Adams' Ace
JEFFERSON TWP — Trailing by one point early in the third quarter and facing a fourth down, Knoch coach Mike King did what most sensible coaches would do: punt.
Little did he know it would be the play that changed the game.
The Knights downed Mac Christy's punt on the 3-yard line, stuffed Franklin Regional back into the endzone for a safety and then returned the ensuing free kick 70 yards for a touchdown on their way to a 22-7 victory over the co-defending Greater Allegheny Conference champions Friday night at Knoch Stadium.
After exchanging touchdowns in the first half with Knoch having its extra point blocked, the Knights stalled on their first drive of the second half.
Christy booted the ball deep and the returner decided to let the ball bounce instead of making the simple fair catch. It would come to rest just 3 yards from the endzone.
“Christy is a sophomore punting for us, and he's got a big leg,” King said. “That was a big, big play to put them down there. We came up big defensively down there when it counted, and then a kick return. I don't remember the last time we had a kick return for a touchdown.”
But King will likely remember senior Asa Adams taking the free kick at the Knights' 30 yard line and finding a seam in the middle of the field. With one cut Adams was off to the races, outrunning two Panther defenders to secure the score.
The touchdown gave the Knights all the cushion they would need. While Franklin Regional had opportunities to draw closer, a botched fourthdown play and an untimely interception led to its demise.
“I knew this football team was good. They should have gotten a lot more recognition than they did,” Panthers coach Greg Botta said about the Knights. “They did a great job, and we just self-destructed a lot of times today.”
Franklin Regional's chances of mounting a comeback were also dealt a blow when star linebacker/running back Brett Zanotto left the game early in the second half with an apparent shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, standout Knoch running back Cody Milsom got the bulk of the carries as the Knights tried running out the clock, and he finished with 76 yards on 21 carries against a stout Panthers defense.
Milsom also scored both offensive touchdowns for Knoch. King said after the game that playing against proven opponents like Franklin Regional early in the season lets his players find out what they do well and what needs improved upon as the season advances.
And he believes they're up for the challenge.
“I'm real proud of these kids,” he said. “They're a bunch of no-name kids and not a lot of people talked about them prior to the season. They have a lot of guts. They have a lot of grit. They can do anything that they want to do.”
