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By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com
Seneca Valley hadn’t gained a first down since the first quarter, but with their backs against its own end zone, all the Eagles needed to beat Damascus was one first down.
On first down, senior running back Joe Rankin fumbled the toss. On second down, he sprinted 52 yards to give Seneca Valley a huge sigh of relief and a 13-6 win over 3A rival and defending state champion Damascus Friday night in Damascus.
Afterwards, as Seneca Valley (8-0) huddled up for the postgame talk, the players insisted Rankin, who hasn’t seen nearly the amount of touches expected this year because of the emergence of transfer Jaiquan Moore, get the game ball. This was the first time Seneca Valley even had to break a sweat in the fourth quarter since Week 2, Sept. 12 against Northwest, and Rankin saved pulled the Eagles through it.
“It’s all about how you finish and not how you start,†Rankin said. “We was bending, we was bending, but we didn’t break. I knew that big play was going to come through.â€
Seneca Valley, who endured two losses to Damascus last year, didn’t finish nearly as strong as it started. The Eagles flew down the field in 13 plays and 5 minutes, 20 seconds in their first drive, capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run by Moore.
Moore, who totaled 72 yards on 20 carries, scored again on Seneca Valley’s second drive. This time it was a 11-play drive capped off by a 7-yard touchdown run in which Moore leapt over the defensive line right into the arms of Damascus linebacker Brian Lucas, but still powered his way into the end zone.
“I’m going to run hard at them and they’re going to run hard at me at the best man come out on top and we came out on top,†Moore said.
But after that, Damascus dug in and didn’t allow a first down the rest of the game until Rankin’s long run. Seneca Valley’s defense, which had shutout its past three opponents and allowed just 13 points all season entering the game, was equally as impressive until late in the game.
Damascus (6-2) started getting its ground game going late in the third quarter. Without sophomore starting quarterback Connor Frazier, who broke his collarbone two weeks ago, the Hornets ran the ball on nearly every play and the vast majority of those carries went to Lucas.
Lucas said he could hear Seneca Valley yelling, ‘Lucas is getting the ball! Lucas is getting the ball!’ as he lined up at quarterback to obviously take the direct snap and run.
“That’s a little frightening I guess you can say,†Lucas said. “I’m like, ‘Man, here it comes again.’â€
Lucas still found room to run and he ran hard behind an offensive line that seemed to get stronger as the game went on, totaling 122 yards on 27 carries. Lucas began to gash the Seneca Valley defense along the tackles, running for 39 yards on Damascus’ lone touchdown drive, which he capped off with a 7-yard scamper along the outside.
The drive was also helped by a 27-yard pass, the only Damascus completion of the night, from senior quarterback Greg Stanton to Kane Brenneman.
After yet holding Seneca Valley to another three-and-out, Damascus took over with 8:41 remaining and started plugging down the field. Lucas broke off back-to-back runs of 15 and 13 yards, bringing the Hornets to the Seneca Valley 13-yard line.
But a holding call on the next play pushed Damascus back. Lucas ran for 15 yards on the next two plays combined but fumbled a toss on third down and on fourth-and-10 from the 16-yard line Stanton’s pass to the end zone was broken up by Seneca Valley’s Mark Henderson, who also intercepted a pass earlier in the game.
“We were a little concerned at the end,†Seneca Valley Coach Fred Kim said. “Fortunately for us we made a few plays when we needed to. It speaks huge for our kids that they were able to make a few plays at the end when we had to.â€
There was still 3:52 remaining in the game and Damascus seemingly just needed a stop to get the ball back in Lucas’ hands. But Rankin made sure that didn’t happen, taking the draw play and sprinting up the middle. Seneca Valley quarterback George Lerch made it official with a 5-yard quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 that allowed the Eagles to run out the clock.
“I called [for] the rock,†Rankin said. “I seen the opening and I took off.â€
BOX SCORE
Line Score:
Seneca Valley 7 6 0 0 – 13
Damascus 0 0 0 7 – 7
Scoring Summary:
1Q – D – Moore run 3 (Diniz kick)
2Q – D – Moore run 7 (kick fail)
4Q – D – Lucas run 7 (Magus kick)
Stat Leaders:
Passing: SV – Lerch 8-13, 55, INT; D – Stanton 103, 27, INT
Rushing: SV – Moore 20-72, 2 TD; D – Lucas 27-122, TD
Receiving: SV – Jones 2-23; D – Brenneman 1-27
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