1st-year coach building depth at Knoch

By: Charles Curti
Sunday, August 10, 2025 | 6:01 AM

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Knoch limped to the finish line of the 2024 season. Quite literally.

Injuries ravaged the team, leaving fewer than 30 healthy players for the stretch run. That contributed to the Knights (3-6, 2-3 Greater Allegheny) losing three of their final four games, each of the losses in blowout fashion.

So new coach T.J. Wiley, at the helm of a varsity program for the first time since 2019, knew his first order of business would be to beef up the roster to give the Knights some depth. He made it known throughout the school that anyone was welcome, even if other sports conflicted with football workouts during the offseason.

“I want my kids to realize, I want (them) to be multi-sport athletes,” Wiley said. “I was a three-sport athlete in high school. If you’re up front and honest with me — and I think this was new for them to hear — if you play AAU basketball or have summer league baseball, just let me know.

“Just make sure you can get to the workouts you can get to. I’m not going to punish you like, ‘It’s football or you’re not playing.’ You’re going to lose kids in this day and age.”

That approach has Wiley optimistic that Knoch will have about 40 players. One of them will be Vinnie DeFelice, who, Wiley said, was considering not playing until he heard the coach’s sales pitch.

DeFelice, primarily a basketball player, caught nine passes for 174 yards and a score last season but, with his athletic, 6-foot-3 frame, figures to get more targets this season.

A new addition is first-year senior baseball player Ryan McCurdy. Wiley plans to use him in a variety of roles on offense.

“He’s done some things at practices where we look at each other as coaches like, ‘Hey, this kid’s going to be a player,’ ” Wiley said.

There are plenty of holdovers, too, including two-way lineman Zach Szebalskie, who will be in his fourth year as a starter. Fellow senior Brayden McGowen will be a mainstay in the secondary.

A solid junior class returns several key players, including all-conference performers Carter Beres and Ethan Rouleau. Beres (6-1, 210) will move from outside to inside linebacker and also play running back. Rouleau is the Knights’ leading returning receiver who also will be the primary kick returner.

Junior Makai Noah, at 285 pounds, will play the line on both sides of the ball. Fellow junior Evan Fink could have a breakout season. Fink didn’t see a lot of varsity action last season, but Wiley has been impressed with his work in 7-on-7 scrimmages.

Max Wiley, the coach’s son, has the inside track on the starting quarterback job, largely on the strength of knowing his father’s offense inside and out. He got some action as a sophomore at Class 5A Shaler last season, completing 17 of 38 passes for 186 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

T.J. Wiley is naturally upbeat, and the early impressions of his new team have done nothing to change that.

“I’m very pleased with where we are at right now,” he said. “My older kids have high football IQs. (I) have been in some places where it took kids a little longer to grasp things. Our kids are soaking it up.”

Knoch

Coach: T.J. Wiley

2024 record: 3-6, 2-3 in Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference

All-time record: 317-335-13

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.22 at Kiski Area, 7

8.29 at North Catholic, 7

9.5 Fox Chapel, 7

9.12 Montour, 7

9.19 New Castle, 7

9.26 at Indiana*, 7

10.3 at Mars*, 7

10.10 at Hampton*, 7

10.17 West Mifflin*, 7

10.24 at McKeesport*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Rushing: Codi Mullen*

112-933 yards, 13 TDs

Passing: Mullen*

64-147, 888 yards, 9 TDs

Receiving: Ethan Rouleau

19-347 yards, 4 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• New coach T.J. Wiley is the all-time passing leader at Titusville High School.

• The Knights’ defense gave up more than 40 points in every one of its losses last season.

• Knoch was a playoff team in Class 3A in 2023 before being bumped to Class 4A for the latest enrollment cycle.

ROSTER

No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.

1, Ethan Rouleau, WR/DB, 5-11/160, jr.

2, Ryan McCurdy, WR/DB, 5-8/170, sr.

3, Roman DeFelice, WR/DB, 6-2/170, jr.

4, Max Wiley, QB/DB, 5-10/185, jr.

5, Evan Fink, WR/DB, 5-10/160, jr.

6, Carter Beres, RB/LB, 6-1/215, jr.

7, Kade Sundie, QB/DB, 5-11/160, so.

8, Brayden Drane, QB/DB, 5-11/150, fr.

9, Austin Friedline, K, 5-11/165, sr.

10, Vinny DeFelice, WR/DB, 6-4/175, sr.

11, Carter Worsley, TE/LB, 5-10/190, sr.

12, Koen Sundie, TE/LB, 6-0/180, sr.

13, Kegan Orris, WR/DB, 6-2/170, so.

14, Brayden McGowan, WR/DB, 5-11/175, sr.

15, Cam Lang, RB/LB, 5-11/175, so.

16, Aiden Haefner, WR/DB, 5-9/145, so.

17, Evan Schriner, RB/DB, 5-10/160, so.

18, Liam Smith, TE/DE, 6-2/185, jr.

19, Sully Coyne, WR/DB, 5-10/160, fr.

25, Ben Allen, TE/LB, 6-1/180, sr.

35, Blake Montgomery, RB/LB, 5-10/170, fr.

36, Danny Simons, WR/LB, 6-0/200, jr.

44, Owen Layhew, RB/LB, 5-11/170, sr.

50, Walker Robertson, OL/DL, 6-1/175, fr.

51, Owen Bartley, OL/DL, 5-9/170, fr.

52, Zane Nowicki, OL/DL, 5-11/180, so.

53, Levi Radovich, OL/DL, 5-7/205, fr.

54, Michael Powell, OL/DL, 5-11/195, fr.

55, Pierce Kniess, OL/DL, 5-10/185, jr.

56, James Shatlock, OL/DL, 5-10/210, jr.

57, Austin Adams, OL/DL, 6-0/220, jr.

58, Cameron Lazor, OL/DL, 6-0/190, jr.

60, Kaeden Myers, OL/DL, 6-1/215, jr.

61, Brawnson Seibel, OL/DL, 5-10/175, fr.

62, Parker Infante, OL/DL, 5-7/230, sr.

63, Connor Weiland, OL/DL, 5-11/195, fr.

70, Brayden Isherwood, OL/DL, 6-1/185, fr.

71, Matteo Sansonetti, OL/DL, 6-0/235, so.

72, Zach Szebalskie, OL/DL, 6-0/225, sr.

73, Makai Noah, OL/DL, 6-2/290 , jr.

74, Josh Hollenbaugh, OL/DL, 5-11/210, fr.

76, Bowen Osilowicz, OL/DL, 5-10/185, fr.

80, Andy Johnson, WR/DB, 5-10/155, fr.

88, Peyton McIntyer, K, 5-10/150, sr.

Tags: Knoch