JEFFERSON TWP — It started with an innocent statement.

In 1990, then Knoch sophomore Ryan Roenigk said to his father, Bud, “I wish I could play football under the lights on our field on a Friday night.”

That statement resonated with Bud Roenigk and his wife, Karen, so they formed the Knight Foundation, Inc. with the sole purpose of raising money to install lights at the football field at Knoch.

“We started collecting money from people and companies and restaurants and everyone we could think who would be willing to donate,” Bud Roenigk said. “It was really slow, but we weren't going to give up. We knew when our kids were seniors, we wanted them to play under their own lights.”

What followed was an arduous process that finally culminated in August of 1992 when the lights were finally turned on at Knoch.

The group's efforts were recognized with a dedication of a plaque before the Mars-Knoch football game Friday night.

Karen Reiser, whose son, Nick, was a senior on the 1992 team, remembers standing in the middle of the field when the lights were turned on for a test at 5 a.m. on an August morning.

“We all stood there in a big circle, hugged each other and jumped all around like little kids,” Karen Reiser said.

Getting to that point wasn't easy.

The group had to ask for permission from the school board to raise money for the project and finally received it.

“I think they thought we'd never get it done,” Karen Reiser said.

But they did, thanks to a donor they only new as “Lois.”

“'Lois, our angel' is what we called her,” said Karen Roenigk. “Two months after we got the lights, she passed away and all the players went to her viewing.”

The players had a big part in bringing lights to Knoch as well.

Many of them dug holes and ditches on and around the field for the standards and wiring to make the lights become a reality.

“There was a ditch dug across the field that the boys had to dig by hand,” Bud Roenigk said. “When they were done, they took their hats off, shirts off, shoes off and threw them in the ditch. To this day, they are still under the field.”

Bud Roenigk said the foundation raised approximately $75,000 for the project, which was estimated to cost $130,000. The difference was made up for by donations of labor and equipment.

Still, Bud Roenigk said the group had an approximate debt of $50,000 when it was completed.

“We worked for another five, six years selling flowers, cookies, anything ...”

Karen Roenigk added: “Anything that wasn't nailed down. We sold directions on how to get to away games for $5.”

All these years later, the players on that 1992 team, which had an unexpected run to Three Rivers Stadium and the WPIAL championship game (which they lost), are still in awe that they were able to play under the lights.

“It sends chills up my arms now knowing how much work they put in to make that happen for me back then,” said Rob Ekas, who was a senior wide receiver/defensive back on that team. “It was so awesome. Honestly, it was. To go from a Saturday afternoon game to a Friday night game was outstanding.”