Knoch prepares to tackle all-road schedule

By: George Guido
Wednesday, August 17, 2022 | 12:01 PM

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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.

Knoch

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

b-at Butler HS

d-at Deer Lakes

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Keagan Fraser*

5-11-177 yards, 2 TDs

Rushing: Fraser*

179-784, 5 TDs

Receiving: Jake Murphy

8-198, 1 TD

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• 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.

• When Knoch plays at Beaver Falls on Sept. 9, it will mark the first time the schools have met since the 1978 Class AA title game, won by the Knights, 40-15, at Pitt Stadium.

• The last time Knoch won a playoff game was against Franklin Regional, 9-7, in the 2011 semifinals. The Knights are 18-19 all-time in the WPIAL playoffs with one title (1978) and four runner-up finishes.

• The school was part of the old Butler County League before joining the WPIAL in 1964.

ROSTER

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, OLDL, 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.