The first meeting on the gridiron between Seneca Valley and North Allegheny this season turned into a war of attrition.

In a Sept. 28 Quad County Conference game at the Tigers' Newman Stadium, both teams combined for seven turnovers and just 283 yards of offense.

NA survived that night, 10-6, but will host the Raiders Friday with much more at stake. This time, the winner will advance to the WPIAL Class 6A championship game at Heinz Field.

The Raiders (8-3) reached the semifinal round with an emotional, come-from-behind 15-14 win over Central Catholic last week. SV coach Ron Butschle expected his team to quickly turn its focus from celebration to preparation.

“It was business as usual on Monday,” he said. “All year, win or lose, it's been about getting back to preparing for the next game. It's become a routine for us.”

The focus this week is twofold: retaining a dominant defense that forced four turnovers against the Tigers in September while also getting more out of an offense that struggled mightily. The Raiders managed just 108 yards of offense in the first game, 69 of them coming on the first drive.

“Offensively, we need to be able to finish things off,” said Butschle. “NA's defense caused problems for us, especially in the second half. We need to have answers for some things that they did to us the first time.”

Junior quarterback Gabe Lawson was pulled in the second half last week, only to return and aid the Raiders' victory after falling behind 14-0. The team's first touchdown of the game was a 21-yard pass from Lawson to tight end Jake Stebbins late in the third quarter.

“We felt it was the right decision to take Gabe out,” said Butschle. “At the same time, we also felt it was the right decision to put him back in. He and I talked about it. Gabe has improved and I think his best days are still ahead of him.”

Senior running back Jake Mineweaser had just one carry for five yards in the September game, but has rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns over the last two weeks and could provide a spark against NA.

The Tigers (10-0) closed the regular season with an impressive 27-7 win over Pine-Richland Oct. 26. The victory clinched the Quad County Conference title for NA, which received a bye into the semifinals.

“Our approach to the bye was well-thought out,” said NA coach Art Walker Jr. “We went back to the fundamentals. Our practices were fast and physical, but also got some kids healthy.”

The Tigers have been spurred by their running game, which features several backs who have important roles.

Ben Maenza leads the way with 1,035 yards and 17 touchdowns. Percise Colon has 343 yards, but also a 9.5-yard average and 10 touchdowns.

Luke Colella, who often lines up at wide receiver, has added 222 rushing yards and over nine yards per carry. In the first game against SV, he gained 49 yards on just five carries.

“We spread the carries around and the players are happy with their roles,” said Walker. “When Ben is on the sideline, he's Percise's biggest cheerleader. We have a team of players who genuinely care about each other.”

Walker knows his offense needs to find more consistency while limiting the turnovers in Friday's rematch, two things that are easier said than done against a staunch SV defense.

“They are big up front and use a lot of slanting and stunting,” said Walker. “That line is able to keep people off of their linebackers, who are really good.”

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.