lenny Williams (5,632). Christian Brumbaugh, a 2010 South Fayette graduate, holds the WPIAL record with 7,162 yards.

Hitting the hardwood

Friday marks the start of high school basketball season in Western Pennsylvania, and teams from all over the WPIAL and City League begin off the 2012-13 campaign at local tip-off tournaments.

One of the marquee tournaments will be at Hempfield's Spartan Field House, which will host three varsity boys games Friday and three more Saturday.

Friday's matchups include Jeannette vs. Greensburg Salem at 5 p.m., Belle Vernon vs. Hempfield at 6:30 p.m. and McKeesport vs. Seton-La Salle at 8.

Wrestling openers

Action also begins on the mat Friday, highlighted by a pair of large season-opening individual tournaments in the area. Chartiers-Houston will host its 18th annual invitational with 24 teams set to compete. The finals are 4 p.m. Saturday.

Gateway will host the 35th annual Eastern Area tournament with 20 teams competing. Saturday's finals will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Diamond notes

High school baseball season is still four months away, but several players have been quite active … in their college recruitment, at least.

More than 30 Western Pennsylvania players signed letters of intent during the early-signing period last month. The group included 15 Division I recruits: Bethel Park's Logan Corrigan (James Madison), North Allegheny's Justin Dattilo (Maryland Eastern Shore), Central Catholic's P.J. DeMeo (Pitt), Allderdice's Keyshawn Dorso (Kent State), Seneca Valley's Sam Fragale (Virginia Tech), Seneca Valley's Brad Gresock (St. Bonaventure), Riverview's Anthony Malky (Akron), Montour's Sam Mersing (Pitt), Norwin's Jake Pribanic (Penn State), Trinity's Nick Riotto (Penn State), Laurel's Brandon Ritchie (George Washington), Keystone Oaks' Jared Skolnicki (Kent State), Seneca Valley's Zach Spangler (Kent State), Shady Side Academy's Coleman Strohm (Lafayette) and Pine-Richland's Shea Sullivan (Eastern Kentucky).

Two other Seneca Valley players are signed to play in college: Carson Kessler (Slippery Rock) and Jason Martin (IUP). South Park has three players committed to play at the next level, including Nick Yobbi (South Carolina-Aiken), Jake Bylwalski (Concord) and Randy Dobnak (Alderson Broaddus).

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