Knoch hopes to build on breakthrough season

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, August 11, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Knoch football experienced a renaissance last season.

After nearly a decade of playoff misses, the Knights broke through by contending for a conference title and getting back to the WPIAL postseason.

There’s plenty of players returning and some new additions, and they’ll look to repeat the same success while moving up to Class 4A.

“You take solace in the fact that you started a process, went through that process and started to succeed on the foundation you built,” Knoch coach Tim Burchett said. “Our first year, we won one game and we own that. We kind of moved on, but showed them how close we were in games and that kind of led us into last year.

“We won eight games, but should’ve won more than eight games. The best thing about it is that it didn’t feel like we were very satisfied with winning eight games and making the playoffs. As we enter 4A, which is probably the best classification in Western Pa., we’ll need to have that confidence and build from last year.”

The Knights are in the Greater Allegheny Conference with some heavy hitters. McKeesport was the runner up in 4A, while Mars was a semifinalist. West Mifflin was a playoff team in 3A. Hampton and Indiana are also in the conference.

Codi Mullen returns after throwing for over 1,200 yards each of the last two seasons, but Knoch also has a transfer in from Armstrong at quarterback in Colt Sprankle.

The plan is to utilize both.

Burchett joked that he told Mullen to start looking up highlights of former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart in his “Slash” days, but the reference may have been too dated.

“When I told him about Kordell, he looked at me like I had seven heads,” Burchett said. “He didn’t know who he was, so I had to go through my Rolodex of players. I told him to look at Percy Harvin and some other players. He’s going to be everywhere. He’ll play some quarterback, running back, wide receiver and slot. We’re going to try to use him as a chess piece on offense.”

Sprankle started at quarterback at Armstrong last year as a sophomore before an injury sidelined him midway through the season.

He moved into the district in the winter and was granted full eligibility by the PIAA for regular season and postseason in July after the WPIAL had initially only ruled him eligible for the regular season.

“He’s worked his tail off, gained weight and done everything that we’ve asked him to do,” Burchett said. “The way he throws the ball I think will really open up our offense. Our hope is that we can be multi-faceted on offense using all 53¹⁄₃ sideways and throw the ball down field a little bit.”

Wyatt Foster, a four-year starter, will lead the line along with three-year starter Zach Szebalskie and Lucas Rouleau, who is a returning starter.

Dylan Pinkerton, who played H-Back last year, could make the transition to guard.

“We’re strong up front,” Burchett said. “We don’t have the farm kids of the past that were 6-foot-4, 6-5, but what we have now are really explosive athletes. They’re strong, powerful kids. I hate to be optimistic, but I think this could be the best offensive line we’ve had in our three years here as a staff.”

Kaden Spencer and Dylan Pinkerton are the anchors of the defense at linebacker. Spencer is also a standout wide receiver on offense. Mullen will play safety.

In total, there’s seven starters returning on each side of the ball.

“We have guys that have played 20-plus varsity games, which is not normal in high school football,” Burchett said. “We have guys that have won close games and lost close games. I think that puts us in a good spot.”

Knoch

Coach: Tim Burchett

2023 record: 8-3, 4-1 in Class 3A Allegheny Six Conference

All-time record: 314-329-13

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 Kiski Area, 7

8.30 North Catholic, 7

9.6 at Fox Chapel, 7

9.13 at Montour, 7

9.20 at New Castle, 7

9.27 Indiana*, 7

10.4 Mars*, 7

10.11 Hampton*, 7

10.18 at West Mifflin*, 7

10.25 McKeesport*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Codi Mullen

89-155, 1,250 yards, 11TDs

Rushing: Mullen

82-330 yards, 3TDs

Receiving: Jackson Bauman

34-507 yards, 6TDs

FAST FACTS

• Knoch made it to a WPIAL football championship game in 2011, which is the last time an Alle-Kiski Valley team has done so. The Knights fell to Montour, 42-14.

• Knoch won its lone WPIAL football title in 1978. The Knights defeated Beaver Falls, 40-15, for the Class 2A championship. They also made it in 1979 and ‘80, but lost to Seton LaSalle, 12-0, and Beaver, 12-7.

• Tim Burchett is entering his third season at Knoch. He’s a seventh grade teacher in the Knoch School District.

• Four of Knoch’s five Greater Allegheny Conference games are at home.

ROSTER

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

1, Keaton Oprosky, WR/DB, 5-11/175, sr.

2, Brody Bauman, QB/DB, 5-8/145, so.

3, Wyatt Fraser, WR/DB, 6-0/155, sr.

4, Kaden Spencer, WR/LB, 6-2/210, sr.

5, Codi Mullen, WR/DB/QB, 5-9/175, sr.

6, Carter Beres, RB/LB, 6-0/185, so.

7, Ethan Rouleau, RB/DB, 5-9/160, so.

8, Evan Fink, WR/DB, 5-9/140, so.

9, Roman DeFelice, WR/DB, 5-10/150, so.

10, Colt Sprankle, QB/DB, 6-0/170, jr.

11, Carter Worsley, WR/DB, 5-9/180, jr.

12, Koen Sundie, WR/DB, 5-9/170, jr.

13, Aiden Haefner, WR/DB, 5-9/140, fr.

14, Brayden McGowan, WR/DB, 5-9/165, jr.

17, Evan Schriner, WR/DB, 5-9/140, fr.

18, Vinnie DeFelice, WR/DB, 6-2/150, jr.

21, Kannon Trofimuk, K/P, 5-9/175, sr.

22, Sam Skurka, RB/DB, 5-9/180, sr.

24, Anthony Jula, RB/LB, 5-10/165, so.

25, Ben Allen, WR/DB, 5-10/170, jr.

26, Kody Shubert, WR/DB, 5-10/175, sr.

27, Kade Sundie, WR/DB, 5-8/145, fr.

35, Cam Lang, RB/LB, 5-9/150, fr.

36, Daniel Simons, RB/LB, 5-10/180, so.

45, Pierce Kniess, RB/LB, 5-8/148, so.

50, Cooper Christopher, OL/DL, 6-2/250, so.

54, Wyatt Foster, OL/DL, 6-1/235, sr.

55, Dylan Pinkerton, OL/LB, 6-0/215, sr.

56, James Shatlock, OL/DL, 5-9/215, so.

59, Ben Martin, OL/DL, 6-1/225, sr.

60, Kaeden Myers, OL/DL, 6-0/210, so.

62, Parker Infante, OL/DL, 5-8/225, jr.

70, Austin Adams, OL/DL, 5-10/165, so.

71, Lucas Rouleau, OL/DL, 6-1/225, sr.

72, Zach Szebalskie, OL/DL, 6-1/215, jr.

73, Makai Noah-Born, OL/DL, 5’11/250, so.

74, Ezra Kenyon, OL/DL, 5-10/180, so.

Zane Nowicki, OL/DL, 5-9/178, fr.

Jacob Butler, WR/DB, 5-7/145, so.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Knoch