Seneca Valley upsets No. 1 North Allegheny, returns to Heinz Field
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Friday, November 9, 2018 | 10:33 PM
Seneca Valley’s rematch and redemption tour rolls on.
Central Catholic, check.
North Allegheny, check.
For the second week in a row the Raiders avenged a regular-season loss, this time with long touchdown drives of 75, 91 and 94 yards in Friday night’s 31-14 victory over top-seeded North Allegheny in a WPIAL Class 6A semifinal at Newman Stadium.
“We love being the underdog,” senior guard David Tkatch said. “It’s better than being the top seed and falling down. We love coming up from nothing and going to Heinz Field.”
NA won 10-6 in Week 5, but the Tigers couldn’t contain Seneca Valley’s running game in the rematch. Behind a sturdy offensive line, running back Jake Mineweaser rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
As a team, Seneca Valley rushed for 231 yards on 47 attempts. Raiders quarterback Gabe Lawson added 42 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and also threw an 11-yard score to Luke Smith.
Now, fifth-seeded Seneca Valley (9-3) seeks the ultimate redemption.
The win advanced the Raiders to Heinz Field on Saturday to face No. 2 Pine-Richland (9-2), the only other team that defeated them this season. Pine-Richland won 21-7 in Week 8.
“We’re ready for the next challenge,” Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle said. “They’re the next ones in. I’m sure they’re excited as we are. It’s going to be so cool to be back at Heinz Field.”
Seneca Valley was the WPIAL runner-up in 2016 with Butschle as an assistant coach. This is his second season as head coach in his second stint. North Allegheny (10-1) was trying to reach the WPIAL finals for the first time since winning three in a row from 2010-12.
“It was an unbelievable year, but it didn’t end how we wanted,” NA coach Art Walker said. “There’s nothing I could say to take that pain away.”
Seneca Valley entered Friday’s fourth quarter with a slim 17-14 lead before scoring twice in the first 3 minutes. Lawson and Smith connected for a 12-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the quarter to lead 24-14. With 9:47 left, Mineweaser reached the end zone on an 11-yard run for a 31-14 lead.
North Allegheny’s offense ran one play between those two Seneca Valley scores: a deep pass down the middle that was intercepted. NA quarterback Ben Petschke rushed for two touchdowns but completed only 5 of 16 pass attempts for 112 yards and was intercepted twice.
Lawson completed 8 of 13 for 161 yards and a touchdown as Seneca Valley nearly doubled North Allegheny in yards from scrimmage: 392 to 209.
“You’ve got to give them credit, they really played well and were coached well,” Walker said. “They made some plays. We were hanging in there, needing to make a play here and there, and we shot ourselves in the foot. We didn’t get those (crucial plays) tonight and they did.”
Seneca Valley leaned heavily on an offensive line that features Tkatch (6-2, 265), center Josh Kaltenberger (6-5, 270), right guard Drew Robertson (6-2, 285), left tackle Kevin Meeder (6-5, 275) and right tackle Marcus Might (6-6, 280).
“We knew it was fight or go home,” Mineweaser said. “Our mentality was payback.”
The teams’ Week 5 matchup was a defensive battle, but this rematch had a different feel from the start. Both teams scored on their opening possession.
An 8-yard touchdown run by Petschke gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead after 41 seconds. Seneca Valley answered with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown run by Mineweaser.
Seneca Valley took a 10-7 lead with a 34-yard field goal by Seth Winters on its next possession.
Each team added a rushing touchdown in the second quarter. Lawson scored on a 6-yarder and Petschke had a 3-yarder. Seneca Valley led 17-14 at halftime.
That three-point margin remained through a scoreless third quarter. The Raiders then scored twice early in the fourth to pull away.
“We’re going to take the weekend and enjoy the heck out of this,” Butschle said, “and we’re getting back to work on Monday. It’s going to be fun.”
Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.
Tags: North Allegheny, Seneca Valley
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