JACKSON TWP — Donny Holl faced the pressure head on — and came out of it a better quarterback.

The experience he gained as a junior in 2009 will be invaluable as he prepares for his second season as the starter at Seneca Valley.

Donny Holl's father, Don, was named Seneca Valley's varsity football coach in March 2009.

The latter had been the head coach at Erie Cathedral Prep from 2005-08.

By the time SV's summer camp rolled round, the starting quarterback position was a battle between Holl and senior Pete Vicente.

While Vicente would go on to be a key contributor as a wide receiver and defensive back, Holl was named the starting QB.

Even though he was new to the school district, Donny Holl knew he had big shoes to fill.

During the previous two seasons, C.J. Brown, now playing at the University of Maryland, had passed for more than 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns, while also rushing for more than 1,000 yards.

"I felt a lot of pressure," admitted Donny Holl. "People around here were so used to watching a great quarterback in C.J., but I just had to suck it up and go with it."

Holl started all 10 of the Raiders' 2009 games, passing for 1,127 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also paced the team with 331 rushing yards and nine scores.

Most importantly, Holl was a big reason why the Raiders qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for just the second time in seven years.

Included in the team's march to the postseason was a 19-17 win over Pine-Richland in which Donny Holl led a comeback after trailing 17-0 in the fourth quarter.

He also proved his toughness by returning to the field numerous times after taking some vicious hits.

"I just had to show what I could do, and I believe I did that," he said.

"As his confidence and understanding of the offense grew, he became more comfortable," Coach Holl said. "He gained the respect of his teammates."

Coach Holl and Donny have a two-sided relationship. There's the father-son bond, but also the coach-player dynamic.

Balancing the two is important to both of them.

"If it's something we say to each other during a game, it's understood that it's business and not father to son," said Coach Holl.

Growing up with a football coach for a dad allowed for some unique experiences.

"I was coaching at Tunkhannock High School (in Wyoming County), Donny was about 5 years old," Coach Holl said. "We won the conference title and there's a picture of Donny kissing the trophy. He wanted it for himself."

"When I was in fourth or fifth grade, I used to scribble down plays for my dad to use," said Donny.

"But they wouldn't have worked," said Coach Holl, laughing. "Some of them had six or seven wide receivers going out."

But there's no kidding when it comes to the upcoming season. Donny Holl has his priorities in focus.

"I want to help the team get back to the playoffs," he said. "We should be throwing the ball a lot and I'd like to get to 1,500 yards through the air."