Seneca Valley looks to rebound from rare last-place finish with experienced team
By:
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 | 6:01 AM
Seneca Valley’s Landon Davis fires up his teammates before the first practice of heat week on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Jackson.
Seneca Valley’s Brayden Wise works out during the first practice of heat week on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Jackson.
Seneca Valley head coach Ron Buschle works with his team during the first practice of heat week on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Jackson.
Seneca Valley’s Adam Gehm catches a pass during the first practice of heat week on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Jackson.
The Seneca Valley football team was down last fall and out of the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs for the second straight year.
However, the Raiders’ stay in the basement might be a short one with higher expectations this fall for a team that finished winless in 6A and 3-7 overall.
“It was obviously not a great year record-wise for the program,” Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle said. “We had 19 new starters last season with several sophomores and freshmen. The first takeaway is that those kids got valuable experience. Now we have 16 starters returning from last year, many of them that are only going to be juniors.
“The second takeaway was that the character of our team really showed in adversity. We were 0-5 to start the season and our kids could have packed it in, but they didn’t. They dug in and ripped off three good wins in a row. I appreciated those kids, especially the senior leaders on last year’s team.”
The Raiders have eight starters back on both sides of the ball. Some of the top players include:
• Junior two-way lineman Tommy Wuycheck, who also is a heavyweight wrestler at Seneca Valley.
• Two-way lineman Landon Davis, one of the senior leaders on the team.
• Junior two-way lineman Zack Ross, who started as a sophomore last year.
• Senior wide receiver and defensive back Jayden Price, a Toledo commit.
• Junior running back and linebacker Cayden Parker, who has multiple Division I offers.
• Senior wide receiver Brayden Wise, who Butschle said has the best hands he’s ever seen.
• Senior defensive end Brooks Beres, who his coach says is long, fast, mean and a great bass fisherman.
• Junior tight end and defensive end Adam Gehm, who is drawing Power 5 offers.
While youth was an issue last year for Seneca Valley, the experience gained by those returning players this fall has brought a level of excitement to the program.
“I think the fact that we have so many young kids who have matured and gained Friday night experience is huge,” Butschle said. “We have some very talented kids in the younger grades too. They are also kids who have made the commitment to work hard for us. Every year we have new faces. I am anxious to see how we do.”
Butschle is also excited to see how his team will fare in the rough and rugged waters of Class 6A.
“It’s the same old song,” he said. “Every week will be a tough road to hoe, and I would not want it any other way.”
Seneca Valley
Coach: Ron Butschle
2023 record: 3-7, 0-4 in Class 6A
All-time record: 272-313-11
SCHEDULE
Date, Opponent, Time
8.23 Bethel Park, 7
8.30 at North Hills, 7
9.6 Pine-Richland, 7
9.13 at Norwin*, 7
9.20 Moon, 7
9.27 at Mt. Lebanon*, 7
10.4 Canon-McMillan*, 7
10.11 Hempfield*, 7
10.18 at Central Catholic* at Carnegie Mellon, 7:30
10.25 at North Allegheny*, 7:30
* Conference game
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Sean O’Shea*
141-271, 1,007 yards, 6 TDs
Rushing: Kai West*
80-587 yards, 8 TDs
Receiving: Luke Challingsworth*
17-185 yards, 1 TD
* Graduated
FAST FACTS
• Ron Butschle begins his eighth season in his second stint as head coach at Seneca Valley. He also coached the Raiders from 2004-08. He is also the new athletic director at Sto-Rox.
• The Raiders finished alone in last place in their conference in 2023 for the first time in 17 years. Seneca Valley finished 0-5 and in the basement of the 4A Northern Five Conference in the 2006 season.
• Since the PIAA expanded to six classifications in 2016, Seneca Valley is a combined 19-24 in conference and playoff games against the other five current Class 6A teams. In the last eight seasons, the Raiders are a perfect 4-0 against both Hempfield and Norwin, 4-2 against Canon-McMillan, 3-5 vs. Mt. Lebanon, 3-7 battling North Allegheny and 1-10 when they face Central Catholic.
• Seneca Valley is 0-3 all-time in WPIAL football title games. The Raiders lost to Central Catholic in the first 6A championship game in 2016, 42-7. Then two years later, they fell to Pine-Richland in the 2018 6A finals, 34-7. This season marks the 35th anniversary of Seneca Valley’s first taste of WPIAL championship football as the Raiders lost in the 1989 Class 3A finals to Aliquippa, 17-9.
• This is the 60th season of Seneca Valley football, including preceding schools in the district. The Raiders have a record of 272-313-11.
Tags: Seneca Valley
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