JACKSON TWP - On a night when the Seneca Valley football program honored its past, it gave its fans a glimpse of the future.

The Raiders rebounded from a 21-6 second-quarter deficit, as the team's defense limited Kiski Area to just one yard of offense in the second half in a 26-21 win on Alumni Night at Raiders Stadium.

"This serves as validation to everything we've been preaching to these kids for the past year and a half," said Raiders coach Ron Butschle. "We really believe this team is turning the corner."

There was no shortage of big plays in the win and several players came together to make them.

They included:

Pat Prazer, who scored two touchdowns, the second of which gave the Raiders their five-point winning margin.

Defensive lineman Don Barclay, who blocked a Cavaliers punt in the fourth quarter to set up the go-ahead score and later recovered a fumble in Raiders territory to halt Kiski Area's final drive.

Kevan Smith, who completed 12-of-17 passes for 191 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown bomb to Zach Duggan late in the third quarter.

Kevin Mayberry, who asserted himself as a solid second receiver by gaining 62 yards on four receptions, three of which went for first downs.

"It was a total team effort," said Butschle. "Our offense feels its going to score every time we get the ball and our defense feels it's going to come up with a stop every time. That's not being overconfident. That's just the mentality of this team."

But before the Raiders could win the game, they had to wrestle momentum away from the visiting Cavaliers.

Following Prazer's first touchdown of the game - an 8-yard scamper around left end in the first period - Kiski Area managed 21 unanswered points in just over 10 minutes of play.

Cavaliers quarterback Mychal Skinner showed why he is a Division I prospect by throwing three touchdowns in the first half, two of them to Ryan Radebach.

Skinner also managed 91 yards rushing on just four carries in the first two quarters.

"We have to get the job done defensively on third-and-long situations," said Butschle. "That's something that we were not doing in the first half."

The Raiders put together an 80-yard scoring drive late in the half, as Pat Jones recovered Prazer's fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.

Smith's pass to Duggan was good for the two-point conversion and the Raiders trailed 21-14 at the break.

Though Seneca Valley needed a couple of scores to move ahead in the second half, it was the Raiders' defense that led the way.

The Cavaliers had five possessions in the second half. Three ended with a punt after just three plays, one saw the team lose 20 yards after eight plays and the final one ended with Barclay's recovery of Skinner's fumble after the senior had picked up a first down on a fourth-and-one play from SV's 40-yard line.

Moments earlier, with his team trailing 21-20, Barclay blocked Chris Dunlay's kick and the Raiders took over on Kiski Area's two-yard line.

"That was a superhuman play," Butschle said of Barclay's effort. "He had both of his hands on the blocker and at the last moment, he stuck his paw up and got the ball."

SV's go-ahead score came on the next play after Prazer ran free around the right end.

"We gave them the game," said Kiski Area coach Chris Heater. "Seneca Valley made the plays they needed to make, but we just didn't make plays in the second half."

The Cavaliers weren't penalized in the first half, but were called four times for 35 yards in the second.

"We didn't change anything from the first half to the second," said Heater. "We just couldn't move the ball. You can't win a Quad A football game by making plays in just one half."

Note:

After having the extra-point blocked following their first touchdown, the Raiders elected to go for the two-point conversion after their next three scores.

"It's not that we weren't confident in our kicking game," said Butschle. "But we felt that getting two points would give us more momentum."