SV football players will play in college
Next fall, a trio of Seneca Valley’s all-conference seniors – Nolan Dworek, Brian Olan, and Brandon Ross – will each continue their football careers at the next level.
Dworek, a running back, will venture to California (Pa.) and Ross, a wideout, to Notre Dame College. Olan readies to join Duquesne after only one season at his position.
Two years ago, as a junior, Olan filled in as an understudy quarterback, helping the Raiders to a postseason berth. SV coach Ron Butschle settled on Graham Hancox as the team’s starting signal-caller last summer, leaving Olan to make a choice.
“I was kind of just in a situation where I just wanted to get on the field my senior year and I didn’t know where I was going to be put,” Olan said. “I was on the verge of actually quitting, just to go to school to go to school and not really play any football.”
Instead, he flipped to the other side of the line of scrimmage, ready to track down opposing triggermen. Starting out on scout team, it wasn’t long before he carved out a starting role.
“Rather than pout about it, he decided he was going to be a six-foot-three, 235-pound defensive end,” Butschle said. “It turned out to be a pretty good decision.”
Olan got accustomed to gaps and what technique to line up in. He picked up on the craft quickly, showing flashes of potential that eventually prompted Duquesne to take notice.
His other suitors included PSAC schools Edinboro and Seton Hill and a few other teams in the Colonial Athletic Association, an FCS conference. Duquesne’s academic reputation was a large part of what drew Olan in. He’ll study supply chain management while setting the edge for the Dukes.
Two of the Raiders’ gamebreakers, Ross and Dworek opted to latch on with Division II programs.
Ross had offers from Slippery Rock and Seton Hill and preferred walk-on opportunities at Pitt and Penn State. He declined those chances in favor of Cleveland’s Notre Dame College, in part because his mother, Alexis, and younger brother, Christian, both liked the feel of NDC.
“I’m sure he’s going to continue to be the mature kid that he’s turned into,” Butschle said. “Talent-wise, there’s no question he can have an opportunity to play at that level.”
He notched six scores in 2021 and figures to see the field for the Falcons as a rookie, maybe even pushing for a starting job.
“I’m not the most vocal player on the field, because that’s not my type of play,” Ross said. “My playmaking is what elevates everybody else’s play around me. I can bring a lot of confidence without cockiness.”
Meanwhile, Dworek was one of only six players in Class 6A to score at least eight touchdowns last season. He follows the paths of a few other Raider alumni that have suited up for the Vulcans, including brothers Josh and Gabe Miller.
“He was our guy and he was the guy we were going to give the ball to,” Butschle said. “He took that role, especially in the offseason, and really worked hard to make himself bigger and stronger.”
Cal U’s rushing scheme plays to his strengths. He carried the ball 123 times for 619 yards last year.
“My go-to is the cutback plays,” Dworek said. “I was watching their film and that’s all they run is that quick little cutback, outside zone. I think that’s my specialty.”
Ross made a point to congratulate his former teammates.
“When I moved here in eighth grade, (Olan and Dworek) were two people that would work with me a lot and kind of took me under their wing,” Ross said. “I’m grateful for that and just happy to see all of my friends succeed.”
