JACKSON TWP — In a football game of big plays, it just may have been the biggest.

Leading Erie McDowell 20-14 late in the third quarter, Seneca Valley was facing a third-and-7 from its own 17-yard line.

The Raiders just wanted to get a first down to maintain possession.

What they got was an 83-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Brown to Dustin Anewalt that proved to be the winning score in a 27-20 victory Friday.

The play began as a designed rollout, with Brown moving to his right.

As he neared the sideline, Brown took one last peek toward the middle of the field and found Anewalt, who was in the final strides of a crossing pattern.

Anewalt pulled the ball in at the 32-yard line, juked McDowell's Kyle Harpster and outran the defensive back to the end zone.

One play before the touchdown, Anewalt had dropped a first-down reception.

"That's called character," said SV coach Ron Butschle. "To make a mistake on one play and come back and make up for it, that was very big."

The score put the Raiders (4-3, 2-1) up 27-14, but McDowell stormed back with an eight-play, 70-yard drive that Harpster ended with a 23-yard scoring run, his third touchdown of the game.

SV's Sean Gress blocked the extra point, but the Trojans (4-3, 1-2) had pulled to within 27-20 with 8:04 left in the game.

Seneca Valley was unable to mount a drive and Ryan Scheller's punt was blocked and recovered by McDowell's Robert Ward at the SV 25.

Three running plays yielded just five yards and the Trojans went for a fourth-and-5 with 4:23 remaining in the game.

Quarterback Dave Herbe took a three-step drop and lofted a fade pass for Ward down the left sideline, but the throw was too strong and sailed well out of bounds.

"We called a fade and, looking back, maybe we should have went with a slant route," said Trojans coach Joe Tarasovich.

"I was looking for them to try play action," said Butschle. "I'm glad they didn't because we haven't done too well against play action."

After taking over on downs, the Raiders easily ran out the clock, thanks to a 12-yard run by James Daniels and eight yards on the ground from Brown on a third-down play.

McDowell was without the services of star running back A.J. Fenton. The junior dressed but did not play due to a thigh injury.

"He was injured in last week's game against (North Allegheny)," said Tarasovich. "He practiced just twice this week, and, in warmups, he said he didn't feel all that great. So, with the kid's health in mind, we sat him."

The Trojans did receive a big night from Harpster, who rushed for 157 yards on 18 carries.

It was the second straight Northern Five Conference win for SV, which has all but clinched a WPIAL playoff berth for the first time in five years.

"This is what we've been working for," said Butschle. "The players deserve the credit and the coaches have worked hard, too. We're just going to keep plugging away. Wins over Shaler and Butler to close the (regular) season sure would be nice."

Seneca Valley scored on the opening drive of the game when Daniels took a short pass from Brown and turned it into a 21-yard score. Ryan Zipf added the extra point and SV led 7-0 with 8:10 left in the opening quarter.

McDowell struck back quickly, thanks to Harpster.

The senior running back returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Raiders' 45, then rambled 42 yards from scrimmage before scoring from the 3.

The first of Zipf's two field goals later in the first quarter was followed by Ryan Scheller's block of Dan Vasil's punt deep in Trojans territory.

SV's Aaron Palmieri grabbed the ball out of midair and fell into the end zone to put the Raiders up 17-7.

Harpster's second touchdown run of the game with 8:49 left in the third quarter cut the Raiders' lead to 20-14 and set the stage for Brown's pass to Anewalt.

Notes: Zipf's two field goals were from 32 and 36 yards out. ... SV's leading receiver, Matt Plautz, was injured in the second quarter and did not return.