JACKSON TWP — If the football field is an extension of the classroom, then Seneca Valley just received its poorest grade of the season.

In a game that had sole possession of first place in the Northern Eight Conference on the line, the Raiders were crushed by host Central Catholic, 42-0 last Friday.

“Give credit to Central Catholic, they have a lot of good players and they made plays, but we made a ton of mistakes and that starts with me,” said Seneca coach Don Holl. “There are things we need to correct and we are working on that. It’s all part of the process.”

One area where the Raiders struggled last week was giving up the big play. They surrendered a 73-yard scoring run and touchdown passes of 35 and 96 yards to Vikings’ quarterback J.J. Cosentino.

Next up for the Raiders (4-1) is a struggling Shaler team. The Titans are winless at 0-5 following last Saturday’s 34-14 loss to Fox Chapel. Shaler has been outscored 219-57 this season.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Shaler’s Lou Martig Stadium.

Holl is hoping his Raiders learn from their mistakes, but don’t dwell on them.

“Lou Holtz said it, ‘You can’t let them beat you twice,’” he said. “As coaches, our job is to make sure the players put last week in the past. I think we’re in the right place in that regard.”

Chris Siegle is in his second year as head coach at Shaler. The Titans are currently trying to snap an 18-game losing streak. The program’s last victory was a 41-28 triumph over McDowell in October 2011.

Senior quarterback Josh Crawford has thrown for over 500 yards and three touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Robby Reinheimer has totaled over 300 yards receiving and returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown last week, his fourth score overall in 2013.

“We know Shaler and what schemes they run,” said Holl. “We will prepare for that the best we can.”

Seneca Valley halfback Mason Dehart has rushed for 279 yards and a 4.1-yard average on 67 attempts. He’s added six touchdowns, all on the ground.

“There are a lot of different running styles,” said Holl. “The more Mason touches the ball, the tougher he gets. He’s a talented athlete and, as a junior, is getting a lot of experience.”

Eric Mrkonja is Seneca Valley’s best downfield threat with 11 receptions for 186 yards and three TDs. Brad Hensler has nine catches for 177 yards.

Seneca Valley and Shaler first met on the gridiron in 1964 and have played each other every year since the Raiders moved up to Class AAAA in 1990.

The Titans hold a 20-13 lead in the series, though Seneca Valley has taken the last two contests, including last season’s 49-0 decision.

Siegle could not be reached for comment.