Seneca Valley beats Hempfield in pivotal Class 6A matchup

By: Mitch Montani
Friday, October 11, 2024 | 10:58 PM

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Seneca Valley won a crucial Class 6A contest Friday night, defeating Hempfield, 27-15.

After a high-scoring second quarter led by junior quarterback Andrew Loebig’s arm, the run game sealed the deal for the Raiders (3-4, 3-1). With Seneca Valley doing many things well, Hempfield (3-5, 2-3) was shutout in the second half.

“It’s so gratifying to see a game plan being executed,” Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle said. “Our game plan was to mix up.”

Trailing 3-0 after the first quarter, the Seneca Valley offense produced in the second quarter. Loebig threw two touchdowns — an 11-yard strike to senior receiver Brayden Wise and a 28-yard pass to Danny Drennan before halftime.

“Andrew has gotten better each week,” Butschle said. “He’s not a natural quarterback. We made him a quarterback. Not only has he embraced it, but he’s starting to feel himself and get some confidence. He’s a tremendous athlete.”

Hempfield matched Seneca Valley’s first-half touchdowns. Junior quarterback Dom Detruf tossed a pair of touchdowns to Aidan Allison and Jack Kopas. A blocked extra point and unsuccessful two-point conversation try for Hempfield gave Seneca Valley a 17-15 halftime lead.

The Raiders dominated in the second half. They shut out the Spartans 10-0, helped by a seven-minute drive in the fourth quarter. A 25-yard touchdown run by Chase Mazanek helped to separate Seneca Valley. Max Eisenhut added a 44-yard field goal. He made both his field goal attempts and was 3 for 3 on extra points.

“We have withstood a lot of adversity and criticism.” Butschle said. “These guys come to work every day. The coaches and the players have done a great job on focusing on the day and getting prepared. I’m proud of them.”

Despite being well-positioned for the playoffs with a 3-1 conference record, the Raiders will end the season with difficult road games against Central Catholic and North Allegheny.

“Those are two big mountains to climb.” Butschle said. “I believe in our kids. I think the kids believe in our process. We’re going to go and compete.”

Tags: Hempfield, Seneca Valley