Seneca Valley School District has continued its run of athletic success this year after its boys’ varsity soccer team helped give the school a silver medal in the WPIAL’s and a shot at the state high school soccer title yet again.

Following up on years of competing on the varsity level, many of the team’s senior players led their squad to another WPIAL (western Pennsylvania interscholastic athletic league) final last Thursday, November 3,  after dominating in the regular season and beating teams such as Upper St. Clair on their way to the championship game.

The Raiders took on rivals North Allegheny in a highly competitive match up that took place on the banks of the Monongahela River at Highmark Stadium. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds’  home field was the site of an extremely close match that featured a Seneca Valley student section of fans that looked like it belonged at a home-field Friday night football match-up.

Tens of dozens of students made the school-night journey out to Pittsburgh to watch the closely-contested game. Many football players, who are usually on the field instead of in the student section, took part in leading some chants and vocally disagreeing with some calls.

The team took an initial lead mid-way through the second half thanks to a great run by Senior Matt Stopar, but unfortunately the team would go on to lose the game by a score of 2-1.  The Tigers’ second goal, which took place in overtime, came from a borderline miraculous long-shot that clinched the title for the team via the tournament’s golden goal rule.

Following the heartbreaking loss, the silver-medal winning varsity team moved onward to their next challenge: the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state-wide AAAA tournament. The first match-up of the PIAA tournament for the Raiders saw the team take on the State College Area High School “Little Lions” in a game all the way out in Hollidaysburg, PA.

The game, which took place on November 8, saw the Seneca boys’ team win by a score of 1-0 in double overtime. The game-winning goal was scored by Senior forward Matt Happ who has led the line for the team all year.