Sports
Seneca Valley Football Ready to Start New Era
The Raiders lost many of its top starters from last year's WPIAL playoff team, including quarterback Jordan Brown.
When Seneca Valley takes to the field Friday for the Raiders first football game of the season, it will be with a new roster of starters.
Close to half a dozen of the team’s offensive players are gone after graduating in 2013, including its top passer, quarterback Jordan Brown.
Also gone are the Raiders top four receivers, Jon Dorogy, R.J. McCauley, Forrest Barnes and Paul Hudanick, who caught a combined 105 of the team's 123 receptions last year, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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Barnes, Brown and Dorogy also were the Raiders's top three rushers. Seneca Valley finished the regular season 8-1 last year and made it to the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinals before being defeated by the state champion North Allegheny Tigers.
Head Football Coach Don Holl told the PG there is a lot of rebuilding to be done offensively for the 2013 season, but he has the tools in place to do it.
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Holl’s son T.J. Holl, a junior, and senior Mike Jones are vying to replace Brown at quarterback, according to the Post-Gazette. The Raiders also have three returning linemen who had starting time last year.
"There are a lot of young, talented guys who have worked very hard this offseason," Holl told the PG. "Those guys who graduate, they are on college rosters doing other things. We are just focusing on the guys we have. It is certainly going to be interesting to see who will answer the call.
“This team is weaker than last year's squad that made it to the WPIAL semifinals, but the Raiders still should be competitive. T.J. Holl, son of coach Don Holl, should be ready to take over at quarterback.”
Below is the Raiders regular season schedule:
8/30: Butler (away)
9/6: Pine-Richland (away)
9/13: North Allegheny (home)
9/20: Connellsville (away)
9/27: Central Catholic (away)
10/4: Shaler (away)
10/11: North Hills (home)
10/18: Bethel Park (away)
10/25: Fox Chapel (home)
What do you think of Seneca Valley’s prospects this season? Will they make it to the playoffs? Tell us in the comment section below.
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