So many things have been a struggle for the Seneca Valley football team this season.

Don't count the passing game among them.

The Raiders, who have yet to win a game in 2004, can see the aerial attack as the silver lining to their dark cloud.

Wideouts Zach Duggan and Jim Paulin currently lead the team with 22 and 20 receptions, respectively.

Senior quarterback Marshall Lee has been on the other end of most of those passes, completing 71-of-143 for 728 yards and three scores.

The numbers have come even though the running game, which is averaging just 2.6 yards per attempt, has been anemic most of the season.

"It's surprising to me that our quarterbacks have had the time to throw with the running game not working," said Paulin, a senior who has tallied 221 receiving yards and an 11.1 yards-per-catch average.

Optimism surrounded the passing game long before the season began, when Ron Butschle was named head coach.

"When Coach (Butschle) first came in, one of the first things we learned was that the offense would be 50-50 as far as rush and pass," said Paulin.

It was a big change for the Raiders, who averaged just 13 pass attempts per game under head coach Bob Ceh in 2003.

Duggan caught eight passes last year as a sophomore while Paulin tallied just three.

"We didn't throw the ball all that much last year," said Lee. "So we were definitely excited about the new offense. And it's been a lot of fun getting to throw the ball around."

Paulin and Duggan both bring different physiques to the position, but have found similar success.

Paulin stands 6-feet-2 and weighs 180 pounds, typical of a high school wide receiver.

Duggan, who has 261 receiving yards and a touchdown, stands 5-feet-7 and weighs just 140 pounds.

"I've been at a disadvantage because of my size my whole life," said Duggan. "But my dad and brother (Dom) toughened me up over the years."

"Jim's got good size for the position," said Butschle. "Whereas Zach is smaller, but they've both done a good job down the field for us this season."

Following in his footsteps of his brother, Dom, is definitely a good thing for Duggan.

Dom Duggan garnered Butler County Football Sweet 16 Offensive Team honors his senior season by grabbing 19 passes for 467 yards and seven scores in 2002.

"My brother has had a big impact on how I play the game and approach the position," said Zach Duggan.

"Zach might be small, but he plays as tall as any receiver in the WPIAL," Lee said. "And Jim and I have played together for a long time. He's always caught anything I throw to him."

Starting tailback Evan Braithwaite currently has 17 receptions, but a separated shoulder will keep him out of tonight's game at Upper St. Clair.

If he returns to catch three more passes this year, it would mark only the second time in team history that three players tallied at least 20 receptions in the same season.

The other year was 1997, when Brett Sutch, Matt Kurtz and Mike Guffey did the trick.

"There's no competition between us to see who gets the most balls thrown their way," said Paulin. "We're all just trying to help the team win. If we get the ball, we get it. If not, we'll wait for the next pass."