The Vikings had their back against the wall this past Friday, but they did not disappoint.

Led by the impressive passing performance from junior quarterback Payton Wehner, Central just barely edged out the Seneca Valley Raiders 28-25 in a WPIAL Class 6A matchup for the ages.

The junior threw for more than 300 yards for the second game in a row and is 114 yards away from having 2,000 passing yards on the season.

Another standout performance this week came from junior Peter Gonzalez, the 6’3 receiver who is ranked 3 stars by 24/7 Sports and holds various Division 1 offers from schools like the University of Miami, Penn State, and Virginia Tech.

He was Wehner’s favorite target for the night as he reeled in 2 touchdowns and 129 yards receiving.

A major turnaround in the game came immediately after Seneca accidentally kicked a punt out of bounds. Strangely, Central forced the Raiders to kick it again instead of taking field position at the 30-yard-line.

Sophomore Xxavier Thomas returned the punt for 88 yards and a touchdown, which gave the Vikings a 14-13 lead with 7:23 left before halftime. Yet, the Vikes refused to slow down.

To seal the deal, sophomore running back Amari Shields added a 10-yard rushing touchdown early in the 4th quarter to secure the Vikes’ victory and put them up 28-19.

This win puts Central over .500 for the first time this season at 5-4, with 2 wins and 2 losses in the conference. This victory, however, did much more than add a win to their schedule: it clinched a coveted 6A playoff spot.

This season has been a wild one for the Vikes but continues into November, nevertheless. Make sure to show out and support your Vikings for Senior Night at Dormont Stadium against the Gateway Gators this upcoming week!