How Seneca Valley grad Jonathan Dorogy reached Hall of Fame
Jonathan Dorogy's individual success as an athlete helped push multiple teams at Seneca Valley to the next level.
The 2013 graduate's speed was on full display for the football, baseball and track teams and made him a star in all three sports. He was inducted into the SV Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024.
Growing up in Lancaster Township, Dorogy was destined to become involved in sports sooner rather than later.
"My parents played sports and my older sister and brother, Liz and Chris, both competed in different things as well," he said. "Playing sports was almost a requirement growing up in the Dorogy household.
"Baseball was my first love. I wasn't a very big kid, even through high school, but speed was the name of my game."
On the gridiron, Dorogy stood out on both sides of the ball. As a junior in 2011, he was named Northern 7 Conference First Team as a safety after making 39 tackles, breaking up four passes and intercepting two. As a slot receiver the next season, he totaled 1,067 yards from scrimmage and scored 11 total touchdowns.
SV's combined record those two seasons was 18-5 and the Raiders qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time in program history. The offense featured quarterback Jordan Brown (who would play at James Madison), running back Forrest Barnes (Robert Morris), tight end Ryan McCauley (California, Pa.) and Dorogy, who would play collegiately at The Citadel. The foursome led the Raiders to scoring at least 40 points in 10 of 23 games.
"We all went on to play Division I football," Dorogy said. "My job was easy because defenses couldn't focus on just one player. We were so dynamic and teams struggled to take us on."
Dorogy hit leadoff for the baseball team and batted over .400 as a junior and senior.
"I struggled as a sophomore, but I got a hitting coach going into my junior year," he said. "I focused on timing and also got stronger."
From 2011-13, the Raiders played in the WPIAL championship game every year, winning the title in 2011 and 2012.
"Those teams were the most cohesive group I ever played with, in any sport. And that's the most fun I've ever had playing baseball," Dorogy said. "I'm still really close with a lot of my teammates.
"I thought baseball was the sport I'd play in college, but there were a lot more scholarship opportunities with football," said Dorogy, who signed to stick with the gridiron at The Citadel on an athletic scholarship a month before his senior baseball season began.
A veteran on SV's indoor track team, Dorogy chose to compete on the outdoor team in the spring of 2013. He placed runner-up in the WPIAL and state in the 100-meter dash, setting a school record that still stands at 10.68 seconds. He also ran a leg of SV's 4x100-meter relay, which finished third in the state.
The Citadel, located in Charleston, S.C., provided Dorogy with the challenge of balancing academics, football and a military lifestyle.
"It was a very tough school, but it served me well, teaching me a lot about time management," he said. "I was a slot back on the football team and we ran the triple option."
Dorogy earned two letters with the Bulldogs. He now resides in Greenville, S.C., and is employed as a project engineer.
"My dad instilled hard work into us kids and my mom was my biggest fan," Dorogy said. "Being a member of a team was important to me in high school and it's a big part of my life now. I'm proud to be a part of the Hall of Fame."
