FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Seneca Valley High School’s student section cheers during the first quarter against Moon on Friday at Seneca Valley’s NexTier Stadium. High school football returned, and fans were back in the stands.
That new Seneca Valley offense looked pretty impressive on the first drive of the game, quickly moving downfield for a touchdown. But that offense was barely seen thereafter.
Seneca Valley’s offense was pretty much a no-show the rest of the game, but it was only because Moon’s offense played keep away and wouldn’t let Seneca Valley’s offense hardly touch the ball.
Led by an offensive line with four returning starters, Moon played power football. Played bully ball. Played winning ball.
In a game that had about 10 stoppages in the second half because of player cramps, Moon certainly cramped Seneca Valley’s
Game of the Week
style to the tune of a 38-21 win in a WPIAL non-conference game Friday, the first night of high school football around Pennsylvania.
It was an impressive win by Moon in an opener that matched two No. 4-ranked teams in different classifications. Moon, No. 4 in Class 5A, had 324 yards rushing and 25 first downs against host Seneca Valley, the No. 4 Class 6A team that has a new look with new offensive coordinator Ryan Lehmeier.
Moon took advantage of seven first-half penalties by Seneca Valley and a few turnovers during the game. After that first drive of the game, Seneca Valley had only 12
until midway through the fourth quarter, when the game was out of reach and Moon led by 38-14. Seneca Valley finished with only 69 yards rushing and 95 passing.
“That’s just the way we want to play this year. We want to be physical,” Moon coach Ryan Linn said.
Now this is physical: For much of the second half, Moon was successful with its “sledge” offense, with two tight ends and four running backs in the backfield. Moon quarterback Tyler McGowan left the game early in the third quarter with leg cramps on a hot and steamy night. He didn’t return until late in the game, but Moon took the hammer to Seneca Valley.
“We call it our ‘sledge’ look because it’s basically a sledgehammer,” Linn said. “We repeatedly punch and punch on you and wear you down.”
Senior running back Dylan Sleva, a 6-foot-3, 225pound brute, led Moon with 116 yards on 18 carries and had touchdown runs of 2 and 3 yards. Jeremiah Dean, a 5-9 senior, added 95 yards on 11 carries. Moon had five players have at least five carries and they had success because of an interior offensive line of Anthony Dines, Jake Hoak, Jacob Baumgartner (four-year starter), Trent Fraley and Aidan Mazreku. Tight ends Ben Bladel and Dante Docchio also are key.
Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle lamented a couple facemask penalties and personal fouls on his team in the
first half, but said, “Listen, that’s probably as good of a Moon team as I’ve seen in a while. My son played there during the days with (standout lineman) A.Q. Shipley. That’s their game. They’re going to line up and stick it down your throat. Our game is to go fast and wear guys like that out. But when you don’t have the ball, you can’t do that.”
Seneca Valley moved 55 yards in eight plays for a score and the opening possession and Nolan Dworek capped the march on a 20yard run. But Seneca Valley finished the first half with only 89 yards offense. The Raiders’ only other score came after Moon took a 17-7 lead and Kai West went
North-South with a kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown.
Moon, meanwhile, took advantage of several Seneca Valley miscues to take a 2414 lead to the locker room at halftime. Seneca Valley had seven penalties for 76 yards in the first two quarters, including four 15-yarders on either facemask or personal foul penalties. Seneca Valley also had a touchdown run called back because of a penalty and Graham Hancox threw an interception in the end zone. Seneca Valley also lost a fumble in the second half that led to a touchdown.
Moon also converted a fake punt for a first down that led to Moon’s second touchdown of the first half. Dean scored it on a 4-yard run to put the Tigers ahead, 17-7.
Moon’s two other touchdowns in the first half came on Sleva’s 2-yard run and Dante Docchio’s 3-yard pass from Tyler McGowan. Docchio’s TD with 8:10 left in the second quarter gave Moon the lead for good in the second quarter.
Butschle said, “We’re an inexperienced team, but that’s not an excuse. We’ve got some things to work on but we have a good core group of guys. It’s a long season. We’re going to grind, win games and be in the hunt. But that’s a really good team we played.”