Mt. Lebanon cruised to their first win of the season on Friday night, riding a strong ground game that saw four rushing touchdowns from quarterback Patrick Smith to stomp Seneca Valley 32-8.
“It’s definitely great, but I would like to give all of my thanks to my linemen,” Smith said. “I mean, I did some, I did the running, but they did all the hard work, they were in the trenches all night.”
The Blue Devils tipped their hand from the opening series, eating up seven minutes of clock on a grinding drive that saw them convert five third downs, including an eventual six yard score from junior running back Kris Kambitsis.
Seneca Valley pinned Mt. Lebanon at their own four yard line with five minutes to play in the first half. As the Blue Devils’ grinding offense stalled near midfield with less than a minute to play, they seemed poised to run out the clock.
Smith had other ideas, bursting into the secondary on a 39 yard touchdown tote, his second score of the quarter.
Mt. Lebanon receiver Billy Robertson made a pair of phenomenal plays in the first half, thwarting a would-be interception by playing the defensive back’s hands on a deep shot. He nearly tacked on a pick six before the half, jumping a route to break up a pass he couldn’t quite snag.
Seneca Valley Makes It Interesting… But Lebo Pulls Away
Seneca Valley moved the ball with authority to start the second half, moving tight end Cayden Parker into the backfield. The junior, who has an offer from Miami of Ohio, picked up a first down via screen pass on third and long, later cashing in with an 11 yard touchdown carry.
Smith put the Blue Devils up 25-6 on the first play of the fourth quarter, sprinting for a 74 yard touchdown carry.
Noah Schaerli picked off two passes in the second half, helping Mt. Lebanon pull away as the Raiders’ offense found its stride.
Robertson reeled in a 71 yard catch and run off a deep shot midway through the fourth, setting up a five yard touchdown for Smith.
“He’s a great player. Billy always brings the energy,” Smith said. “He’s always there. Whenever people are down he’s able to bring people up, makes plays whenever you need him to.”
