West Xtra: Senior standout all about the team; Levitt leads the way for West Allegheny
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As someone who shares a ride with Chartiers Valley's Justin Sabilla to Pittsburgh Predators U-18 AAA practices and games, West Allegheny's Jonathan Levitt is afforded a unique perspective on the concept of winning a PIHL classification's individual scoring title.
Levitt, with 39 points in 15 games played, ranks third in Class AA. But lest he think the title is within reach, Levitt is a full 20 points behind leader Sabilla.
"It's nice to be up there," Levitt said earlier this week, "But in all honesty, as long as we're winning, I couldn't care less. Justin and I carpool to amateur practice, and we always joke. He says, 'Maybe I'm No. 1 in scoring, but we're still No. 3 in the league team-wise.'"
Riding a 12-game winning streak heading into a game tonight against Pine-Richland, Levitt's Indians are 14-2 and have the best record in Class AA. That's better than Sabilla's Colts, who at 11-4 would be seeded fourth if the playoffs began today.
The postseason, of course, is what really matters the most. But if the seedings hold and West Allegheny does, in fact, win the Penguins Cup, Levitt will let Sabilla take the scoring title. He will take the Penguins Cup.
If West Allegheny does win, it will be in no small part because of contributions by Levitt, its 6-foot, 185-pound senior alternate captain.
"He's got a lot of speed, and he's got a really good shot," West Allegheny coach Tim Veach said. "He has a really good backhand ... most kids his age don't have a good shot coming across the slot [on the off-hand].
"He's a fast player, but mostly, he's got that competitiveness. That's the No. 1 thing. He wants to win. He's intense, and I think that carries over to the other guys on the team."
Levitt said that strict aversion to losing has long been part of his mental makeup -- and hockey is the only outlet for it.
"Straight hockey," he said when asked if he played any other sports.
"Maybe if there was any time, I'd be playing something else [too], but hockey takes up all the time."
Not that Levitt is complaining.
"I definitely have a competitive nature, but I also think that this being the last season before going off to college that's fueling me a lot, too," he said. "It makes that desire to win this year even greater. This is my last season, my last chance to leave a legacy at West Allegheny. That's become kind of a driving force."
Levitt has produced offensively as if he's motivated. Despite a recent slump in which he has gone scoreless in his past two games -- "Just trying a little too hard," Veach said of him -- Levitt has multiple points in 10 games this season, multiple goals in seven.
Levitt is in his fourth season on the Indians varsity team and second as an alternate captain.
Veach relayed how, in West Allegheny's most recent game against Plum on Jan. 30, the Mustangs led at the end of each of the first two periods and held a 2-1 lead with 8 minutes to play.
"Jon was instrumental in keeping the guys focused on the bench," Veach said.
The Indians rallied with three goals in a four-minute span, good for their 12th consecutive victory.
Levitt ranks third in Class AA in scoring -- but even when he is not producing offensively, he can make an impact on a game.
"He competes every time he gets on the ice," Veach said. "A lot of times with kids who have that much talent, you see them coast around and take shifts off. You rarely see that out of him -- he goes hard and pushes every shift. The other guys feed off that. And he's not afraid to play physical. That's not a big part of the game, but he will hit people, and he's pretty mentally tough."
That's a list of attributes that suggest Levitt's hockey career won't end when West Allegheny's season does -- or even when the Predators finish this spring.
Division III colleges have shown interest along with some junior teams, but Levitt chooses not to go that route, not wanting to delay his matriculation. A good student with a 4.3 grade-point average that is among the best in his graduating class, Levitt intends to major in economics.
Hockey will be a secondary concern when picking a college, but make no mistake, it will be part of his college experience. Levitt is just too competitive not to play.
"He has the ability to play at that level," Veach said. "He's an outstanding student and an outstanding athlete, and he will be successful at both if he chooses to be."
First Published February 9, 2012 12:00 am
