The Greenville Red Raiders play host to the Seneca Bobcats at Sirrine Stadium in Greenville on Friday, August 29, 2014.

David Crane’s return to Sirrine Stadium didn’t work out quite as he had hoped.

The new head coach at Greenville High saw his Red Raiders fall to Seneca, 49-34, on Friday night in a non-region game.

More vexing was that Crane, who was offensive coordinator at Greenville in 2005 and 2006, lost to his alma mater in his debut of running the Red Raiders’ program.

“I’m disappointed with the result but not the effort,” said Crane, who applauded his team’s second-half comeback attempt.

Crane, who played wide receiver at Seneca, returned to Greenville after coaching stints in Georgia.

He told his players that the season is “a marathon, not a sprint,” and that the game would serve them well when they reach region play because of the “physical, hard-hitting” nature of the matchup.

Seneca (1-0) also has a new coach. Gene Cathcart spent the past five years at Greenwood, where his teams made three state finals appearances and snagged the 2012 state championship.

The Bobcats, who led 21-6 at halftime, added another touchdown with the third quarter just 49 seconds old.

Greenville quarterback Carson Spiers then rallied his team with a 2-yard touchdown run, one of three scores by the Raiders in the third period.

Trailing 35-27, Greenville squandered a key opportunity on a fumble recovery by Krae Baumgardner to interrupt another Seneca drive deep in the third period. Greenville drove to the 9-yard-line before attempting a field goal that failed..

The two teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter to reach 42-34. But Greenville would get no closer.

Seneca added a final touchdown with less than a minute remaining.