A season of three
Three weeks.
That's what the Seneca Valley football team's season has come down to.
If the Raiders reel off three consecutive wins, they'd qualify for the postseason for the first time in four years.
But anything less than that, even a 2-1 record in their final three games, doesn't guarantee anything.
But hitting the panic button would just add to the team's quandary.
"There's a difference between playing with urgency and playing desperate," said Raiders coach Ron Butschle. "Playing with urgency means doing what you do well and expecting it to work.
"Playing desperate is when you're trying everything and just hoping it will work."
Seneca Valley (3-3, 0-2) will take its hopes for the 2006 season north on Interstate 79 to a meeting with Northern Five associate member McDowell on Friday.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Seneca Valley's running game will be put to the test against the Trojans, who are very big on the defensive line.
McDowell defensive tackle Dan Matha, a University of Pittsburgh recruit, stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 305 pounds.
Not exactly what SV tailback James Daniels was hoping to encounter following the last two games, in which the junior has gained just 110 yards on 46 carries.
But getting Daniels back on track is just one of the Raiders priorities.
"James has got to be a big part of our offense," said Butschle. "But I think what we need to do is control the ball and get first downs however we can, and that includes passing the ball."
One reason for the Raiders last two losses — 27-13 to North Allegheny and 27-10 to North Hills — is that the offensive line has not performed well.The pinnacle of the line's play so far this season was a Week 3 win over Kiski Area in which Daniels ran for 203 yards on 41 carries."In the first four games, I think the offensive line dominated our opponents at times," said Butschle. "Since then, it hasn't done well."McDowell is big and physical and they just come at you," said Butschle. "We're looking forward to the challenge.""We've done well against the run," said McDowell coach Joe Tarasovitch. "Our problem has been defending the pass."The Trojans (3-3, 1-1) are coming off a 7-0 loss at North Allegheny last week.McDowell limited the Tigers to just 139 yards of offense."All the positives were on the defensive side of the ball," said Tarasovitch. "We were able to shut down a very dimensional team."But I was disappointed in our offense," he added. "The key to the rest of our season is having more consistency on offense."The Trojans have been unable to be consistent all season long. They've alternated wins and losses for six weeks to start the season.Victories came against East (51-0), Strong Vincent (27-7) and Butler (20-7).McDowell is one of only two teams in District 10 to play at the Quad A level, Cathedral Prep being the other.If both teams finish the regular season at or above .500, they will face each other in the District 10 Quad A championship game.In short, the Trojans need at worst a 2-2 record in their last four games. Their final three contests come against North Hills, Shaler and Central.
