Seneca Valley football 2024 preview: What to watch, 3 things to know and schedule
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Seneca Valley football players Zach Mashuda, left, Jayden Price and Landon Davis pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football players Zach Mashuda, front, and Landon Davis, back left, Coach Ron Butschle and Jayden Price pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda interviews Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca valley football players Zach Mashuda, left, Jayden Price and Landon Davis pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda interviews Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda interview Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football player Landon Davis poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda interviews Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda interviews Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca valley football player Landon Davis poses for a shot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda interviews Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Derek Pyda interviews Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football coach Ron Butschle poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football player Zach Mashuda poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca valley football player Zach Mashuda poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca valley football player Jayden Price poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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The Butler Eagle podcast team make social media videos of Seneca Valley football players during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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The Butler Eagle podcast team make social media videos of Seneca Valley during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football players get social media videos made during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football players get social media videos done during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Seneca Valley football players get social media videos done during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
For the last two years, Seneca Valley’s football team found itself on the outside looking in when the WPIAL playoffs began.
Competing in Class 6A, which had dwindled from eight teams in 2021 to just five teams in 2022-23, SV was the odd team out in the district’s four-team playoff bracket. The Raiders were 3-7 overall last year, 0-4 in conference games.
Hempfield and Norwin, which had dropped to 5A for two years, are back in the Quad County Conference, and while the number of teams qualifying for the postseason remains four, SV coach Ron Butschle welcomes more conference games.
“Thank God,” Butschle said when referencing Hempfield and Norwin’s return. “With just four conference opponents, you’re looking at the same people all the time. You lose once and you feel like you’re in a do-or-die situation in the other games.”
Junior Andrew Loebig is set to take over as the starting quarterback after the graduation of Sean O’Shea. Loebig quarterbacked SV’s junior varsity team last year.
“He’s a very athletic kid, plays lacrosse,” Butschle said. “He is still learning the position, but is one of the top two or three fastest kids on the team and that speed is going to pose issues for defenses.
“He’s made dramatic improvements since the spring, working with our quarterbacks coach, Steve Campos. He has great command of the huddle and is starting to make tough throws look easy.”
Loebig will figure into a rushing attack that should also include Chase Mazanek, who dealt with an injured hamstring in 2023, Cayden Parker and Josiah Edwards.
“Chase and Cayden are both bigger kids and Josiah can turn 6 (yards) into 60 quickly.”
Paving the way for drives will be an offensive line that includes three returning starters — guards Landon Davis, Zak Ross and tackle Tommy Wuycheck.
“Landon is the only senior of the group,” Butschle said. “He began last season as a tight end, but bought into the idea of moving to the offensive line.”
Davis did so during the first week of camp last year.
“I understood the Xs and Os, but it took a couple of games for things to click for me after the transition,” Davis said.
More experience and seasoned up front should make life easier for the linemen and the skill players counting on their blocks.
“We need to be better on the line this season,” Butschle said. “At one point last year, our starting left tackle was 14 years old. We’ll be bigger and stronger, and that should lead to better play.”
1. Defense returns with experience
The majority of the Raiders’ starting defense last fall was sophomores.
“We were like little kids going up against grown men and spent a lot of the season getting our tails kicked,” Butschle said, “but now we have those guys returning with valuable experience. You often see kids grow the most between their sophomore and junior seasons, just in the way they look physically.
Nine defensive starters return, including senior end Brooks Beres, who tallied 11 of his 30 tackles last season behind the line of scrimmage, including six sacks.
“He’s long, 6-feet-3, and is a wrestler,” Butschle said. “He’s very quick and is tough to block.”
2. Strong corps at linebacker
Kyle Mancing and Jackson Matthews are leaders at linebacker, combining for 37 tackles and six sacks in 2023. But other players, including Corey Wolfe and Josiah Edwards, are vying for playing time at the position.
"They're all fast and big. None of them are under 200 pounds," Butschle said. "So many of our guys on defense, including at linebacker, have at least one year of experience playing in our scheme and that is beneficial."
Lineman Zach Mashuda said the defense is eager to prove itself.
"We have the guys to do it, we just need to get it done."
3. Tall targets
Loebig should not have trouble seeing his pass catchers down the field.
Receivers J.T. Wolfe, Jayden Price and Drew Williams, and tight ends Adam Gehm and Mancing are each no shorter than 6-1. Gehm stands 6-6.
Jaxson Jeffers, Danny Drennan, Brayden Wise and tight end Matt D'Appolonia are other options in the passing game.
"Brayden is a senior with speed and great hands," Butschle said. "He's only about 155 pounds, but has made some incredible catches in crazy positions."
- Friday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m. - vs. Bethel Park
- Friday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m. - at North Hills
- Friday, Sept. 6, 7 p.m. - vs. Pine-Richland
- Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. - at Norwin*
- Friday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. - vs. Moon
- Friday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. - at Mount Lebanon*
- Friday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. - vs. Canon McMillan*
- Friday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m. - vs. Hempfield*
- Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m. - at Central Catholic*
- Friday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. - at North Allegheny*
* connotes division/conference game
