JACKSON TWP - Fans attending Seneca Valley's season-opening game Friday against Penn-Trafford expected to see a lot of action through the air.

Warriors quarterback Tyler Huether was fine with that. In fact, he ended up stealing the show.

The senior passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns as Penn-Trafford overwhelmed the Raiders 38-13 at Raiders Stadium.

"I played with a lot of confidence last year," said Huether. "And that's the way I entered this game. I just wanted to keep things going."

"Our biggest concern was protecting Tyler," said Penn-Trafford coach Art Tragesser. "And we did that."

Huether's second and third scoring passes, both to junior wideout Tim Cortazzo in the third quarter, covered 50 and 73 yards to turn a competitive 17-7 game into a 31-7 rout with 5:23 left in the period.

Cortazzo ended the game with 212 yards receiving on just six receptions.

"Their athleticism on the outside really hurt us," said Raiders coach Ron Butschle.

Seneca Valley's Kevan Smith completed 13 of 27 passes for 144 yards.

Penn-Trafford opened up a 17-0 lead a little over three minutes into the second quarter.

The Raiders' ensuing possession began on their 2-yard line.

Seneca Valley, which had experienced sporadic play from its passing game up to that point, turned to its running game.

The team ran the ball on 12 of 14 plays of a 98-yard drive that took 6:42 off the clock, and Pat Prazer was the workhorse on the drive.

The senior tailback gained 40 yards on seven carries and Lee Layton added a 23-yard run that set up Smith's 1-yard sneak that pulled the Raiders to within 17-7 with 1:43 left in the half.

"They blocked well on that drive," said Tragesser. "It got them back in the game."

But the momentum Seneca Valley took into halftime was quickly stolen away by the Huether-to-Cortazzo connection.

The duo's first hookup in the second half came on the fourth play from scrimmage in the third quarter.

On the previous play, senior tailback Mike Tropiano, who scored two touchdowns in the game, reeled off an 11-yard run to give the Warriors a first down at midfield.

The second long scoring pass came on Penn-Trafford's next possession on a third-and-3 play from its own 27-yard line.

"Our (assistant coaches) noticed something in the coverages," Tragesser said of the aerial touchdowns. "Other than that, it was just a matter of our guys making plays on the outside."

Prazer ended the game with 129 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. He capped the scoring with a 2-yard plunge early in the final period.

"Pat and our offensive line, there were definitely some positives there," said Butschle.

The veteran coach also saw some positives in his senior quarterback.

"He did some good things and some bad things," Butschle said. "You know, he's got to get better like everybody else on this team. But all of the mistakes can be corrected in practice."