Blair football defeats Seneca Valley Screaming Eagles

On Friday, Oct. 24, the Blair Blazers (4-4) Defeated the Seneca Valley Screaming Eagles (3-5) 21-12, in the Senior Night matchup. Despite scoring 2 touchdowns, the Screaming Eagles had too much difficulty breaking through Blair’s defense to ever claim a lead, ultimately ending in their defeat. Junior Kysen Harris explained how Blair pulled off the win. “We executed on both sides of the ball. There were some mistakes here and there, but we came back able to really play the high level [needed for] a tight game like this,” he said.

The Blazers started on defense, but were soon able to make some offensive progress after Seneca Valley fumbled three minutes into the first quarter. The Blazers managed to score the first touchdown of the game with four minutes left in the first quarter. 

Seneca Valley’s position only worsened after their receiver dropped the ball right in front of their end zone during the second-quarter kickoff, leaving them a hundred yards away from closing the score gap. However, both teams struggled to make any substantial progress throughout the second quarter: any yard gains were immediately offset by a series of missed plays. 

With one minute left in the quarter, Blair intercepted a pass from Seneca Valley, leaving them with 40 yards to cover. After a completed pass, Blair closed the margin to 25 yards. They missed their next pass, though, leaving them with only seven seconds left in the half to make a play. The Blazers went for a field goal, but missed, making the halftime score 7-0 in Blair’s favor. 

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Photo: Junior receiver Kysen Harris runs after the catch

Junior receiver Kysen Harris runs after the catch Photo courtesy of Zach Carter.

After both invigorating halftime shows and heartfelt senior night ceremonies from Blair Poms, the Blazer Pride Marching Band, and Blair’s cheerleading team, the third quarter started off strong. The Blazers made a series of strong offensive plays, gaining yards quickly. The crowd, though, was more focused on the marching band’s and cheerleaders’ stunts, including upside-down drumming and impressive lifts. Before Blair could score again, Seneca Valley reclaimed the ball and took to the offense, scoring their first touchdown with three minutes left in the third quarter. 

Not wanting to disappoint the reinvigorated crowd, the Blazers’ offense kicked into gear, managing to end the quarter only one yard away from a touchdown. They carried their energy into the final quarter, scoring two touchdowns in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. Shortly after, Seneca Valley scored a touchdown with three minutes left in the game, but it amounted to nothing as they dropped the ball in the end zone after going for two extra points. 

Senior Jacob Zirin described how senior night affected the team’s morale throughout the game. “Our seniors were obviously way more amped up… Being our last home game here, all the juniors and sophomores wanted to win one for our guys,” he said. 

Junior Mikey King-Bautista explained how the team has been doing this season. “[We] started the season 0-3, then started to bounce back. We’re on a four-game win streak,” he commented. Zirin also explained how the team’s win streak affected their momentum going into this game. “Offense, defense… Everybody was making plays. We looked great out there, and the momentum’s just been building for playoffs.”

Blair’s final regular-season game will take place at Northwest High School, against the Northwest Jaguars. You can find tickets here.