A disappointing season for Seneca Valley just got worse.

Tailback Pat Prazer, the team's leading rusher through five games, saw his season come to a premature end after the senior tore an ACL during a 3-yard run last week in a 48-20 defeat at Mt. Lebanon.

"I told the rest of the kids on Saturday that Pat is one of those players who can look himself in the mirror and know that he played his heart out on every play," said Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle. "He carried the load for us."

With Prazer out, the Raiders next leading rusher is senior Lee Layton (158 rushing yards and a touchdown).

But Butschle doesn't expect any of his remaining backs to shoulder the entire load.

"Lee and Nate (Bradley) are both capable backs," he said. "They'll both get their share of carries."

Layton is also a threat in the passing game. He is currently third on the team with nine catches for 89 yards.

Senior running back Mike Kersten has also shown he too is ready to make an impact in the Raiders' offense. He ended last week's game with five carries for 60 yards.

"Mike's not really big enough (5-foot-7, 155 pounds) for a fullback," said Butschle. "He's one of those in-between guys. But he was given an opportunity last week and did a nice job."

Disappointments seem to be mounting for Seneca Valley, loser of three straight by an average score of 42-14. But with six of the eight teams in the Quad North set to make the playoffs this season, the Raiders still have more to play for than just pride.

SV (1-4, 0-3) could take a big step toward post-season play with a win over conference foe Shaler Friday.

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Raiders Stadium.

The Titans (2-3, 1-2) were defeated by Bethel Park last week, 23-13.

But one thing the team does well is run the football from the Wing-T formation. And stopping the run remains a stumbling point for the Raiders.

The high-point of the Titans' season so far was a 21-17 win over Butler in Week 4 in which the team ran the ball 46 times for 304 yards and three scores.

"I've been head coach here for six years," said Shaler coach Jacque DeMatteo. "We've run variations of it, but our offense has always been based around the Wing-T."

Six players have scored rushing touchdowns for the Titans this season.

In Seneca Valley's three conference games this year, its defense has surrendered an average of 243 yards on the ground per contest and a total of 14 scores.

"The key for us is to stay disciplined on defense and play hard," said Butschle. "We haven't done well against the run the last few weeks and our kids have to rise to the occasion."

If needed, the Titans can also put the ball in the air.

Senior quarterback Matt Davis has thrown five touchdown passes this year from an average distance of 37 yards out.

Shaler has taken the last two meetings against Seneca Valley, including last season's 14-7 decision.