ALTOONA — It doesn’t get much sweeter for an offensive lineman than to get his number called to carry the ball in short-yardage around the goal line, and Seneca Valley’s Evan Schillero lit up like he might have done a few years back when he was going trick or treating.

“It was very exciting,” Schillero said. “We put that play in two weeks ago, and, every time we get around the goal line, I always want to run it.”

Schillero got his chance in his very last scholastic football game, bowling over from the 1 with 4:13 left in the third quarter.

Schillero’s touchdown brought the running-clock into play. Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle thought the Raiders were on the verge of putting it all together, and they did just that at Mansion Park Stadium on Friday night with a resounding 42-13 WPIAL Class 6A intersectional win over host Altoona.

“I felt like we were the team on the verge of being a good football team. Tonight, we didn’t make the mistakes that we made all year,” Butschle said after the Rams wrapped up a 3-6 campaign on a high note. “Every one of my seniors played his best game, which makes me happy. Our quarterback (sophomore Gabe Lawson) played his best game. Defense did an outstanding job.

“We played well in all three phases.”

Lawson threw for 236 yards, going 10-for-17 and hitting senior Noah Mancuso for a 32-yard touchdown and Luke Bunofsky for a 55-yard score while also scoring himself on a 2-yard run. Mancuso, meanwhile, rushed for 95 yards on just 14 carries and scored three touchdowns, while Luke Smith picked up 114 yards on his three receptions. Seneca Valley rolled up 408 yards in total offense.

The defense limited Altoona to 49 yards on the ground while picking off three Mountain Lions passes.

“I believe so. Last week (against Shaler) went good for us,” Mancuso said when asked if it was the Raiders’ best performance of the year. “We went through little bumps in the middle of the season. We stepped it up. It was definitely an honor for us to come up big at the end, because we worked so hard.”

“It’s a good way to end a season that didn’t quite live up to our expectations,” Butschle said.

Seneca Valley 7 21 21 0 — 49

Altoona 0 13 0 0 — 13

First Quarter

SV — Noah Mancuso 37 run (Tanner Sherry kick), 4:55

Second Quarter

SV — Jake Bunofsky 55 pass from Gabe Lawson (Sherry kick), 8:05

A — Tyler Petucci 1 run (Andrew Eisel kick), 4:27

SV — Mancuso 32 pass from Gabe Lawson (Sherry kick), 3:28

A — Tyler Wagner 45 pass from Braeden Burchfield (kick failed), :00

Third Quarter

SV — Lawson 2 run (Sherry kick), 10:23

SV — Mancuso 4 run (Sherry kick), 6:38

SV — Evan Schillero 1 run (Sherry kick), 4:13

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Seneca Valley, Noah Mancuso 14-95, Gabe Lawson 7-24, Jake Mineweaser 1-7, Gabe Miller 2-5, Evan Schillero 1-1, Saige Ley 4-9, Ty Gross 1-7, Parker Smith 3-1, Ryan Kristoback 3-23. Altoona, Tyler Petucci 13-22, Mitchell Lawhead 7-6, Cam Fasick 2-2, Braeden Burchfield 5-13, Shakim Copeland 3-6

Passing: Seneca Valley, Gabe Lawson 10-17-236-0. Altoona, Braeden Burchfield 14-26-191-2, Tyler Pucci 1-1-31-0, Liam DeAngelis 1-2-79-1

Receiving: Seneca Valley, Noah Mancuso 3-42, Josh McLean 1-9, Jake Bunofsky 2-66, Luke Smith 3-114. Altoona, Tyler Wagner 4-89, Cam Fasick 1-15, Tyler Petucci 8-81, Jonah Brandt 2-37