Kiski Area opens new era under coach Colin Haugh with shutout of Knoch
By:
Friday, August 22, 2025 | 10:38 PM
Kiski Area’s Ashton Taylor carries the ball against Knoch on Friday.
Kiski Area’s Aven Shirley (3) intercepts a pass intended for Knoch’s Koen Sundie on Friday.
Kiski Area players run through a banner at the start of their game against Knoch on Friday.
The sun sets on Knoch’s Brayden McGowan (14) and Roman DeFelice during a game against Kiski Area on Friday.
Kiski Area fans cheer after touchdown and extra point against Knoch on Friday.
The sun sets on Knoch fans as they watch Friday’s game against Kiski Area.
Knoch’s Ethan Rousleau carries the ball against Kiski Area on Friday.
Knoch’s Ryan McCurdy is pulled down by Kiski Area’s Aven Shirley on Friday.
Knoch’s Max Wiley is pulled down by Kiski Area’s Wilson Spencer on Friday.
Kiski Area’s Aven Shirley passes over Knoch’s Zachary Szebalskie on Friday.
Members of the Kiski Area marching band perform the national anthem and alma mater ahead of a game against Knoch on Friday.
Not a bad start for Kiski Area and new coach Colin Haugh.
It wasn’t as clean as they would have liked, but the Cavaliers (1-0) persevered through their mistakes in a 21-0 win over Class 4A foe Knoch (0-1) at Richard Dilts Field at Kiski Area High School.
Despite miscues, there was a lot to like from the Cavaliers. First was the effort Haugh got from senior QB Aven Shirley, who wasn’t on the list of quarterbacks battling at the position in camp.
“One of the things we’ve dealt with all year was adversity” Haugh said. “We hit it for a week, and we had to tackle it as a team. We came out here tonight with the guy we thought gave us the best chance to win the game.
“I thought he played well for the things we asked him to do. Aven is a battler, a good competitor, so I’m extremely excited for what he’s going to do in the future.”
Shirley finished 5 of 10 for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Another player who stepped up was freshman tailback Ashton Taylor, who ran for 121 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown.
“It felt amazing,” Taylor said. “I was running behind some hogs, and stepping up from middle school to varsity, I didn’t expect it to be so challenging but I accepted the challenge and did my part.”
What Haugh disliked were the 12 penalties for 115 yards committed by the Cavaliers.
“I think a little bit of it had to do with coming out against another team,” Haugh said. “Some of them were just dumb pre-snap penalties that we can clean up easily.”
Kiski Area opened the scoring on its second drive of the first half, putting together a 12-play, 57-yard drive that finished with a 38-yard field goal from senior Austin Beck.
Looking to answer on the ensuing possession, the Knights started on their own 20, and the drive appeared to stall after running back Carter Beres mustered only 2 yards on three carries.
On Beres’ third carry, Kiski Area was flagged for a late hit out of bounds, and that gave Knoch fresh life as Beres rumbled for a 16-yard gain.
But the Knights committed their first of two turnovers in the first half when Ethan Rouleau took the pitch off the left side and fumbled the ball near the 40-yard line. Kiski’s Lorenzo Price jumped on the ball.
“We put the ball on the deck there, and that play is there, our little counter play,” Knoch coach TJ Wiley said.
The Cavaliers pounced on the opportunity as hirley drove the offense down the field, highlighted by a 30-yard pass to his brother Keegan and 40 yards on the ground from freshman running back Ashton Taylor.
Three plays later, Aven rolled to his left and found tight end Braden Anderson open in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown.
Knoch looked to answer, putting together an 11-play drive with heavy runs from quarterback Max Wiley, Ryan McCurdy and Beres.
On a fourth-and-1 on their 42-yard line, Wiley was able to push the pile just enough to keep the Knight’s drive alive.
On a third down at midfield with just over two minutes left in the half, Wiley rolled to his right and found receiver Evan Fink 20 yards down field.
Fink and Cavalier safety Aven Shirley went up for the ball, and Shirley came down with it and scampered 41 yards, getting Kiski in position to add to their lead.
“I made a horrible play call on the interception, and I was going to check out of it, but we stayed with it and threw it into coverage, trying to make a play,” Coach Wiley said.
Beck later tacked on a 21-yard field goal.
Despite having the ball for nearly the entire third quarter, the Knights came up empty on their longest drive of the night, a 14-play drive that ended on a turnover on downs.
“We showed at times the team we can be,” coach Wiley said. “The drive towards the end where we came away empty once again was just disheartening.”
Wiley knows that despite his team being young, they showed their fans a lot after enduring a blowout loss to Kiski Area last season.
“We’re trying to build the right way,” he said. “My athletic director said we looked way better than last year, said we looked cleaner. We just have to make big plays in big time situations. It just didn’t come to pass.”
Kiski closed out the game’s final minute with another 11-play drive that saw a heavy dose of Taylor, who was rewarded for his hard work pounding the ball for a 6-yard touchdown and added the 2-point conversion to give the Cavaliers the three-score victory.
As for Haugh, he couldn’t give enough credit to his players.
“These kids battled for six months, and since I’ve been here, I’ve asked them to do a lot and they never complained, so I have to give them credit for tonight,” Haugh said.
Tags: Kiski Area, Knoch
More Football
• Fast, fearless Clairton eager to end 9-year state finals ‘drought’• What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Dec. 4, 2025: Clairton opens PIAA football championship weekend
• Trib 10: 3 power-ranked teams playing for state titles
• Early signing day for 2026: WPIAL, City League football players finalize Division I plans
• 2025 PIAA A football championship breakdown: Clairton vs. Bishop Guilfoyle
