This is one in a series of previews of Butler County area high school football games this FridayJACKSON TWP — The Northern Seven Conference is a tough place to learn on the fly.A Seneca Valley team that includes several starters bereft of much varsity playing time will encounter the stiffest of tests Friday when the Raiders host Pine-Richland, the third-ranked team in the state according to maxpreps.com.Pine-Richland defeated Mt. Lebanon last week, 53-29.Rams' quarterback Phil Jurkovec missed the second half of last season after tearing a ligament in his thumb.But his numbers through two games say the senior is back and better than ever. The University of Notre Dame recruit has completed 72 percent of his passes for 677 yards. He's accounted for 12 touchdowns (six passing, six rushing).“You wouldn't know he's one of the top quarterbacks in the country,” said Pine-Richland coach Eric Kasperowicz. “With all of the attention he gets, he's one of the most humble kids I've ever been around. He understands that he can't do it by himself.”“They (Rams) run a lot of run/pass option plays, which requires the quarterback to make quick decisions,” said Raider coach Ron Butschle. “He (Jurkovec) makes the right ones. He's 6-5 and runs like a deer.”The Rams also have talent around their star signal caller. Wideout Jason DeFrancisis already has 12 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown. Ray Falcone has added 11-221-3.While Jurkovec leads the team in rushing with 173 yards, running backs Luke Meckler, Jordan Crawford and Kenny White have added 141 combined yards on 31 carries.“They throw the ball more, but when they do run, they do it effectively,” said Butschle.The Raiders fell in their season opener last week, a 13-8 non-conference decision to Peters Township.Seneca Valley had a number of players making their first varsity start, Noah Mancuso among them. The senior running back rushed for 115 yards.“I wasn't surprised that he had success,” Butschle said. “Hank (Royal) was our best back last year, no doubt, but I would have been comfortable putting Noah out there.”Sophomore quarterback Gabe Lawson was 13-of-24 for 75 yards in Week 1. He threw interceptions on consecutive drives in the second quarter. On the final drive of the game, however, he connected on 6-of-9 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown to Jake Bunofsky.“Gabe is a good quarterback, he just lacks experience,” said Butschle. “As the game went on last week, he settled in, but I need to do a better job of calling plays that he is comfortable with.”Seneca Valley's defense played well for the vast majority of the game against Peters Township. A sack that resulted in a safety in the fourth quarter was credited to David Tkatch, Jake Stebbins and Ty Gross.“Seneca Valley is talented and I know they are well-coached,” said Kasperowicz. “That's a big school, so they have a ton of kids to pick from.”Pine-Richland defeated the Raiders last season, 51-20.