IMPERIAL — Both teams have been down this road before.

West Allegheny has won seven WPIAL football championships and is bidding for its third consecutive title this year.

Knoch will face the Indians in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs for the fourth time since 2004 when the teams kick off at 7:30 p.m. here Friday. The Knights (4-5) are seeded 14th while West Allegheny (8-1) is seeded third.

The host Indians were undefeated until suffering a 28-17 loss to unbeaten Central Valley last week.

“They're definitely a good football team and our job is tough this week ... but it's not impossible,” Knoch coach Mike King said. “We went down there in 2009, a year they won the WPIAL, and gave them a very competitive game.”

Knoch took a 31-14 loss to the Indians that year and suffered a 41-6 first-round playoff defeat there in 2004. The Knights defeated West Allegheny, 28-7, in a first-round playoff game in Saxonburg in 2011, the year Knoch wound up playing at Heinz Field.

The memory of senior cheerleader Alex Summers, killed in an automobile accident three days earlier, was honored by a postgame vigil the night of that first-round game.

“Our teams have some history with each other, that's for sure,” West Allegheny coach Bob Palko said. “I'll never forget that last time we played them. That was about so much more than a football game.

“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Coach King and what they do with their kids there. They're always well-coached and they play hard.

“Anything can happen in the playoffs. We're not looking at anything besides this game,” Palko added.

West Allegheny quarterback Andrew Koester has completed 56 of 100 passes for 1,058 yards, 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He is a third-year starter.

Knoch quarterback Cole Shinsky has been at the position for three games. He's completed 21 of 46 passes for 352 yards.

“Cole can do a good job running or throwing the football,” King said. “It may have taken him a little while to get back into it at quarterback, since nearly all of his reps have been at wide receiver. But he's improving with every game.”

Koester, already committed to St. Francis University, has effective targets to throw to in Sean Orsini (15 catches-263 yards-5 TDs), Danny Guilfoil (14-271-3) and Armand Dellovade (10-142-4).

The Indians are also balanced at running back as Terence Stephens has rushed for 550 yards and 11 touchdowns, Chayse Dillon 521 and 12 scores, Whitney White 442 and eight TDs.

“You're always fortunate when you have experience at the quarterback position,” Palko said. “We've got plenty of backs and receivers to share the load, so we keep people fresh. But it all comes down to execution on the field.”

The Indians average 225 yards rushing and 140 yards passing per game.

“They're pretty diversified, but our defense ranked fourth in the WPIAL in points allowed (114) and we're proud of that,” King said. “Our nose-guard, Sam Whalen, is the smallest lineman in our league, yet he's all-conference.

“We don't try to match up with teams in terms of size. We try to match up in terms of effort and intensity.”

West Allegheny averages 46 points per game and has scored more than 50 in a game five times this year. Knoch allows just 12 points per contest.

Defensively, linebackers Dellovade and Orsini have 105 and 98 tackles, respectively. Dellovade is headed to St. Francis and Orsini is being recruited by Ivy League schools.

“Both of those guys are three-year starters and are all over the field,” Palko said.

Whalen, cornerback Asa Adams (three interceptions), end Ty Gornick and linebacker Cory Godlewski have been among Knoch's standouts defensively.

Cody Milsom has rushed for 897 yards and 12 TDs for the Knights. Addis Crouch averages 26.5 yards on 11 receptions.

“Cody has carried the load for our running game this year, but we'll need to diversify that Friday,” King admitted. “We don't want to give them one stationary target.”

West Allegheny also has a weapon in sophomore place-kicker D.J. Opsatnik, who has drilled 42 of 45 PATs and four of five field goal attempts, including a 43-yarder.

“He kicked three field goals in the (WPIAL) title game at Heinz Field last year,” Palko said. “The Steelers' kickers would like to do that well.”