VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH • SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 • 17
KNOCH READY TO TAKE TO
ROAD FOR ENTIRE SEASON
THROWERCONCRETE
“Ready Mix Concrete”
We deliver large and small loads Up to 50 mile radius
409 Saxonburg Blvd. Saxonburg, PA 16056 • 724-352-9421
Coach: Tim Burchett
2021 record: 2-8, 1-6 in
Class 4A Greater Allegheny
Conference
All-time record: 305-317-13
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
8.26 at Hampton 7
9.2 at Indiana 7
9.9 at Beaver Falls 7
9.16 at Southmoreland 7
9.23 Elizabeth Forward-b 7
9.30 at Deer Lakes* 7
10.7 Shady Side Academy*-d 7
10.14 at Freeport* 7
10/21 at East Allegheny* 7
10/28 Valley*-b 7
*CONFERENCE GAME; B-AT BUTLER HIGH
SCHOOL; D-AT DEER LAKES
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Keagan Fraser*
5-17-177 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing: Fraser*
179-784, 5 TDs
Receiving: Jake Murphy
8-198, 1 TD
*GRADUATED
FAST FACT
• Knoch, then known as South
Butler High School, used the
old West Winfield School its
first two years in 1956 and
’57 before moving to the present
campus in 1958.
Good Luck To
All Football
Teams!
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
2 Codi Mullen QB/DB 5-9/155 So.
3 James Snyder WR/DB 6-0/180 Sr.
4 Kaden Spencer WR/LB 6-0/175 So.
5 Jake Murphy TE/LB 6-1/230 Sr.
7 Wyatt Fraser WR/DB 5-8/140 So.
8 Jacob Danner WR/DB 5-9/150 Jr.
9 Dante Pelloni WR/QB/DB 5-9/145 Fr.
10 Zack Roenigk RB/LB 5-9/160 Jr.
11 Ty Alwine WR/DB 6-2/180 Sr.
12 Jack Bauman WR/DB 5-10/155 Fr.
13 Logan Yesconis WR/DB 6-1/180 Jr.
14 Zach Wojciechowski RB/DB 5-10/160 Jr.
15 Dalton Schrecengost WR/DB 6-2/170 Jr.
16 Landon Harrison WR/LB 5-9/145 Fr.
17 Aidan Jones QB/DB 6-2/190 Jr.
19 Bennett Shaw WR/DB 5-8/205 Jr.
20 Tony Nicolazzo RB/LB 5-9/160 Jr.
21 Dylan Pinkerton WR/LB 5-10/190 So.
22 Sam Skurka WR/LB 5-8/160 So.
23 Exavier Johnson WR/LB 6-3/200 Jr.
25 Ben Allen WR/LB 5-10/150 Fr.
29 Aaron Voltz WR/DB 5-9/145 Fr.
30 Chris Dawson WR/DB 5-8/150 Jr.
32 Nate Anthony RB/LB 5-10/185 Sr.
33 Brayden Schroeder WR/DB 5-9/165 Sr.
35 Ethan Alwine RB/LB 6-1/195 Jr.
39 Koen Sundie WR/DB 5-8/140 Fr.
40 Kannon Trofimuk K 5-8/175 So.
42 Darien Gallagher RB/LB 5-11/165 Fr.
44 Owen Layhew WR/LB 5-9/155 Fr.
45 Carter Worsley WR/LB 5-9/150 Fr.
51 Nick Davis OL/DL 6-0/250 Sr.
52 Landon Schlagel OL/DL 5-10/210 So.
54 Wyatt Foster OL/DL 6-0/205 So.
55 Ben Ferraro OL/DL 5-0/190 So.
57 Matthew Carney OL/DL 6-1/240 Sr.
59 Ben Martin OL/DL 6-0/190 So.
60 Alex Dibro OL/DL 5-8/145 Fr.
61 Lucas Rouleau OL/DL 6-0/195 So.
62 Parker Infante OL/DL 5-5/185 Fr.
66 Hunter Essary OL/DL 6-2/255 Jr.
70 Hunter Bartley OL/DL 5-9/170 Fr.
71 Parker Anderson OL/DL 6-1/245 Jr.
73 Zach Szebalskie OL/DL 5-11/185 Fr.
77 Derek Snyder OL/DL 5-10/250 Jr.
78 Camron Jackovac OL/DL 6-3/195 Jr.
81 Vincent DeFelice WR/DB 5-9/130 Fr.
84 Brayden Mcgowan WR/DB 5-8/140 Fr.
88 Elijah Ruediger WR/DB 6-2/155 Jr.
ROSTER
At times, the term “road warriors”
is overused in sports.
But the 2022 Knoch Knights will
actually be road warriors.
Knoch will play all its games this
season on the road while Knoch
Knights Stadium is undergoing
extensive renovations — including
artificial turf installation.
It’s not exactly what new coach
Tim Burchett and his staff were
looking for as they try to turn
around the program’s fortunes.
The Knights have won just three
of their last 22 games and have not
made the WPIAL playoffs since
2014, prompting the school district
to make a coaching change.
“It’s a challenge,” Burchett said
of the home field unavailability.
“But if you’re looking for a built-in
excuse, you’re not going to find it
from me. It is what it is. We’re still
going to play. People are still going
to show up and watch us play and
expect us to have success. If you
allow it to creep into your head
and that becomes your excuse for
why you didn’t perform well, then
you’re just looking for a reason not
to perform well.”
It will be the first time since 1957
that Knoch will play exclusively
on the road.
But Burchett feels whenever the
ball is in the air, the team has to be
ready to play.
“Doesn’t matter where we are,
we are going to play football,” Burchett
added. “When that ball goes
in the air at 7 o’clock, I’m going
to have the same feeling that I did
when I was an 8-year-old playing
for Trinity North.”
Besides that, Knoch will also be
dropping down to Class 3A for at
least the next two years, reflecting
a 22% decline in male student enrollment
during the last two years.
Said Burchett: “I was an assistant
at Peters Township the last
five years. We were used to playing
Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair.
Now we can play local rivals here
like Freeport and Deer Lakes,
schools bordering Route 28. Kids
really buy into those games, That’s
what we want to bring back here.
I saw apathy for football here, and
that’s what I want to change.”
Knoch will try to build around
senior tight end/receiver/linebacker
Jake Murphy and junior
receiver/defensive end Exzavier
Johnson.
Murphy led the team in pass receptions
with eight and in tackles
with 48.
“We’ve done a lot more training
than in past years at Knoch,” Johnson
said. “Tough stuff to make us
stronger. We all have to get adjusted
to the new plays.”
The quarterback battle in camp
is between junior Aiden Jones and
sophomore Codi Mullen.
“It’s been difficult to learn a
new offense,” Mullen said. “I’ve
been a running quarterback in
the past, but now we’ve got a lot
of pass plays and I’ve got to adapt.
We’ve got a lot more people out for
the team.”
While Mullen likes the thought
of home artificial turf in the future,
he said he’ll miss getting muddy on
the familiar natural surface.
Manning the offensive line will
be seniors Matt Carney and Nick
Davis and sophomore center/left
guard Wyatt Foster, along with
newcomers Parker Anderson,
Kaden Spencer and freshman
Jackson Bowman.
Defensively, the Knights look
to switch schemes and give opponents
different and complex looks.
by GEORGE GUIDO
JAKE MURPHY
MATT CARNEY
KNOCH • ALLEGHENY 6