Undefeated Seneca opens 2A playoffs with 45-0 win over Dwight

SENECA – Seneca senior running back Nathen Neal’s opening carry for a long touchdown in the first quarter of Friday’s rain-drenched Class 2A playoff game against Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington was negated by a penalty.

“I didn’t think much of it, to be honest,” Neal said. “Our offensive linemen are trying their best, and they are a huge reason we are where we are as a team. They are a special group. I know the very next play we can get it all back.”

Neal did just that, running untouched for a 73-yard score on the next snap to give the northern bracket’s top-seeded Fighting Irish a two-score lead in an eventual 45-0 victory over the No. 16-seeded Trojans.

“Tonight looked like how we should look — playing downhill and making plays all over the field. Our front guys were extremely physical up front tonight, and our linebackers and secondary were flying to the ball.”

—  Terry Maxwell, Seneca head football coach

Two weeks ago, Seneca defeated Dwight/GSW 43-11.

“This team has the best chemistry of any team I’ve ever been on,” said Neal, who finished with 104 yards on five carries and a pair of TDs. “Everyone wants to play their best for each other, and I feel like that’s another key to the success we are having.”

Seneca (10-0), which led 14-0 after one quarter and 34-0 by halftime, advances to play at No. 9 Rockridge (9-1) at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Rockets defeated No. 8 Westville 37-21 in their first-round contest.

Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington, playing its first postseason game since 2018, finishes 5-5.

Despite slippery field conditions nearly from the start, Seneca finished with 363 yards rushing on 39 attempts, led by Asher Hamby’s 190 yards on eight tries with three TDs.

“The conditions were tough on everyone tonight, but for the linemen it was really hard to block,” Seneca senior left tackle Alex Bogner-Kidwell said. “Every time you would try and drive with your block, your feet just slipped from underneath you. We all just adjusted, took shorter steps and just kept trying to do what we do.

“Our running backs treat us really good. They are always giving us high-fives and telling us good job. We definitely know as offensive linemen that we are appreciated.”

The Seneca defense held the Trojans to just 57 total yards, including 47 yards rushing on 28 carries.

“It starts with Coach Levi Derber. He puts in the time watching film, with preparation, and just does a tremendous job with our defense,” Seneca coach Terry Maxwell said. “I was a little worried about playing a team we had just played a couple weeks ago. We challenged the defense all week and told them they had a little something to prove after letting the last three opponents score on their opening drive.

“Tonight looked like how we should look — playing downhill and making plays all over the field. Our front guys were extremely physical up front tonight, and our linebackers and secondary were flying to the ball.”

After Seneca’s Nathan Grant recovered a fumble on D/GSW’s second offensive play of the game, Hamby scored on a 30-yard run four plays later. Paxton Giertz added the PAT kick.

Grant’s leaping interception early in the second set up Hamby’s second score, this one from 38 yards. Then in the final five minutes before halftime, Hamby raced for a 68-yard TD around left end and Neal a TD from 10 yards out.

Giertz opened the second half with a 23-yard TD run before kicking a 31-yard field goal early in the fourth.

“There were a lot of things we wanted to try and do differently tonight than we did a couple of weeks ago, but the conditions just didn’t allow us to really do them,” Dwight/GSW coach Luke Standiford said. “After watching the film of Seneca’s game last week against St. Bede, we had planned on spreading them out and throwing the ball around a little. We knew when (QB) Conner (Telford) tried to pass the ball the first time that we were going to have to go another direction with or game plan.

“To be honest it’s going to be tough no matter what you do against Seneca. They are so good on both sides of the ball, they play downhill and fast, and the biggest thing is they are so physical. You just have to tip your cap to them.”