Leaping Ahead
BUTLER TWP — After giving up 51 points last week at Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley was looking for some positive steps Friday night.
This was more like a giant leap.
The Raiders rolled up 452 yards of offense and 22 first downs and did not punt until early in the fourth quarter. They held host Butler to 95 yards net offense. It all added up to to a 42-6 Northern Seven Conference football victory at Art Bernardi Stadium.
The win handed the Raiders the Butler Eagle Traveling Trophy — given to the winner of the rivalry — for a 10th straight year.
“Absolutely. This was the type of effort we were looking for,” SV coach Dave Vestal said. “We had some turnovers and made some mistakes, but our defense responded well.
“Our No. 1 goal was to control their running game and we did that.”
Butler (1-2, 0-2) was limited to 36 rushing yards. The Tornado's lone score was a 26-yard drive in the second quarter, set up by a Dawson Ammon fumble recovery at the Raiders' 26-yard line. Dallas Hays scored on a 2-yard run.
By the time that score occurred, however, Seneca Valley (2-1, 1-1) had a 21-0 lead. The Raiders scored touchdowns on their first three possessions.
Quarterback Jack Cook threw touchdown tosses of 24 yards to Jake Bunofsky on a fourth-and-15 play for the game's first score.
He found Payton Skalos from five yards out later in the first quarter.
Hank Royal's 1-yard run capped a brief 20-yard march after the Raiders recovered a Butler fumble deep in Tornado territory.
Cook completed 12 of 15 passes for 171 yards and two scores. He had 18 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown. Royal rushed for 142 yards — 127 in the second half — and a pair of touchdowns.
“Tonight was all about making our reads,” Cook said. “It wasn't just me. It was the linemen, our recivers and backs ... We were all in synch.”
Skalos had eight catches for 118 yards in the contest.
“He's fun to watch out there,” Cook said. “He and I have been playing football together since we were 7. I know exactly where he's gonna be and what he's gonna do all the time.”
Even after Butler got on the board with 4:20 left in the first half, SV answered. Cook scored on a 16-yard run to cap a 63-yard drive with 2:11 left in the half.
And after Antonio DeVaughn recovered a muffed punt at the Raiders' 27 early in the third quarter, Butler was turned away on downs inside the 10. Shane Stadtfield nailed DeVaughn for a 5-yard loss for the key play in the stop.“We just played bad,” Butler coach Rob Densmore said. “No excuses. It's back to the drawing board.”A 92-yard Raider touchdown drive followed the team's defensive stop and put the game out of reach.“We were lacking energy and intensity tonight. I don't know why,” Densmore said. “Seneca Valley came out and played hard. We didn't match it.”The Tornado were held to two first downs in the second half.“I liked our physicality tonight. It was important for us to come in here and play that way,” Vestal said.Brock Gresock recovered a fumble to end Butler's first possession at the Tornado 35 and set up the Raiders' second touchdown.Jacob Tilko joined Ammon and DeVaughn in recovering fumbles for Butler.John Michalek started at quarterback for the Tornado as Brandon Fleeger sat out with a foot injury. Michalek completed 10 of 20 passes, but for only 59 yards.
