IRWIN — Missed opportunities sit much better with a football team if it finds a way to win.

Seneca Valley wishes that had been the case Friday night.

Trailing Norwin 17-14, the Raiders began their final drive of the game at the Knights' 29-yard line with 4:37 left.

SV's passing attack, working almost exclusively out of the shotgun and spread formation, had gained yards at will during most of the game.

But after C.J. Brown's 1-yard pass to Evan Hetzel on first down, three straight passes hit the ground, with Brown throwing a jump ball into the right corner of the end zone on fourth down to no avail.

Norwin took over with 3:28 left and easily ran out the clock, claiming the three-point win to open the 2008 season.

Even with the failed final drive, Brown completed 21-of-37 passes for a school-record 300 yards and a touchdown.

Receivers Matt Plautz (eight receptions for 141 yards) and Pete Vicente (9-117) combined for 17 catches and 258 yards.

"Our passing game is going to do some great things for us this year," said SV coach Ron Butschle. "But when you get a short field like that at the end of a game, it's the coach's responsibility to put the team in a position to score.

"That last drive was on me, I'll take the blame," he added. "If I could go back, I'd try something different, like run the ball."

Norwin coach Dan Conwell also second guessed himself in the final minutes of the game.

The Knights faced a fourth-and-1 from their own 29 with just under five minutes left.

Rather than give the ball back to SV's aerial show with a punt, Conwell elected to go for it. Quarterback Alex Dennison's pass for tight end Sean Brown fell incomplete.

The Raiders took over on downs, only to see their hopes of winning sink to the ground with the three incomplete passes.

"I put the team in a bad situation," said Conwell. "I felt bad as soon as that pass fell incomplete.

"Thankfully, our defense bailed me out," Conwell added.

The Raiders had several chances in the game, but left the field empty-handed.

On SV's second drive of the night, Tyler Mack appeared to be headed for a first down around right end, but the senior halfback fumbled near the sideline.

Norwin's John Palumbo scooped up the ball and raced 58 yards for a 14-0 lead.

The Raiders battled back with a 10-play, 85-yard drive that ended with Brown's 1-yard sneak with 4:35 left in the second quarter.

Brown's 36-yard strike to Plautz early in the third quarter, along with Will Hugo's second extra point, tied the game at 14.

Norwin went up 17-14 on a 25-yard field goal by Zane Zahorchak with 3:58 left in the third quarter for what became the winning score.

SV had three drives end on missed field goals off the right leg of Hugo, including a 27-yarder that would have tied the game with 6:57 left.

"You tell him it's over and to put it behind him," Butschle said. "Maybe we'll look at his mechanics next week."

Norwin opened the game with a 16-play, 84-yard drive that was capped bay Dennison's 4-yard scoring pass to Brown to make it 7-0.

The Knights ended the game with 201 rushing yards, including Tyler Lukart's 85 yards on 12 carries.

"We take pride in being able to run the football," said Conwell. "When we needed a big run tonight, we got it."

Seneca Valley will look for its first win of 2008 Thursday when it hosts Erie McDowell.

Notes: SV's Andy Berkebile recovered a Norwin fumble at the Knights' 35 in the second quarter. ... Brown led the Raiders with 52 rushing yards on 14 carries.