Seneca Valley football’s playoff hopes take hit in loss to Canon-McMillan despite Cayden Park’s big night
CANONSBURG — Seneca Valley’s defense had stifled Canon-McMillan’s ground attack through 43 minutes of Friday’s Quad County Conference clash.
The Big Macs had gained a paltry 35 yards on 24 carries.
But trailing by three points with under five minutes to play, Canon-McMillan gave running back Braelon Wingfield a chance, and he delivered a 46-yard touchdown run that proved to be the difference in SV’s 33-29 road loss.
Wingfield had gained 24 yards on seven carries prior to his scoring sprint.
“Seneca Valley is tough to run against, and they were stacking the box,” Big Macs coach Brian DeLallo said. “But that play was one we thought would work. Braelon hit the line and made a great cut.”
SV coach Don Barclay saw things differently.
“There was a hold on the backside of the play,” he said. “If you watch the tape, you’d see it.”
The Raiders (2-5, 0-3) had time to answer. They drove to Canon-McMillan’s 41-yard line, but two dropped passes and a pair of penalties led to a turnover on downs with 48 seconds left.
Trailing 19-7 as the second half began, SV got the big play it needed. On the first play of the third quarter, Andrew Loebig jumped a route and intercepted Ty Jansma’s pass, setting the Raiders up at the Big Macs’ 20.
Four plays later, Cayden Parker, who rushed for 131 yards in the game, scored from 3 yards out.
SV’s defense forced a three-and-out, and Loebig connected with Adam Gehm on a 16-yard scoring toss. The same combination worked for two points and the Raiders held a 22-19 lead midway through the third period.
“We came out in the second half with a lot of energy,” Barclay said. “Andrew’s interception was huge. It takes effort and heart, and we didn’t see it last week (in a 41-20 loss to previously winless Mt. Lebanon).”
The Raiders didn’t let up. Loebig’s third touchdown pass of the game went to Parker from 14 yards out, and SV’s lead was 29-19 with 10:10 left in the game.
On the Big Macs’ next possession, a 17-yard pass from Jansma to Roman Cimarolli and a roughing the passer penalty on the same play sparked an 80-yard drive that ended with Talan Sabatucci’s 5-yard scoring run, his second of the game.
Needing a drive to temper Canon-Mac’s momentum, the Raiders instead punted after three plays, setting the stage for Wingfield’s winning jaunt.
“It was back and forth tonight,” DeLallo said. “Seneca goes up early, then we score (19) straight. They flipped things on us in the third, then we flip it again in the fourth. It’s been a while since I was part of a game like this.”
Loebig and Danny Drennan hooked up on a 26-yard scoring pass on SV’s second drive of the game before the Big Macs (3-4, 2-1) scored two touchdowns and two field goals to lead by 12 points at the break.
A win would have vaulted the Raiders into the thick of the WPIAL Class 6A playoff race. Now they will likely have to win their final three games to have a shot at the postseason. That task begins with next Friday’s game at Hempfield.
“Our effort was much better than last week,” Barclay said. “But we have to play a full game. We need to learn how to stack successes.”
Seneca Valley 7 0 15 7 — 29
Canon-McMillan 6 13 0 14 — 33
First Quarter
SV — Danny Drennan 26 pass from Andrew Loebig (Max Eisenhut kick), 6:21
CM — Talan Sabatucci 1 run (pass failed), :46
Second Quarter
CM — Rhys Maentz 22 field goal, 9:59
CM — Ethan Campoli 15 pass from Ty Jansma (Maentz kick), 9:06
CM — Maentz 41 field goal, 6:40
Third Quarter
SV — Cayden Parker 3 run (Eisenhut kick), 10:20
SV — Adam Gehm 16 pass from Loebig (Gehm pass from Loebig), 6:13
Fourth Quarter
SV — Parker 14 pass from Loebig (Eisenhut kick), 10:10
CM — Sabatucci 5 run (Maentz kick), 7:40
CM — Braelon Wingfield 46 run (Maentz kick), 4:20
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Seneca Valley, Andrew Loebig 12-39, Cayden Parker 23-131, Josiah Edwards 4-27, Adam Gehm 1-1, Danny Drennan 1-8, Max Eisenhut 1-(-7), Jamen Alwine 2-(-2). Canon-McMillan, Mason Calgaro 10-8, Roman Cimarolli 1-(-5), Braelon Wingfield 8-70, Ty Jansma 5-0, Talan Sabatucci 2-6.
Passing: Seneca Valley, Andrew Loebig 9-21-92-1, Jamen Alwine 2-3-6-0. Canon-McMillan, Ty Jansma 12-20-160-1.
Receiving: Seneca Valley, Danny Drennan 2-30, Josiah Edwards 1-2, Adam Gehm 2-20, Cayden Parker 4-20, Rory O’Shea 2-26. Canon-McMillan, Talan Sabatucci 2-15, Roman Cimarolli 3-59, Ethan Campoli 5-75, Bryce Collins 1-3, Brayden Collins 1-8.
