Seneca Valley's football team is riding a wave in the form of a three-game winning streak. To keep it going, the Raiders must hurdle a major obstacle Friday night.

SV (4-1, 3-1) travels to North Allegheny to face a Tigers team that has not lost while outscoring its five opponents by a combined score of 207-61.

“The thing that sticks out from watching film on them is how hard all of their players play,” said SV coach Ron Butschle, who watched his team shut out Butler last week, 37-0. “You never see one of their guys not giving full effort. That's a testament to their players and coaching staff.”

Newman Stadium has not been kind to the Raiders in recent years. SV has not won there since 2002 and has dropped seven straight games at the venue by an average score of 39-11.

Tigers' coach Art Walker Jr. believes his team is better now than it was at the start of the season.

“We've matured a lot,” he said. “We are getting more experience on offense, which is young, and we're improving on defense.”

Five different players have attempted passes this season, but junior Ben Petschke is expected to start against the Raiders. He has completed 13 of 38 passes for 141 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Gunnar Fisher is 10 of 21 for 153 yards and a pair of scores.

“He (Petschke) has gotten most of the snaps,” said Walker. “We've used different quarterbacks because of both ability and injuries, but they all understand what we're trying to do.”

Senior running back Ben Maenza is the engine of NA's offense, gaining 619 yards with a 7.4 yards per carry average. He has scored 11 total touchdowns this year. Maenza has taken advantage of an expanded role after rushing for 526 yards in 2017.

“They have a power-running offense,” Butschle said of the Tigers, “but he definitely has a burst. If he gets running downhill, he's tough to stop.”

Controlling the line of scrimmage will fall to SV's defensive tackles David Tkatch, Drew Robertson and ends Felipe Junqueira and Saige Ley. Evan Smith should also see time in the trenches.

“We're getting more pressure on the quarterback than in the past and we're getting it with a four-man front,” said Butschle. “When you can do that, you allow the guys behind you to make plays.”

Walker is impressed with Ley from what he has seen on film. Many of the quarterback pressures the Raiders have managed have come from him.

“He's a linebacker/defensive end hybrid-type of guy,” Walker said. “He's very athletic and does a lot of things for them.”

SV's offense, led by dual-threat quarterback Gabe Lawson, will be facing a stout Tiger defense. Last week, NA shut down a potent Mt. Lebanon team in a 34-3 win. The effort was highlighted by three forced turnovers and 11 tackles from junior Luke Colella.

Lawson has thrown for 554 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception this season. His favorite targets include wide receiver Josh McLean (15-292-5) and tight end Jake Stebbins (14-205-1).

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.