MT. LEBANON — Seneca Valley's offense picked a good time to have its best game of the year.

The Raiders totaled 493 yards and rattled a usually stingy Mt. Lebanon defense in a 49-43 victory in a WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal playoff game Friday night at Mt. Lebanon Stadium.

Quarterback Jack Cook passed for 241 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 101 yards and three more scores. His 35-yard touchdown run gave SV a 49-36 lead with 4:44 left in the game.

“Our guys came to play,” Seneca Valley coach Dave Vestal said. “They made plays when they had to.”

The only times the Raiders' drives did not result in touchdowns came on three turnovers and when they had the ball when the second-quarter clock expired.

“We just didn't tackle well all night,” Mt. Lebanon coach Mike Melnyk said. “They have an excellent halfback (Hank Royal) and the quarterback is shifty. We didn't force a punt the whole game.”

The Blue Devils (7-4) had impressive stats of their own, including 370 passing yards and five touchdowns from quarterback James Stocker.

The last one, a 23-yard pass to Pat Moeller, cut the Raiders' lead to six points with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter. SV's Jake Stebbins recovered the ensuing onside kick and the Raiders easily ran out the clock.

The Raiders scored on three of their first four drives of the game to open up a 21-7 lead. But aided by two Seneca Valley fumbles, the Blue Devils scored the final 15 points of the first half and led 22-21 at intermission.

That effort came after Mt. Lebanon's first two drives yielded minus-1 yard. Its initial possession was stopped by Payton Skalos' interception at midfield.

“Coach Vestal told us we were facing a good team and there would be adversity tonight,” said senior tight end/linebacker Jake Holl. “When those turnovers first happened, we got down because we had momentum and there it goes. But we just had to battle back.”

The Raiders held Mt. Lebanon running back David Harvey, who had gained over 1,300 yards in the regular season, to 56 yards on 15 attempts.

“We made them one dimensional, which was good,” said Vestal, “but then we had to stop the pass.”

That proved to be easier said than done. The Blue Devils' aerial show continued into the second half as SV's deficit grew to 29-21 when Stocker hit Jack Young with a 49-yard scoring pass on the third play of the third quarter.

But the Raiders (7-3) scored the next 22 points thanks to touchdowns by Payton Skalos (39-yard reception), Cook (7-yard run) and running back Hank Royal (4-yard run) in the span of 12:37 between the third and fourth quarter.

Skalos ended the game with eight catches for 130 yards. Royal had 146 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

SV will face North Allegheny in the semifinals next Friday. The Tigers defeated Seneca Valley 49-14 in Week 7.

“Another shot, that's all we want,” Holl said.