A-K Valley football teams reap benefits of 7-on-7 practice at Fox Chapel

By: Josh Rizzo
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 | 9:39 PM

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The Knoch football players had an acronym printed vertically on the back of their uniforms for the Fox Chapel 7-on-7 football practice Wednesday night. Reach your full potential (RYFP) has become the slogan for the Knights, led by veteran first-year coach T.J. Wiley.

Wiley said the early response he has had at Knoch reminds him of his most successful stop, which was a split stint at Northgate from 2011-12 and 2014-17. Wiley led the Flames to a 10-2 record and a trip to the WPIAL Class A semifinals in 2016.

“It wasn’t me. It was the kids who were believing and buying into what we were preaching,” Wiley said. “I’m average at best. The kids believed. The sense I’m getting from these Knoch kids, they are buying in hook, line and sinker.”

The Fox Chapel 7-on-7 featured all schools from the Alle-Kiski Valley: Armstrong, Burrell, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands and Knoch. Foxes coach Dave Leasure was happy with the level of competition.

The format doesn’t involve keeping scoring and rotated through 40-minute increments to help varsity and junior varsity teams get work in.

“They aren’t trying to win the 7-on-7 Super Bowl, which heightens tensions between teams,” Leasure said. “That’s when there are problems. We’ve avoided that here, but we’ve had good competition.”

Wiley, who also has been the head coach at Penn-Trafford, Vincentian, Deer Lakes and Bishop Canevin, said he has enjoyed getting to know the kids at Knoch.

“You have to give kids the benefit of the doubt. Every kid has a clean slate,” Wiley said. “What I like to do, I’m always noted for my energy and enthusiasm. I want that to rub off and for the kids to buy what I’m selling. I like to go into the school and meet the kids and want to find out from other kids what happened and to start from there and lay my vision out to the team.”

TJ’s son, Max, a junior, will play quarterback for the Knights.

TJ was an assistant coach at Shaler last season, and Max played for the Titans. TJ said coaching his son has been a dream, as he had the opportunity to play for his dad when he attended Titusville.

Highlands coach Matt Bonislawki said his kids know that he emphasizes that football is a game of blocking and tackling, something they don’t do in 7-on-7s.

The Golden Rams were happy to get a workout in.

“It’s always good,” Bonislawski said. “We are out here working on things we are practicing all summer. It’s good to come in and get a workout and work on our alignments and see the guys work out.”

Leasure said he was happy with how Fox Chapel is improving.

“To me, the biggest thing is technique and details of your possession,” Leasure said. “Secondly, I love seeing the kids and the camaraderie between teams and coaches. We are all in it together at this point. We are all trying to get better. Most of them have things they need to work on.”

Tags: Fox Chapel