Trib HSSN Football Player of The Week 2021: Week 1

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, September 5, 2021 | 10:15 PM

Trailing by three points in the final two minutes of an emotional nonconference game against visiting Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley quarterback Graham Hancox showed no signs of nerves as he led the offense on the field.

The feeling of self-assurance was unusual for a player making only his third varsity start.

“The most impressive thing about Graham and the rest of the team and coaches was the sense of confidence in our offense and the fact that we did not panic with 1:50 to go,” Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle said, “even when we got into a third-and-long situation.”

Hancox completed the drive and the dramatic come-from-behind 24-20 victory for the Raiders when he connected with Brandon Ross on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining.

“We were all emotional,” Butschle said. “It was one of the greatest comebacks in our school history.”

The scoring pass was the third of the night for Hancox. He connected with Jacob Rape on a 39-yard pass in the second quarter, and his third-quarter hookup with Luke Lawson of 64 yards put the Raiders up.

The win evens Seneca Valley’s record at 1-1. The team is averaging 22.5 points, but Butschle said there is a lot more potential for his young offense.

“As a team, we are nowhere near at our potential. As an offense, we feel the same way,” he said. “We have done some really good things, but we have nine underclassmen starting on offense and gaining experience and knowledge as we go. Our ceiling is really high.”

Against Pine-Richland, Hancox was 10 of 23 passing for 250 yards and three touchdowns.

“Graham is a really great athlete who is becoming a really great quarterback,” Butschle said. “He is 6-foot-3 and weighs 215 pounds and is one of the fastest kids on our team. He has a great arm, and he is a tough guy on top of it all.”

The victory was an emotional one because several members of the Raiders coaching staff were at Pine-Richland last year with Eric Kasperowicz while new Rams coach Steve Campos was an assistant at Seneca Valley the previous nine seasons.

“The win was special because it was our first win,” Butschle said. “The opponent doesn’t matter to us. North Hills is the most important game of the year because it is the next game. We approach each week with the mentality that we are going to go 1-0 with a singular focus on this week’s opponent. We want to stack 1-0’s.”

WPIAL Week 1 honorable mentions

Gavin Miller – West Allegheny

Good pitchers come out pounding the strike zone then settle into a nice groove as the game progresses. West Allegheny senior Gavin Miller is one of the top pitchers in the district and brought that mentality to the football field on Friday.

In the Indians’ season opener, Miller helped West A score three touchdowns in the first quarter, then settled in as the offense added 22 more points.

Miller connected on 10 of 17 passes for 293 yards and a pair of long touchdown passes of 53 and 70 yards in the opening quarter as West Allegheny knocked off Trinity, 43-34.

Cadin Olsen – Armstrong

Armstrong is off to a quick start thanks to the play of their junior quarterback.

The River Hawks won only one game when Cadin Olsen was a freshman, but now they are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents, 97-20.

On Friday, Olsen hit on 21 of 32 passes for 273 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-6 rout of visiting Deer Lakes. A big challenge for the River Hawks is coming Friday when Olsen and Armstrong host 2-0 McKeesport.

Breydon Woods – Waynesburg Central

The 2021 season is only two weeks old and Waynesburg Central already has more wins than last season.

Time will tell how many wins the Raiders can rack up, but early returns show they can score some points thanks to the running of sophomore Breydon Woods.

The young running back rushed for 275 yards and scored four touchdowns on runs of 55, 11, 48 and 4 yards as Waynesburg Central rolled over host Bentworth, 64-20, to end a 15-game losing streak.

2021 HSSN Players of the Week

Week Zero– Carson Davidson, Blackhawk

Tags: Seneca Valley